CBD or cannabidiol is a miraculous compound, naturally found in the cannabis plant, that appears to bind to the receptors in the brain to produce healing effects.
CBD is causing quite a buzz, and it does not produce a high. CBD is credited with alleviating symptoms of a number of ailments, including diabetes and inflammation. The benefits of CBD for treating diabetes-related health problems may include reduced inflammation and improved blood glucose control.
Research to find the possible uses of CBD and other cannabis compounds to treat or control diabetes is a promising area of study, meaning the potential benefits are likely to grow. Let’s take a critical look at the effectiveness of CBD products in treating diabetes.
CBD is an attractive option for those who are looking for relief from pain and other symptoms without the mind-altering effects of marijuana.
CBD does not produce psychoactive effects that make you feel ‘high’; instead, emerging science has revealed that CBD may be ideal for people looking to relax and unwind because it suppresses the nervous system’s response, which is associated with sudden increases in heart rate or respiration.
What Is Diabetes?
It is a disease that affects how your body processes glucose in your bloodstream. Blood glucose, also known as blood sugar, is essential because it’s what fuels your brain and gives energy to your muscles and tissues.
The underlying cause can be different for different types, but no matter what kind of diabetes you are suffering from, it can lead to excess sugar in your blood, which can cause serious health problems.
Signs And Symptoms Of Diabetes
- Increased thirst
- Unexpected weight loss
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Frequent urination
- Extreme hunger
- Blurred vision
- Slow-healing sores
- Presence of ketones in the urine
- Recurrent infections, such as gum or skin infections, and vaginal infections
How Many Types Of Diabetes Are There?
Did you know that diabetes is the most common disease in the world, with 8.5% of the population affected? There are four different types and the most common are Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
Type 1 Diabetes: Type 1 is an autoimmune disease. In this type, the immune system attacks the beta cells in your pancreas, which results in an inability to produce insulin.
Type 2 Diabetes: It is a metabolic condition. When there is too much sugar into our bloodstream, the body becomes resistant to insulin.
Type 1.5 Diabetes: Type 1.5 diabetes, also known as Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA), is a condition that shares characteristics of both type 1 and type 2. It cannot be treated with changes in diet and lifestyle alone.
If left untreated, type 1.5 diabetes can lead to diabetic ketoacidosis, which is a condition where the absence of insulin disables the body to utilize sugar as fuel, and it starts burning fat, producing ketones, which are toxic to the body.
Type 3 Alzheimer’s Diabetes: Type 3 diabetes is a title proposed for Alzheimer’s disease, which results from resistance to insulin in the brain. In type 3 diabetes, the brain cells become starved of glucose, which in turn can lead to a progressive reduction in memory, reasoning, judgment, and insight.
The Possible Prevention Of Diabetes By Using CBD Products
Let’s have a critical look to see whether the effectiveness of CBD oil is a marketing gimmick or if there is any scientific evidence to support its efficacy in treating diabetes.
Effectiveness Of CBD Oil For Type 1 Diabetes
Studies from 2019 suggest CBD may reduce initial pancreatic inflammation in type 1 diabetes. Their research also cites CBD lowering incidents of diabetes in obese diabetic mice.
According to research by Dr. Jim Holland, if you have type 1 diabetes, CBD oil is not going to make you stop taking insulin anymore, as your body no longer makes it. You may be able to reduce how much insulin you have to consider.
Effectiveness Of CBD Oil On Type 2 Diabetes
If you are managing type 2 diabetes, it’s natural to be curious about whether CBD might help you maintain or stabilize your blood sugar. Still, there is a lack of comprehensive research on CBD and type 2 diabetes. “We don’t know that THC and CBD exerts an effect on diabetes itself, and that means control of blood sugars.”, says Cory Toth, MD, a neurologist at Fraser Health at Burnaby Hospital in British Columbia. He also says that pain relief is the number one reason people with diabetes use CBD and Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
Effectiveness Of CBD Oil For Type 1.5 Diabetes
According to the 2019 study on diabetic rats, which showed improved memory performance and reduced inflammation after only 30 daily doses of CBD at 10mg a day. The study came after a previous report that diabetes and aging work together to increase inflammation, aging, and memory loss in rats.
Effectiveness Of CBD Oil For Type 3 Diabetes
CBD oil has shown to help type 3 diabetes in many ways. It stops the death of cells due to inflammation because it cures type 3 diabetes. Insulin resistance can be brought to a stop by using CBD.
Insulin Resistance
A 2016 study showed that people who have type 2 diabetes are 60% more likely to get Alzheimer’s, so once the connection was discovered, there were more studies conducted. Untreated diabetes causes damage in the cells called insulin resistance. In insulin resistance, there is too much sugar floating around in the bloodstream, which the insulin is no longer able to deliver to the cells. This insulin resistance causes the death of the cells resulting in inflammation and dementia.
Risks Of High Insulin In Your Body
Your pancreas produces insulin, which is an important hormone. Its main function is to allow your cells to take in sugar from your body for energy. However, too much insulin can lead to severe high blood pressure, severely low blood sugar, heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, eye problems, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Having high levels of insulin, also known as hyperinsulinemia, which causes your cells to become resistant to insulin, causing your pancreas produces even more insulin, creating a vicious cycle.
Is CBD Helpful In Lowering Insulin Levels?
In one study, CBD didn’t improve blood sugar and lipid levels in people with type 2 diabetes, but a variation of THC did. CBD did, however, lower insulin resistance and also boosted gut hormone levels.
Diabetes Prevention And CBD
According to Havard Medical Research, people who use CBD oil and cannabis products showed a 16-17% lower insulin rates and lower blood sugar. That is a big difference when you are talking about 100 million people in the United States that have diabetes and 84 million that are considered pre-diabetic.
One of the best ways CBD oil works is to work on prevention from the beginning, which is in line with this famous saying:
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
So taking a CBD supplement daily will help to lower your insulin level, blood sugar, and also help manage the following symptoms:
How To Use CBD Oil For Diabetes?
You can use CBD oil in several ways. However, the easiest way is to put a few drops of the oil under your tongue twice or thrice a day. If you find the taste unpleasant, it can be mixed with your food or drink.
How Much CBD Oil Should Be Taken For Diabetes?
For managing diabetes, you have to consider your age, weight, height, and the concentration of the oil you use. It is recommended to take 20 mg – 25 mg of CBD daily to treat diabetes. For type 1 and 2 diabetes, take 40 mg – 50 mg of CBD a day. People with severe cases generally take 100 mg – 150 mg of CBD oil.
Remember, everybody is different, and not all people will react the same way to CBD oil. It is best to start with a low dose and continue monitoring your glucose level to access the effect of the oil on your condition.
Is It Legal?
The current legality over CBD is hazy. Hemp and hemp-derived products whose THC content is less than 0.3% are legal under the Farm Bill. People taking CBD should check the laws in their state and any travel destination. They should keep in mind that the FDA has not yet approved any nonprescription products.
CBD Compared To Conventional Treatment Options For Managing Diabetes
People with type 2 diabetes, who can get by without having to take insulin shots will most likely need a pharmaceutical drug like Metformin or Avandia, which aids in the ability to regulate glucose properly.
However, as is far too familiar with these kinds of prescription meds, a range of severe side effects is often produced, as is a monthly medical bill that can be as cumbersome as the side effects themselves.
Due to side effects and hefty medical bills, many people with diabetes in recent years are more than willing to try CBD even if it can replace just one of their prescription medications or also reduce the requisite dose.
Limitations On Research
Most studies of CBD’s effects on diabetes have been in mice and rats. These tests on animals are a problem because of laboratory conditions, differences between animals and humans, and other factors that can affect study results. Just because CBD works for them, doesn’t mean it will work in humans.
Side Effects
Many small scale studies have checked the safety of CBD products in adults. It was found that CBD is well-tolerated in adults.
There were no significant side effects found on the nervous system or vital signs. It is well tolerated by people using high dosages also. The most common side effect of CBD is tiredness, diarrhea, and changes in appetite or weight.
It is important that people need to seek treatment with their doctor before following a course of CBD. CBD oil may interact with some dietary supplements, over-the-counter (OTC) aids. Some CBD prescription medications contain a warning against eating grapefruit.
CBD disrupts cytochrome P450 complex enzymes. This disruption can weaken the liver’s ability to break down toxins, increasing the risk of liver toxicity.
Final Thoughts
As mentioned earlier, in the world of medicine, anecdotal evidence can only go so far. Although many people with diabetes use CBD oil every day to help manage their condition, most physicians vary in recommending it as a treatment because they can’t point to the exact physiological reasons as to why it is beneficial.
CBD does not cure diabetes, however, results from animal studies have shown it may be able to help with the secondary symptoms of diabetes and may even be able to help decrease the overall prevalence of the condition.
Before determining the best dosage, seek advice from a doctor because there is a lack of FDA regulation for the usage of CBD oil.
As regulation in the U.S improves, more specific dosages and prescriptions will start to surface.
After discussing risks and benefits with a doctor, it is essential to compare different brands of CBD oil.