Yes, it does. Studies have shown that antioxidant properties help with diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and even cancer development. This article will delve further into the details of
Studies have shown CBD to help with an abundance of medical issues from diseases like ALS to symptoms of drug withdrawal, or symptoms of anxiety and depression. Many also question if CBD is indeed an antioxidant.
Is CBD an antioxidant? Yes, scientific studies have shown CBD does have antioxidant properties, and therefore medical conditions that can be helped by using antioxidants can be helped with CBD.
Studies have shown that antioxidant properties in CBD help in people with diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and even cancer development.
This article will delve further into the details of what antioxidants are and what they can do, plus how CBD has antioxidant properties, whilst also clearing up common misconceptions surrounding CBD.
These effects of CBD come from the properties that cannabinoids have.
CBD has been shown to have health properties:
Anxiolytic (anti-anxiety)
Table of Contents
What is CBD?
Cannabidiol oil (CBD) is extracted from the leaves, stalks, and flowers of industrial hemp plants. CBD is a cannabinoid, these are compounds found in the cannabis plant species.
Unlike the similarly prominent cannabinoid, THC, CBD is non-psychoactive meaning it does not produce a ‘high’.
Because CBD is extracted from industrial hemp plants, it contains less than 0.2 – 0.3% THC content, so long as the product abides by this content level, it is legal in the US, UK, and Canada.
THC is the main psychoactive compound found in the cannabis plant species, it is responsible for the ‘high’ that cannabis gives you.
What are antioxidants?
Antioxidants are minerals that slow down or stop oxidation so that oxidative stress does not occur.
Oxidative stress happens when there is a difference in the balance between the production of free radicals and antioxidants.
Both free radicals and antioxidants are produced by the body naturally, but various factors can lead to excess production of free radicals, including oxidative stress.
Free radicals damage the body as they are unstable and therefore extremely reactive, they damage cells and can lead to illnesses and diseases.
Antioxidants can lessen or prevent the negative effects of free radicals on the body by giving them an electron, which in turn reduces their reactivity by making them more stable. Free radicals are not all bad, however, they are vital to the body as they are used to neutralize harmful bacteria.
Free radical production is encouraged by:
- Excess consumption of alcohol
- Excess consumption of fried foods
- Smoking
- Exposure to chemicals in pesticides and air pollution
What is oxidative stress and how is inflammation related?
Oxidative stress contributes to a variety of diseases including:
- Arthritis
- Diabetes
- Alzheimer’s
- Parkinson’s
Arthritis and Diabetes can be caused by oxidative stress as a cycle of chronic inflammation can occur.
When the body fights an injury or infection it triggers an immune response that produces free radicals when neutralizing bad bacteria.
These free radicals damage healthy cells and lead to inflammation.
Oxidative stress can also trigger the inflammatory immune response which produces more free radicals and therefore more inflammation, which can then lead to more oxidative stress – so a cycle is created.
This cycle of chronic inflammation can lead to Arthritis and Diabetes.
Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease are both neurodegenerative diseases.
In oxidative stress, excess free radicals can damage brain cells just like any other cells around the body, they can kill cells which is one the main causes for neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
How can CBD help all this?
CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties can reduce or even completely alleviate the effects that inflammation can have in oxygen buildup and therefore brain cell decline.
Inflammation is linked to many of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s as well as Arthritis, these can be reduced by CBD by its anti-inflammatory properties and why it’s of interest to biohackers.
Issues surrounding oxidation and oxidative stress can be countered by CBD’s antioxidant properties.
CBD has also been shown in studies to promote hippocampal neurogenesis. This is the body’s process of forming new neurons and cells in the brain, it can reduce the decline of memory and other brain functions.
CBD forms and dosage
CBD comes in a variety of forms, these include:
- Oil in sprays and tinctures
- Capsules
- Topicals/creams/balms/lotions
- Vaporizers/vape oils
- Edibles/gummies
- Infused water
- Infused coffee
- Tea
- Shower gels/bath bombs/bath salts and shampoos
Dosages and speed of effect for CBD depend on numerous variables including weight, condition, and severity of the condition.
It can be a guessing game at times but there is no way to overdose on CBD so do not stress.
The best way to find your dosage is to test and trial.
Begin with the dosages below and gradually increase the dosage until the desired effect is achieved.
Judge what form is best for you in considering what is easiest for you and how fast you want the CBD to take action.
The table gives an outline of body weight relating to dosage.
| Weight | Low Dosage | Medium Dosage | Higher Dosage | |
| 20 – 40 kg | 9 mg | 12 mg | 15 mg | |
| 41 – 70 kg | 12 mg | 15 mg | 18 mg | |
| 71 – 110 kg | 18 mg | 22.5 mg | 27 mg | |
| 110+ kg | 22.5 mg | 30 mg | 45 mg |
Misconceptions surrounding CBD
Does CBD get you high? CBD does not get you high.
Legal CBD extracted from industrial hemp plants are legally required to contain less than 0.2 % in the UK, and 0.3% in the US, THC content.
This amount is insignificant and presents no risk of getting ‘high’ from taking any CBD products.
Legality of CBD
In Canada, CBD along with recreational marijuana use is legal, however individual provinces have their own laws so check here for a more detailed outline of the legality of CBD in Canada. CBD products from Canada may contain more than the legal amount of THC (as there is no limit) than other countries allow, so be cautious in transporting or trying to import CBD products from Canada.
In the United States, some states have legalized recreational marijuana use while some outlaw CBD as they do not differ it from marijuana itself, check here for a state by state guide the legality of CBD in the US. In federal law, CBD is legal so long as it is extracted from industrial hemp plants and contains less than 0.3% THC content.
In the United Kingdom CBD is legal as long as it is extracted from industrial hemp plants and contains less than 0.2% THC content.
In Australia, CBD and other ‘medicinal cannabis’ products can only be prescribed by a registered medical practitioner following an in-depth assessment of the patient’s condition and individual, outside circumstances.
Side effects and risks of CBD
Side effects of CBD are largely uncommon and insignificant. Short term side effects include:
- Tiredness + mood changes
- Diarrhea
- Appetite change
Long term side effects are unstudied as studies have only recently begun on CBD.
Failing a drug test because of CBD
Drug tests look for THC and its metabolites. Because CBD contains trace amounts of THC a false positive can result from taking CBD so be cautious when taking CBD before a drug test.
Both the Hemp and Marijuana plant, which CBD can be derived from, contain THC. Industrial Hemp is legal because the amount of THC is limited to 0.2 – 0.3%, where Marijuana plants have no limit, which is why the plant is illegal.
CBD can interfere with your body’s ability to process certain pharmaceutical drugs; specifically, it inhibits cytochrome p450.
As with some other medications, CBD is metabolized in the body by the enzymes in the CYP450 system.
So, in competing for these enzymes, CBD can reduce the metabolism of other drugs, raising their blood levels and having the inhibitor effect described above. This means that lower dosages are more likely to be required without knowing so.
This could lead to the potentially harmful levels suggested above. Clinical trials have shown this where CBD is provided in hundreds of milligrams (mg) daily.
The average CBD supplement pill can range from 10 to 40 mg, therefore the effect may not be as strong in smaller doses of CBD. Drugs that are affected by grapefruit do have warnings so watch out for these and avoid CBD when seeing this warning.
Conclusion
CBD has many health beneficial properties including being antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, as well as being neuroprotective and neurogenesis promoting.
Being antioxidative along with all these other properties contributes to helping relieve symptoms of and potentially reducing the growth or progression of diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Arthritis.
Studies are being conducted daily as more research is needed, CBD is considered to have great potential in treating many ailments because of the multitude of health beneficial properties that it has.
