There’s a lot of incorrect information about CBD and diabetes. While CBD may have several advantages, it cannot cure or treat any illness, including diabetes. There have been no significant clinical trials on the effects of CBD on diabetes to date. It has been shown that CBD might reduce symptoms of diabetes via an immunomodulatory approach in numerous animal studies.
According to a study published in the journal Diabetes Therapy, CBD’s various qualities may aid with diabetes complications including as hypoglycemia and diabetic neuropathy. It might also aid in lowering overall incidence of diabetes. This post will go through CBD, diabetes, and low blood sugar symptoms. It’ll also look at how various sorts of cannabis extract may help by offering a safe, cost-effective approach to alleviating disease symptoms.
What Is Diabetes?
Diabetes is an illness in which the body’s cells are unable to convert food carbohydrates into energy. This is due to how the body creates or responds to the hormone insulin. Blood sugar levels rise as a result. There are two types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2.
Type 1 diabetes affects about 5–10% of all diabetics. Those with type 1 diabetes do not create insulin. Insulin is a vital hormone that transports glucose (sugar) molecules from the circulation into cells. This is generally due to an autoimmune attack on the pancreas, which produces insulin.
Type 2 diabetes affects over 400 million people across the world, according to research.
Type 1 diabetes generally affects children and young adults, although it can affect people of any age. It’s thought that a viral infection is responsible for the autoimmune condition in individuals who are genetically predisposed.
Although people with type 2 diabetes are unable to generate insulin on their own, their bodies do not react as they should. This causes blood glucose levels to be out of control. Type 2 diabetes is also a more severe form of the disease, affecting around 400 million individuals worldwide. This proportion ranges from 90 to 95 percent of all diabetics.
Additionally, far more risk factors are associated with type 2 diabetes than there are with type 1.
Type 2 Diabetes Risk Factors
- Weight (obesity increases the risk significantly)
- Family history and genetics
- Ethnicity (African-Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans are especially susceptible, though the reason is unclear)
- Age (people over 45 are far more likely to develop diabetes)
Diabetes Symptoms
In both types of diabetes, the body’s cells are unable to absorb glucose ingested by the patient. This leads to blood sugar levels becoming dangerously high in patients with both forms of diabetes. Both kinds of diabetes produce severe, potentially fatal symptoms that we commonly associate with the illness. The following are some examples:
- Heart and blood vessel disease
- Nerve damage
- Stroke
- Kidney disease
- Vision problems
In a nutshell, the physiological consequences of diabetes affect almost every region of the body. Both types of diabetes are linked to a reduction in lifespan.
Fortunately, individuals with diabetes can reduce the harmful effects of their disease by taking conventional medications and making other lifestyle modifications.
Diabetes Treatment Options
People with type 1 diabetes require insulin since they are unable to manufacture it on their own. It’s available in the form of injections or a pump, and it’s self-administered or administered through a device. Blood sugar is automatically measured and injected with the hormone as needed with the pump.
Despite the fact that these types of therapy are cutting-edge, they aren’t entirely successful. Even when people with diabetes are cautious, fluctuating glucose levels can be difficult to avoid.
Even the most up-to-date diabetes therapies are not able to keep blood sugar levels within a healthy range 100 percent of the time.
Most people do not have the option of utilizing alternative therapies, such as chiropractic or acupuncture, because they don’t have access to coverage for these treatments. Furthermore, without a top-of-the-line health insurance policy, insulin pumps are simply too expensive to consider. As a result, most individuals must take blood from their finger and test their sugar levels manually using hypodermic needles.
Avandia is a pharmaceutical medicine that’s typically used to treat type 2 diabetes in individuals who aren’t obese. In some cases, people with type 2 diabetes will require Metformin or Avandia, which help to manage glucose levels appropriately. Patients with type 2 diabetes can take a variety of medications to regulate their blood sugar levels. Some people with type 2 diabetes may need to use insulin injections.
However, prescription meds may produce a range of side effects. They also incur a potentially significant monthly medical bill.
Many people with diabetes have been eager to try CBD oils in recent years. Many CBD consumers with diabetes claim that it has improved their quality of life significantly.
There are two major issues to consider when it comes to CBD oil for diabetes. These factors influence the drug’s potential viability in an increasingly common illness.
Primary Considerations When Using CBD Oil for Diabetes
The first issue to address is whether cannabidiol has any impact on diabetes and if so, what form does it take? The following are some of the most frequently asked questions about cannabidiol and its potential impact for diabetes.
- In what ways (if any) does CBD work to improve insulin production or its function?
- In what ways might CBD work to alleviate the spectrum of side effects caused by irregular blood sugar levels?
Both of these concerns have been addressed in recent research publications. Investigative studies, on the other hand, have yet to reach any definitive conclusions about CBD’s effectiveness. They are, however, shedding light on how people might utilize CBD oil for diabetes.
CBD Oil for Diabetes: What the Research Has Shown
In the world of medicine, anecdotal evidence may take you so far. Because there is no way to know for sure why CBD is beneficial, most doctors do not advocate it. This piece does not encourage the use of CBD supplements in place of any drugs approved by a healthcare practitioner.
That said, along with its potential to help with nervous disorder symptoms, researchers have begun studying CBD for diabetes. The results are promising.
CBD for Diabetes Research
Dr. Raphael Mechoulam is a renowned research scientist from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, who has studied cannabinoids extensively. He explains that the body contains naturally occurring CBD receptors that range from the brain and nervous tissues to organs, endocrine glands, and immune cells.
One of the organs where he’s found the receptors to be highly prevalent is in the pancreas.
Cannabinoid receptors, which are activated by the plant’s primary active chemical component, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), generally bind to a wide range of chemicals that include endocannaboid system chemicals and lipids. CBD receptors are present in the islet cells of the pancreas, where insulin is produced.
Despite these findings, endocannabinoid receptors are not directly involved in insulin production. They can’t either say that CBD has the ability to cure diabetes. The receptors may have an impact on the pancreas, but further study is necessary.
However, preliminary research on CBD and diabetes in mice has been promising. To the point that researchers have called for more financing and collaboration on further study.
The most recent research was published in Neurotoxicity Research in 2019, which discovered that CBD’s neuroprotective effects reduced inflammation and improved memory performance in the brains of middle-aged rats with diabetes.
A spate of studies on animal and human subjects published in Diabetes Care in 2016 yielded less promising outcomes. When compared to a placebo, it found that CBD did not improve glycemic control. Glycemic management is critical when it comes to diabetes treatment and symptoms management.
Best CBD Oil for Diabetes
First and foremost, we’d like to clarify that CBD is not intended to cure, treat, or diagnose any disease. We recommend that you avoid any businesses claiming otherwise. No reputable CBD business will claim that its product aids in keeping your insulin level stable.
The most important thing you need is a top CBD brand, such as PureKana and Premium Jane. Make sure the seller checks off all of the following boxes before purchasing any CBD product:
- Products come from hemp and contain a maximum of 0.3% THC.
- The company uses CO2 extraction.
- Full third-party lab reports from a reputable source.
The CBD industry remains poorly regulated, so a failure to stick rigidly to the above means you’re at risk of purchasing a low-grade and potentially harmful product.
CBD is available in a variety of forms, including oils, edibles, vape products, and topicals. CBD oil is currently used by the majority of people as a sublingual delivery method. Place the required number of drops beneath your tongue and hold for 60-90 seconds before swallowing. This technique allows for CBD to enter your blood circulation.
Can CBD Help Treat Underlying Symptoms of Diabetes?
Diabetes can also cause nerve damage, which is another frequent problem. People who have diabetes frequently experience numbness or lack of sensation in their lower limbs. This is due to nerve damage, so people with diabetes are more prone to injuries because they feel nothing. The formation of dangerous bacteria is a consequence of this process as well.
Researchers have made several crucial discoveries while investigating CBD and how it may help treat diabetes symptoms. CBD might function as a neuroprotectant, according to researchers. Whether this is relevant to diabetic nerve damage is unknown.
CBD’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities may also assist with diabetes and its complications. However, there is a lot more research that needs to be done.
Finally, it’s worth noting that CBD oil has no psychoactive properties. Unlike whole-plant marijuana, which contains very little THC, CBD oil has very little of this cannabinoid.
What Should You Know Before Trying CBD for Diabetes?
Your doctor should be your first stop. Despite being a natural substance, CBD appears to interact with certain pharmaceuticals. In 2020, the Karger journal published new research on this topic. Cannabinoids were found to possibly impact almost 140 medications in the latest study, including 56 drugs that had altered concentrations. Furthermore, 55 medicines might have dangerous psychoactive and/or cardiovascular effects as a result of cannabinoid interactions.
Here are a few other things to consider:
Side Effects: Don’t be fooled into thinking that CBD won’t have any negative effects. The list of potential side effects is fairly short, and the majority of them are minor. However, you might experience tiredness, irritability, constipation, and nausea.
THC: It’s also crucial to obtain CBD oil from a reputable source, as we discussed previously. The unregulated nature of the sector makes it all too easy for CBD goods to contain over the lawful THC limit. Although some individuals may use medical marijuana to treat diabetes, you don’t want to receive an unpleasant intoxicating high.
Full-Spectrum: In general, it’s preferable to use a full-spectrum product. It includes several cannabinoids and compounds, and the entourage effect may be beneficial. If it’s essential to have zero THC in everything you eat, however, CBD isolates might be useful. Other compounds are excluded; only cannabidiol is present in CBD Isolates.
Dosage: There are no known recommendations for how much CBD to take for diabetes or any other illness. The majority of vendors, on the other hand, advocate using 2.5-20mg each day. It’s safer to start with a lower dose and determine how your body responds over time.
Final Thoughts on CBD, Diabetes, and Future Treatment Options
CBD oil does not work for everyone with diabetes. Some patients claim it helps them, while others report no difference in their condition.
It’s important to do a lot of study, as it always is. Also, if feasible, see a doctor or health professional about using CBD products for yourself and your specific condition. CBD has the potential to offer a variety of safe, effective therapeutic advantages. A high-quality CBD oil might have the ability to make an enormous positive difference in your well-being and general quality of life.
