Top 5 Most Significant CBD Oil (Cannabidiol) Research Discoveries Of 2018

Cannabidiol, or CBD, is known for providing the therapeutic benefits that marijuana provides but does not have any of the psychoactive effects that are associated with THC. There are many people who have used CBD to support their needs, but the last few years have been particularly lucrative. In the last year, for example, a report from the World Health Organization in November 201 showed that there were no negative side effects associated with CBD. The FDA even developed a CBD drug last June to treat two specific forms of epilepsy.

Read on below to learn about some of the other discoveries that were made in 2018 that may help to progress the CBD industry as a whole.

CBD May Neutralize Psychosis

Psychosis is simply defined as a loss of contact with the real world around you, and it is often more of a symptom than an actual disease itself. It is linked to major mental health disorders, like schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and schizophreniform disorder. In some rare cases, THC has been linked to the creation of psychotic symptoms, but CBD appears to act the opposite way.

A study that involved 33 individuals that had an elevated risk of psychosis were tested with the use of one oral dose of CBD. In another controlled group, the study collected 19 healthy individuals and did not provide CBD. After taking a memory test that triggered three parts of the brain involved with psychosis, the users that took a dose of CBD showed fewer symptoms than the participants with a placebo. Though the study was small, researchers believe the use of CBD temporarily relieves the user of those symptoms. Hopefully, this discovery is continually researched for a treatment and/or cure.

CBD Could Reduce Inflammation, Particularly In Multiple Sclerosis

Inflammation naturally occurs in the body when there is an injury, but it can cause unnecessary damage and pain as it lasts. CBD is known for reducing inflammation in many cases, which is what researchers testing against individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS).

MS is a disease that impacts the central nervous system and causes a great deal of inflammation. It can damage the protective coating around both the brain and spinal cord, causing a wealth of problems in the body. In a study at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, researchers discovered that the reason CBD could reduce inflammation is because it reduces the associated molecules. It also stimulated the body to produce myeloid-derived suppressor cells, which are meant to reduce inflammation as well. In the experiment, these cells reached a substantially high quantity by the 10^th day of use.

CBD Could Be Used In the Treatment Against Pancreatic Cancer

CBD is known for helping with the nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy and cancer. However, this year, research studies found that CBD could actually inhibit the growth of tumors and causing cell death to these types of cells. However, the research revealed that no healthy cells were killed in the process.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms of this disease, giving only a 5% chance to sufferers to live beyond five years from the date it arises. This research combined CBD with GEM, which is a treatment often provided to patients with pancreatic cancer. Though the study has only been performed on mice so far, those mice lived three times longer than others without CBD.

CBD Reduces Epileptic Seizures

The use of CBD for epilepsy and seizures is well known at this point, considering the recent FDA approval of the latest medication. Sufferers of this neurological disorder experience abnormal brain activity, but the typical medications used for it have unfortunate and sometimes unbearable side effects.

Medical cannabis has also been used as a treatment, considering the strong anticonvulsant properties. Shortly after the FDA came out with Epidiolex, the University of Alabama at Birmingham performed a study with 132 participants with epilepsy that have been failed by traditional medication. After 12 weeks, the average number of seizures, which began at 144 every two weeks, was cut down to 52 every two weeks.

CBD Could Treat Depression

Medication is often the first solution that people turn to for the treatment of depression, but the adjustment period for the chemicals in the brain could take almost a month, and that’s if it works. Often, it takes time to find the right remedy, but a recent study in Brazil revealed that CBD testing in rats proved to have a positive effect on depression, lasting up to seven days with a single dose.

The research prompted scientists to start examining if the same effect can be found in humans, especially for those who struggle to find the right chemical balance in their medications.