The Impact of CBD on Alzheimer’s Disease
2 November 2023Alzheimer’s is a dreadful disease that affects the brain, but CBD may potentially be used to treat it. Alzheimer’s and dementia cause forgetfulness, speech problems, and behavioral issues. It is a degenerative disease. Unfortunately, there is no cure yet. CBD oil has various properties that might help. In this blog, we delve into what is known about this.
What is Alzheimer’s and what could CBD mean for it?
When we talk about Alzheimer’s disease, we’re referring to a form of dementia. Dementia is an umbrella term for a combination of symptoms where the brain has been damaged. As a result, it becomes increasingly less capable of processing information.
Many people think dementia is a single disease, but there are over fifty forms of dementia. The most common is Alzheimer’s, but vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, and frontotemporal dementia are also prevalent.
Dementia affects the brain, causing symptoms such as forgetfulness, memory loss, aphasia (speech problems), behavioral issues, and emotional complaints. People can lose their way in their own familiar environment or leave the gas on, creating dangerous situations. The condition can become so severe that a person can no longer live independently.
The causes of dementia are diverse, depending on which form of the disease someone has. In vascular dementia, the blood vessels in the brain are damaged by, for example, a stroke or diabetes. In Alzheimer’s, there is an accumulation of harmful proteins. Age, genetics, high blood pressure, alcohol consumption, and smoking may also play a role.
Dementia is thus a brain disorder. How could CBD help with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia? This cannabinoid has various properties that could affect nerves and brain cells. Therefore, this natural remedy is an interesting possibility for use in dementia.
The Effects of CBD
There are still few treatment options for dementia. Calming drugs, talk therapy, and possibly cholinesterase inhibitors are used. These drugs can improve memory but come with many side effects, such as diarrhea and nausea.
That’s why CBD is such an interesting option. It is a natural remedy. CBD (cannabidiol) is a cannabinoid derived from the hemp plant. It has no mind-altering properties and is recognized by the body, which also produces cannabinoids. The body has an endocannabinoid system (ECS) whose task is to maintain natural balance.
All sorts of processes are continuously happening in the body, from blood pressure to appetite, and from memory to resistance. The ECS monitors whether these are all running smoothly. If not, it uses endocannabinoids to steer them back on track. When you take CBD, this substance can also pass messages to cells via the ECS.
Thus, it can influence various processes and thereby the brain. Given that dementia involves inflammatory processes, accumulation of harmful proteins, and damage from oxidation, that’s where CBD could help.
Reducing Damage from Oxidation
A patient with dementia has inflammation in the brain. These inflammations cause higher levels of oxygen in the brain cells, which is harmful to the cells. Oxidative damage occurs, causing the symptoms of dementia.
CBD has antioxidant properties, as research from 2019 has shown, which neutralize free radicals.
Alzheimer’s and CBD: Works Against Protein Accumulation
One of the most potent properties of CBD in Alzheimer’s is that it can counteract protein accumulation. In Alzheimer’s, amyloid plaques build up in the brain.
This protein accumulation causes brain damage. Research conducted in 2021 into the properties of CBD showed that mice with Alzheimer’s given a high dose of CBD for two weeks had a reduction in harmful proteins. CBD triggers the receptor on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2), where it, along with other proteins, signals cells, including microglial cells.
These are immune cells found only in the brain and play a crucial role in eliminating invaders and damaged nerve cells. Alzheimer’s disease is associated with low levels of TREM2. The mice in this study also had low levels of TREM2 and IL-33.
Both substances are important for keeping the brain healthy. In the body, a process occurs, phagocytosis. The microglial cells clean up beta-amyloid proteins. A precursor of this protein is important for the synapses between nerve cells, but if the proteins are not cleared, this causes a disruption of their function.
The study found that treatment with CBD results in a strong increase in IL-33 and TREM2. Researchers are now focusing on what happens when you give CBD earlier in the disease process and what the best dosage is.
Inhibiting Inflammation
Another facet of Alzheimer’s disease is the inflammatory processes in the brain. These are also responsible for the complaints that occur with this disease. CBD has anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce inflammation in the brain. It suppresses signals that work to promote inflammation, as research has shown.
Harness the Power of CBD for Alzheimer’s
Data from research give hope that CBD can help reduce symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Not only does CBD have anti-inflammatory effects and can counteract protein accumulation. There are also studies suggesting that this remedy can promote neurogenesis, the growth of new brain cells!
If you are interested in using CBD for yourself or a loved one with Alzheimer’s, take a look around our shop. Our products are produced with great care and are under strict quality control. We offer various CBD products, including CBD oil and CBD tablets.
