Diabetes
According to the National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2017 nearly 2 million people in the United States are diagnosed with diabetes every year. In 2015 alone, an estimated 30 million Americans of all ages had diabetes.
There are two main types of diabetes. Type 1 and Type 2. Both of these cause blood glucose levels to be higher than normal, but the two different types do this in different ways. In Type 1, the body attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, causing a rise in blood sugar levels. In Type 2, the more common form of diabetes, insufficient insulin is produced in the pancreas, which slows the metabolism and increases blood sugar levels.
Oxidative stress and inflammation play critical roles in the development of diabetes and its complications. Recent studies provided compelling evidence that the newly discovered lipid signaling system (ie, the endocannabinoid system) may significantly influence reactive oxygen species production, inflammation, and subsequent tissue injury, in addition to its well-known metabolic effects and functions.
Cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabivarin have therapeutic potential as they target the endocannabinoid system. They are both devoid of psychotropic effects but possess potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which plays a role in reducing the chance of someone becoming diabetic.
The 2005 research paper from the American Alliance for Medical Cannabis (AAMC) lists numerous benefits that both CBD and Cannabis can have for diabetes sufferers including:
Acting as a “vasodilator” to help keep blood vessels open and improve circulation
Lowering blood pressure — which is vital for diabetics
Stabilizing blood sugars
Arterial anti-inflammatory properties “Neuroprotective” effects that help prevent inflammation of nerves and reduce the pain of neuropathy “Anti-spasmodic agents” help relieve muscle cramps and the pain of gastrointestinal (GI) disorders.
Studies
- The impact of marijuana use on glucose, insulin, and insulin resistance among US adults
- CBD attenuates cardiac dysfunction, oxidative stress, fibrosis, and inflammatory and cell death signaling pathways in diabetic cardiomyopathy
- CBD lowers incidence of diabetes in non-obese diabetic mice
- Neuroprotective and blood-retinal barrier-preserving effects of CBD in experimental diabetes
- Cannabidiol arrests onset of autoimmune diabetes in NOD mice
- Diabetic retinopathy: Role of inflammation and potential therapies for anti-inflammation
- Cannabinoids alter endothelial function in the Zucker rat model of type 2 diabetes
- The endocannabinoid system in obesity and type 2 diabetes
- Cannabinoids and endocannabinoids in metabolic disorders with a focus on diabetes
- The endocannabinoid system and plant-derived cannabinoids in diabetes and diabetic complications
- Cannabinoid-mediated modulation of neuropathic pain and microglial accumulation in a model of murine type I diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain
- Biochemical and immunohistochemical changes in delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-treated type 2 diabetic rats
- Efficacy and Safety of CBD and THC-V on Glycemic and Lipid Parameters in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes