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How Can Cannabidiol Reduce Alcohol Addiction?

Cannabidiol, or CBD as it is more commonly known, is a new phytochemical found in 1940. It accounts for approximately 40% of the active component of the cannabis plant, and is one of the many identified cannabidiols in plants, including pot marigolds, andies, pennyroyals, henzifernia, meadow blossoms, and others. Cannabidiol has yet to be linked to any negative side effects or known benefits in humans.

Cannabidiol acts as a partial agonist at the CB1 and CB2 receptor sites, although it has no effect on these receptor sites when present in its pure state. Cannabidiol may act as a powerful antioxidant, acting to reduce oxidative damage in the brain and reducing inflammation. It also appears to have neuroprotective properties, possibly due to the fact that it is present in large quantities in the central nervous system (CNS) of animals, which is similar to the way the human brain produces its own supply of natural pain relief, the endorphin surge following exercise. It also may stimulate the production of serotonin, a natural mood lifter and sedative.

The medical potential of cannabidiol was first investigated nearly forty years ago, when it was found that children given daily doses of cannabidiol had lower incidences of childhood epilepsy than did those who received placebos. Later, after much research, it was learned that cannabidiol works by preventing the formation of a brain chemical called GABA, which normally controls anxiety and the release of neurochemicals like dopamine in the brain. When GABA is blocked, the effects of unpleasant experiences like panic and anxiety increase. The FDA has approved two pharmaceutical drugs, silymarin and ginseng, which contain cannabidiol, as medicines to treat epilepsy.

Silymarin, a derivative of silymarin, is the only pharmaceutical ingredient currently approved for treating epilepsy in humans. It was originally intended to treat high blood pressure, but the health benefits of the compound became clear when it was found that it could prevent the formation of an important cancerous substance in the human brain, called glial cell cancer. Glial cell cancer is thought to be responsible for the formation of tumors in roughly a quarter of all brain tumors. The compounds have been shown to inhibit the growth and spread of this disease in animals, preventing the disease from progressing to an advanced stage.

Cannabidiol, like silymarin, works by preventing the formation of an undesirable protein in the body called the amyloid protein. This protein is made from glucose and proteins found in the brain, nerves, and spinal cord. In animals, the compounds have been found to prevent the body from producing the amyloid protein in certain parts of their brain. Because it appears to stop the body from making the protein, cannabidiol may be effective in treating some types of chronic diseases and aging.

Because cannabidiol prevents the formation of the amyloid protein in the brain, it is believed to help reduce the formation of new blood clots in the brain. In some animal studies, lower blood cannabidiol levels were found in older animals than in younger ones, suggesting a possible relation to the lowering of blood sugar in older humans. It is not clear whether lower blood cannabidiol levels mean that the animals are developing more heart cells or if the cannabidiol kills existing blood cells.

Silymarin and other plant extracts have also been shown to protect the body's own cells from the effects of alcohol, another substance that is found in most beverages. Some plant extracts, including silymarin, have been shown to improve the liver's production of a chemical used in the body to break down alcohol. While it is not clear how silymarin and other extracts affect the liver's alcohol-breaking ability, increasing the levels of these chemicals has been shown to reverse certain liver disorders and increase others. Research is still continuing on the effect of silymarin and other natural plant extracts on the body's alcohol-breaking capacity. While increasing the level of silymarin and other natural ingredients may help prevent alcohol-induced health problems, the link between alcohol and cancer is not yet known.

The benefits of cannabidiol are currently being studied, but there is no known cause-of-acne connection at this time. However, cannabidiol does appear to have anti-inflammatory benefits, so this is an ingredient that deserves some attention. As with all anti-oxidants, the benefits of cannabidiol are partially due to its ability to attack the damaging effects of oxygen free radicals. Free radicals are created during normal cell function, and they are involved in the process of aging and disease development. Silymarin and other plant extracts have been shown to slow down the production of free radicals and may be useful for the treatment of cancer and other inflammatory diseases.