CBD For Diabetes
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You’ve probably heard of CBD before, the popular natural compound that’s derived from the hemp plant. It doesn’t have any psychoactive compounds unlike THC, so the two aren’t to be confused. These two compounds have very different effects on the body. CBD can be beneficial for a variety of conditions both mental and physical.
CBD continues to be investigated as to just how much it can be used to enhance health and wellness. Research is ongoing in terms of what it can do to help with blood sugar management, ease nerve pain that comes with diabetes, and calm inflammation.
Does CBD Help Diabetes?
There have been a variety of studies on the effect CBD has on mice and rats with diabetes. Although animal studies combined with laboratory conditions can have different results compared to how a compound interacts in the human body, it can still provide some insight. It’s important to keep this in mind though when it comes to looking at the results of these studies.
In one study on mice and rats,, it was found that CBD helps ease swelling and pain from nerve damage. It showed that CBD can help keep neuropathic pain and chronic inflammation at bay, which has a tendency to affect the hands and feet of people with diabetes.
Rory Batt MSc, who specializes in studying the connection between the endocannabinoid system, CBD, and type 2 diabetes stated that CBD may help boost pancreatic health in humans. “CBD can also help to protect the pancreas from becoming destroyed by overactive immune cells. Effectively this means someone may be able to keep producing insulin themselves for longer.” This provides a promising insight, showing how there can be alternatives and ways to help mitigate some of the effects of diabetes.
It's interesting to see medical professionals find new natural ways to help protect the body when it's faced with different types of imbalances, such as diabetes.
CBD and Type 2 Diabetes
When it comes to using CBD and type 2 diabetes, it's important to understand the effect it has on the body. As with any substance, it's also important to speak with your doctor and make sure it's the right fit for you.
If you think CBD could be beneficial for you and your doctor agrees that it’s something you are able to consider, a good place to start would be to think about using full-spectrum CBD. Full-spectrum CBD is filled with cannabinoids, flavonoids, and terpenes which create the ‘entourage effect’. This can be beneficial for type 2 diabetes when it comes to inflammation and insulin resistance.
There are other types of CBD options too such as broad-spectrum and CBD isolate. Broad-spectrum CBD contains a variety of naturally occurring compounds from the cannabis plant but typically doesn’t include THC. Full-spectrum CBD can contain some small amounts of THC but normally not enough to have any psychoactive effects.
CBD isolate is another option. However, research has shown that full-spectrum CBD is often more effective. A study published by the Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research showed through their research that “in all of the tests, the isolated CBD was ineffective both before and after a certain dosage, while the effectiveness of the full-spectrum solution continued to increase as higher doses were administered.”
Some CBD users prefer CBD isolate as it doesn’t contain any THC at all, and they feel better about taking that.
As for the dosage, everyone’s body is different and there is no ‘one size fits all’. When it doubt, start with a low dose and then gradually increase it over time while paying attention to how you feel.
If you want a structured way to monitor how you feel while taking CBD you can check out our dosing diary that we have created to help track your progress and how your body is feeling. It’s available in both a digital and printable version, depending on what works best for you.
Does CBD lower blood sugar?
As a diabetic, keeping your blood sugar in check is important as well as knowing what effect different substances have on your body. So it's interesting to note that there is no noticeable effect on blood sugar or insulin levels in people with type 2 diabetes. CBD affects the body in different ways but it doesn’t have an effect on blood sugar, in either a negative or positive way. There continues to be research done on the effects CBD has on diabetes in animal studies.
However, as with any natural solution, if lifestyle and diet changes aren’t also made in addition, with the support of your doctor, then it’s likely you’ll see very little difference. CBD on its own can’t make much of a difference without the support of a healthy lifestyle.
CBD and Type 1 Diabetes
Although type 1 and type 2 diabetes differ in their treatment and origin, they present the same issue - too much glucose circulating in the blood. In terms of the effect of CBD and type 1 diabetes, there is currently no clinical evidence that CBD has an impact on blood glucose of people with this type of diabetes.
CBD Products for Diabetes?
There are a variety of CBD products available depending on what you prefer. As we mentioned earlier, full-spectrum CBD can be quite useful as it not only contains CBD but also cannabinoids, flavonoids, and terpenes which have a synergistic effect on the body. If you are interested in trying full spectrum CBD we offer a few different options.
Our 3% raw hemp oil drops are a great option if you are just starting out. If you are looking for a stronger formula then you can give the 15% hemp oil drops a try.
Full-spectrum CBD oil can have a stronger flavor as so many plant compounds are present. If you would like something a bit less strong you can try our CBD chocolate mint oil, which has a nice chocolate minty taste, and contains just CBD. You can also try out our CBD capsules if you prefer that over an oil.
Check out our variety of CBD products here to enhance your wellness routine!
Feyza Olson
Feyza Olson is Content Manager at Endoca. Her passion for natural products and holistic health inspires her in creating wellness content on cannabis and cannabinoids, for both newcomers to the CBD world and experts. She loves continuing to learn about wellness and health from a holistic perspective and sharing her findings.