How CBD Helps With Inflammation in Diabetic Patients

In the last decade, there have been lots of activities and excitements about cannabidiol and its
therapeutic benefits. Commonly referred to as CBD or CBD oil, cannabidiol is one of the most
important compounds found in the marijuana plant. It has been linked to several health benefits,
including the management of diabetes.

Diabetes is a chronic disease that has become common in most countries of the world. There are
several ways to manage the condition, and CBD has always been linked as a potential elixir. While
the hemp-based compound may not cure diabetes outright as some will claim, it is promising when
it comes to managing the condition and some of its related symptoms. The biggest benefits are
linked to the anti-inflammatory properties of cannabidiol.

How CBD Help In Diabetes Management

Before zeroing down to how CBD helps with inflammation in diabetic patients, it is important that
we mention the other possible ways the compound can help in managing diabetes. There are claims
that CBD can cure diabetes. We need to start by dismissing that. There is no proof that CBD is an
absolute cure for diabetes. What we know and what is being researched is how the compound can
help in managing the disease and its related symptoms.

Currently, CBD is associated with improvements in:

 Diabetes prevention
 Management of inflammation in diabetic patients
 And management of pains associated with diabetes.

It is important to state that there are other possible areas CBD can help with diabetes management,
but most of them are yet to see real pieces of evidence to support the claims. In the medical field,
the emphasis is on these three areas, and we will concentrate on the second one here.

Diabetes and Inflammation

Primarily, diabetes is a chronic disease wherein the cells in the body are unable to properly convert
glucose into energy. When blood glucose is not well-regulated, cells will not have adequate energy
to function properly. Also, glucose build-up in the bloodstream can rise to a dangerously high level.
Serious symptoms like high blood pressure, circulatory problems, and nerve inflammation may arise.
Chronic inflammation is also strongly linked to the development of insulin resistance, which triggers
Type 2 Diabetes.

The role of inflammation in Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes has long been established. It was noticed
that inflammatory chemicals called cytokines were often higher in patients with type 2 diabetes
compared to non-diabetic patients . A study published in the European Cardiology Review agrees
that after an extensive review of the possible mechanisms that drive the metabolic pattern in T1D
and T2D and the inflammatory pathways that are involved, it becomes ever clearer that future
research should focus on a model of combined suppression for various inflammatory response
pathways.

CBD and Inflammation

The anti-inflammatory properties of cannabidiol have long been established. Different studies have
shown that cannabidiol helps in the management of inflammation. In a study that specifically looked
at inflammation triggered by high glucose levels, it was found that CBD had positive effects on
several markers of inflammation. The researchers concluded from the study that CBD might be
helpful in offsetting the damage diabetes can inflict on the walls of blood vessels. Clearly, this is just
one of the key areas where the compound can help diabetic patients.

What Studies Have Shown

In one major study to specifically determine how CBD can help with diabetes, it was discovered that
CBD treatment resulted in lower levels of certain inflammatory cells in the plasma of mice. The
treatment also resulted in inhibition of destructive insulitis, which is a disease of the pancreas.

A 2006 study published in the American Journal of Pathology found that inflammation and oxidative
stress can be significantly reduced by CBD treatment. This resulted in the prevention of cell death in
the retinas of diabetic rats that were treated.

According to a 2010 preclinical study published in the journal of the American College of Cardiology,
CBD is very potent at the reduction of inflammation in a diabetic population of mice. The study
further noted that CBD treatment lowers the likelihood of cardiovascular disorders that can occur
among diabetics.

One of the most recent studies in the field, a 2019 study published in the Springer journal
Neurotoxicity Research found that the CBD offers neuroprotective effects, which was instrumental in
preventing inflammation and improving memory function in the brains of middle-aged diabetic rats.

What the Experts Are Saying

Some experts in the medical field are eventually accepting that CBD can be helpful in managing
diabetes. Dr. Eleine Burns, a board-certified naturopathic medical doctor, has admitted that CBD can
be helpful while stressing that it is not a cure. In her words, ‘I have not seen a lot of evidence that
CBD could be a first-line of treatment for diabetes, nor have I seen that in my practice over the
years. However, what it can help with are the secondary issues caused by uncontrolled blood sugars
such as inflammation…’

Dr. Roberta DeLuca, a certified physician and educator at Cbdbiocare, feels that there is a good
reason to believe that CBD may benefit patients with diabetes. According to him, 'diabetes is an
autoimmune disease, and CBD is generally and particularly well-suited for the symptoms of
autoimmune disease: chronic pain, inflammation, anxiety, and neuropathy.'

What Patients Are Doing

Many diabetic patients may not fully understand what inflammation means and the roles it plays in
their diabetic conditions, but most have come to realize that CBD can be helpful. A good number of
patients are doing it the right way by using CBD as a supplement to their medication regimen. This
means while the conventional treatment is handling some of the primary issues, CBD can manage
the symptoms like inflammation and pain.

Conclusion

CBD has become the most popular hemp-based compound for good reasons. Cannabidiol, as it is
formally called, is a non-psychoactive compound that has shown lots of therapeutic promises. There
are several indications that it can be helpful in managing inflammation in diabetic patients. This is
just one key area it can help in diabetes management, and we hope further studies will yield better
results.

References

Roland, J. (2019, July 25). Can CBD Oil Be Used To Treat Or Prevent Diabetes? What the Research
Says

https://www.healthline.com/health/cbd-for-diabetes

Sotirios, T. et al. (2019). The Role Of Inflammation In Diabetes: Current Concepts And Future
Perspectives

https://www.ecrjournal.com/articles/role-inflammation-diabetes-concepts-future

Editor (2020, August 13). CBD Oil and Diabetes

https://www.weedmaps.com/learn/cbd/cbd-oil-diabetes