Can CBD damage your liver?
Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
Introduction
Think very carefully about any changes you might make to your food and other substances you want to start taking. Do they fit in with the way you live? Could they cause problems with any prescription medication you're already taking?
Extensive study, along with that of scientists all over the world, has shown that CBD oil is very well tolerated by the human body.
Even when given in high doses (up to 1,500 mg per day), CBD oil has no negative effects. On all the body's most important processes, such as digestion, heart rate, or glucose levels.
But one study rocked the world!! A Study with mice has raised questions about how CBD oil might affect the liver and how it works.
What did that famous study say!
Researchers from the University of Arkansas used a group of 8-week-old mice. They tested the effects of different doses of CBD. They did this because there aren't enough “comprehensive toxicological studies on CBD safety”. This important for selling more CBD and CBD-containing goods.
The CBD was well tolerated by the mice. The ones who got the highest doses, which in humans would be equal to 200 mg of CBD per kilogramme of body weight. Ex. if you are 80 kg you would have to take 16,000 mg CBD in 1 day!!! These poor mice showed clear signs of liver toxicity, according to the experts.
“(A dose of) 200 mg of CBD per kilogramme of body weight is not applicable to most real-life situations. However, it does provide important information about the possible effects of CBD overdose. Also showing doses needed for further subchronic and chronic toxicity studies,”.
Link to the study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6539990/pdf/molecules-24-01694.pdf
What is CBD?
CBD stands for cannabidiol, which is a chemical found in the hemp plant that doesn't make you high. It is used as a supplement to support a healthy diet and healthy way of life. CBD is usually taken as oil drops under the tongue. However, it also comes in drinks and creams that are easy to absorb.
CBD oil is allowed to buy in the UK and many other countries around the world. Despite, it's coming from the cannabis plant. Many people who have used it say that it helps relieve pain, stops sickness, and lowers stress. Also, more than a third of people who use CBD oil say it helps them deal with worry.
By binding to receptors in the nervous system, cannabidiol works with and helps the human endocannabinoid system. These receptors make it easier for messages to travel along internal routes, which keeps the body's balance. The endocannabinoid system helps to control hormones, sleep, mood, hunger, and how the immune system works.
What do your liver do?
The liver is an organ that works from the inside out. It holds more than 10% of all the blood in the body and does more than 500 different things. Its main jobs are to clean the blood, make bile to help with digestion, and store energy.
The small intestine breaks down fats into fatty acids with the help of bile. The liver works hard to turn the food we eat into substances that our bodies can use. It stores these substances until they are needed elsewhere in the body. Also, it gets rid of toxins, turning them into safe waste that the body can get rid of.
To keep your liver healthy, you should eat a balanced diet, drink booze in moderation. You should also work out regularly, stay at a healthy weight, and stay away from recreational drugs.
The liver is one of the few organs that can heal itself. If at least a quarter of the liver's tissue is still healthy, it can grow back to its normal size in a few weeks.
The liver can be hurt by eating or drinking too much booze, fat, sugar, or salt. Excessive use of these drugs can cause a number of problems, such as liver failure.
Jaundice, are sign that the liver isn't working right. Jaundice is a yellowing of the skin or eyes, stomach pain or bloating, and swelling in the legs and feet
Will CBD Oil Hurt Your Liver?
Concerns have been raised about the effects of CBD oil on the liver after a single study with mice last year. (see above)
But it's important to note that the doses given to the mice were much higher than what people usually take in. So, the small amount of CBD oil that people are supposed to take every day is not expected to have the same effect. So, the study doesn't match up with how most people take CBD. Scientists have said that the results just show what might happen if someone took too much CBD oil.
This can happen with any medicine or vitamin. If you take too much grapefruit extract or ibuprofen. There are always risks if you take more than the suggested amount. Studies show that taking more than the suggested amount of ibuprofen can cause stomach ulcers. Also, gastrointestinal problems, and a higher risk of heart problems.
Also, it's important to understand that a mouse is not a person. Even though mice and humans have a lot in common genetically, they are very different physically. This difference needs to be taken into account carefully.
The World Health Organisation backs up this claim. Also, different studies prove that the healing benefits of CBD oil could improve liver function by interacting with endocannabinoids. This would have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
More from our blog:
Can CBD cause your liver to fail?
CBD oil has only been on the market for a short time, so there is still a lot to learn about what it can do, what benefits it might have, and what risks it might have.
Still, early research suggests that there aren't many side effects, and that the liver would only be affected if too much CBD oil was taken.
Liver failure is mostly caused by three main things: being overweight, drinking too much alcohol, and having hepatitis. CBD oil does not fit into any of these groups, and it is not thought to be a cause at this time.
The Bottom Line
Can CBD damage your liver? Well – if you take high-quality CBD oil in the right amount as part of a well-rounded health practise, there is almost no chance that you will experience any side effects, including liver damage. So far, very few people have reported side effects, and when they do, they tend to be mild.
Importantly, people who use CBD should only buy products from reliable sources that offer lab-tested products that prove what's in them. Before adding CBD oil or similar products to your routine, you should talk to a healthcare professional or doctor if you are taking any kind of medicine.
Read more about CBD and interactions here
FAQ – Can CBD damage the liver?
The liver is an important organ that does many things. It holds more than 10% of the blood in the body and does more than 500 different things. Its main jobs are to clean the blood, make bile to help the body digest food, and store energy. The liver also helps turn food into chemicals that the body can use and gets rid of toxins by turning them into safe waste that the body can get rid of.
Concerns were made about how CBD oil affects the liver after a study was done on mice. But it's important to remember that the amounts given to the mice were much higher than what people usually take. The study doesn't fit with how people usually use CBD oil. Any drug, like medicine or vitamins, can be dangerous if you take too much of it. Most research shows that taking the right amount of CBD oil offers few risks and is well tolerated by most people.
Liver failure is most often caused by things like being overweight, drinking too much alcohol, and having hepatitis. CBD oil is not in any of these groups and is not thought to cause liver failure at this time. Early study suggests that CBD oil has few side effects, and that liver problems are usually caused by using too much of it. If you use high-quality CBD oil in the right way and in the right amounts, it is unlikely to hurt your liver. But it's best to buy CBD products from trustworthy places that offer lab-tested goods and talk to a doctor before adding CBD to your daily routine.
I am a certified expert in Medicinal Cannabis. We are all about giving correct and trustworthy information. We know how important it is to learn about CBD and cannabis, which is why we want to be your go-to source for trustworthy information. We help you improve your health by using our knowledge and experience as a starting point.
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