CBD and Covid-19 – A Research Review
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Introduction
Here at The Real CBD, we like to ensure that we always stay at the forefront of CBD news and CBD research. CBD has a long history of medicinal use. However, has had a mainstream portrayal as far out homoeopathy rather than a powerful and effective medication. But this perspective is slowly shifting. And, for us, that means more and more CBD research is emerging. Its powerful benefits for certain types of illnesses are finally being verified by scientific studies from all over the world.
Today, we will take a look into some fascinating research that suggests CBD could possibly prevent infection. Help stop the spread of infection, and reverse lung damage caused by a Covid-19 infection!
Covid-19 – The Novel Coronavirus
At the time of writing, we are just under two years into the global pandemic. And we know – by now, most people are sick and tired of hearing about Covid-19…. please keep reading!
The science community around the world is understandably focused on putting a stop to the pandemic. This is where some CBD researchers have shifted focus as well. And from the results, it seems like their time is being very well spent.
What is Covid-19?
A quick recap for anyone who has been living in a cave for the last two years….. Covid-19 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel coronavirus that has been at the centre of a global pandemic for nearly two years now. Novel in this sense means that it is entirely new and unusual.
This has caused a rush from the worldwide scientific community to find either therapeutics to help people recover. This is once they have contracted the virus or vaccines to prevent infection altogether hopefully.
Vaccines for Covid-19 have been rolled out worldwide to a great effect. However, as we are now learning, their efficacy slowly begins to wear off over time, And people who have been vaccinated can still contract and get seriously ill from Covid-19.
So, while it is still crucial to further research vaccines, it is just as important to research potential therapeutic drugs. These are essential to help people recover if they are unfortunate enough to be a breakthrough case or cannot (or do not want) a vaccine for whatever reason.
And this is where CBD researchers have some very good news for us!
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CBD and Covid-19 Research
Cannabidiol (CBD) May Increase the Peptide Apelin
Scientists at the Medical College of Georgia and Dental College of Georgia were working on research to see what effect CBD could have. Especially on a condition known as Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). When a person becomes infected with Covid-19, they may suffer ARDS as a result. This is the main cause of serious illness and death following a Covid-19 infection.
The researchers found that CBD products were able to increase oxygen levels within the lungs. Furthermore, reduce inflammation and overall damage to the lungs caused by a cytokine storm response to ARDS.
The researchers suggested that one of the key reasons CBD can have this effect could be that it normalizes levels of a peptide called apelin. Apelin is responsible for reducing inflammation, usually in the form of normalizing high blood pressure.
When a person becomes infected with Covid-19, apelin levels in the lungs and blood become almost non-existent. So, when apelin levels in the lungs decrease, a person's lungs can become inflamed and damaged.
But, once CBD was introduced, apelin levels were increased almost 20x. Blood pressure and inflammation in the lungs began to normalize. The researchers state that “CBD has the potential not only to act as an antiviral agent at early stages of infection. It could also protect the host against an overactive immune system at later stages”.
The researchers do emphasize that their research is still in its infancy. As such, they cannot say with absolute certainty that Covid-19 or CBD directly affects apelin levels or whether they are downstream effects. However, they are currently furthering this research to determine exactly how the Covid-19, CBD, and apelin interactions work.
CBD May Inhibit Covid-19 Infection
More research out the US, this time from the University of Chicago, suggests that CBD may even be able to help inhibit a Covid-19 infection. The researchers state that
“CBD and its metabolite, 7-OH-CBD, but not congeneric cannabinoids, potently block SARS-CoV-2 replication in lung epithelial cells.”
and that
“A cohort of human patients previously taking CBD had significantly lower SARS-CoV-2 infection incidence of up to an order of magnitude relative to matched pairs or the general population.”.
In real terms, this means that they were able to show under laboratory conditions, that CBD and 7-OH-CBD were able to block Covid-19 virus replication within the lungs. Not only did they show that it can block replication, but they also suggested that CBD was able to reverse changes in gene expression in the lungs caused by Covid-19. And then, on top of all this, human patients who had been regularly taking CBD were contracting Covid-19 at a much lower rate than the general population.
It should be noted that this piece of research is yet to be formally peer-reviewed. Much Covid-19 research is also in the same early stages of review. This is because peer-reviewing takes a long time in the research world, and Covid-19 research is emerging thick and fast.
However, we'll take good news where we can get it, and this research does seem to suggest that CBD may be helpful in both the prevention and therapeutic treatment of Covid-19 and its associated symptoms.
Very exciting times!
Conclusions – CBD for COVID-19
Research into CBD and its potential effects as both a preventative compound and a therapeutic in the fight against Covid-19 seems very promising at this point. While research is still in its early stages and shouldn't be relied upon fully, this is pretty much the same for all other Covid-19 research.
It is fantastic to see researchers looking to utilize CBD for Covid 19. Looking at its powerful anti-inflammatory benefits which have been known about and used for years. Especially in such unique and interesting ways. It could be argued that CBD has already changed countless lives worldwide. Hopefully, with the right kind of research, it may be proven to be a powerful medicinal substance and even help save lives.
We hope you've found this blog helpful, and it answered any questions you might have. However, please feel free to contact our wonderful team who will be more than happy to help if you have any further questions. Alternatively, check out our blog page, where we have hundreds of posts regarding all things CBD-related.
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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