CBD, a Potent Antioxidant
According to Antioxidants, a peer reviewed journal, antioxidants are molecules that help remove or neutralize free radicals and reduce oxidative stress that can be present within our cells. Free radicals are unstable molecules that look to steal an electron from healthy cells and these free radicals can cause oxidative stress which can wreak havoc on our cell’s DNA and can eventually leading to the development of cancer (Atalay, Jarocka-Karpowicz, Skrzydlewska, 2019).
Think about it like rust that forms on a bolt in the presence of water and oxygen. That rust or oxidative stress is going to impact the integrity and functioning of the bolt. Much like the bolt, when our cells experience oxidative stress, these cells are not going to function correctly. When these cells are not functioning correctly and constantly in a state of oxidative stress, this can lead to cancer, inflammatory diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases (Atalay, Jarocka-Karpowicz, Skrzydlewska, 2019).
Making sure we eat a healthy balance of fruits and vegetables is a great way to include antioxidants in our diet, but why not kick it up the number of antioxidants we take daily? What about CBD?
CBD has been shown to be a promising therapeutic treatment for many diseases that stem from oxidative stress (i.e., cardiovascular disease, cancer, arthritis, neurodegenerative diseases, metabolic diseases) due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties (Atalay, Jarocka-Karpowicz, Skrzydlewska, 2019).
CBD’s antioxidant properties are so profound that CBD was shown to protect the brain against oxidative proteins, which makes CBD great for the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative disease like Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) (Atalay, Jarocka-Karpowicz, Skrzydlewska, 2019).
Antioxidants concluded that CBD offers these protective properties through an interaction with our endocannabinoid system (ECS), including CB1 and CB2 receptors and is said to modulate or control oxidative stress, which gives CBD a promising future for the treatment of pathological diseases that stem from oxidative stress (cancer, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, etc.) (Atalay, Jarocka-Karpowicz, Skrzydlewska, 2019).
*This post is for educational purposes only. No medical claims are being made.
Reference
Atalay, S., Jarocka-Karpowicz, I., & Skrzydlewska, E. (2019). Antioxidative and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Cannabidiol. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), 9(1), 21. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox9010021
