There is some evidence that CBD has neuroprotective and antipsychotic properties that can help with neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. This disorder is estimated to affect 82,000 Australians and will only become more widespread as Australia’s population continues to age.
Cannabidiol (CBD) is rapidly growing into the leading health and wellness trend. This non-psychoactive cannabis compound is used to help with anxiety, inflammation, chronic pain, and many other conditions and symptoms.
How does CBD protect brain cells? Is there any evidence that it can help Parkinson’s patients? Here’s why researchers are excited about cannabidiol’s potential for treating this debilitating disease.
How Can CBD Help with Parkinson’s Disease
CBD and other plant-derived cannabinoids may protect neurons against neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease by interacting with the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS), a network of receptors, endocannabinoids, and the enzymes that build and break down these compounds.
This system helps maintain a healthy state of balance called homeostasis. To that end, it regulates many key processes, including cognitive function and neuroprotection.
Recent research indicates that cannabidiol can produce antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that protect neurons by interacting with the ECS and other brain systems. Also, CBD may have antiapoptotic (preventing cell death) properties that can further safeguard brain cells against Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative disorders.
Lastly, CBD has antipsychotic effects that can alleviate psychosis, a common symptom of Parkinson’s.
CBD and Parkinson’s Disease Research
Cannabidiol’s potential to protect against Parkinson’s disease and relieve its symptoms and associated conditions has been demonstrated by several studies.
Most notably, a high-quality 2014 clinical trial examined whether CBD could help with Parkinson’s disease. A total of 21 patients were given placebo or two different doses of CBD (75 mg or 300 mg) daily. The 300 mg group reported improvements on the Parkinson’s disease well-being and quality of life questionnaire. The researchers concluded that “Our findings point to a possible effect of CBD in improving quality of life measures in PD patients.”
Furthermore, a 2009 study investigated the antipsychotic effects of CBD in Parkison’s disease (PD) sufferers. Six PD patients with psychosis were given CBD daily for 4 weeks. The treatment significantly improved not only patient ratings of psychotic symptoms but also overall ratings of Parkinson’s disease. The researchers concluded that “CBD may be effective, safe and well tolerated for the treatment of the psychosis in PD.”
Meanwhile, a 2014 case report discussed four Parkinson’s patients who had REM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD), a sleep disorder linked to Parkinson’s. The patients were prescribed CBD and experienced significant reduction of RBD-related symptoms with no side effects.
Such overwhelmingly positive findings, highlighted by lack of side effects and improvement of multiple symptoms, have made researchers consider cannabidiol a promising option for safe, natural treatment of Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative disorders.
CBD vs Prescription Medications for Parkinson’s Disease
Given this research, it’s not surprising that some Australians are turning to CBD oil as a safer, natural alternative to standard Parkinson’s disease treatment.
Indeed, common Parkinson’s medications, such as Levodopa, dopamine agonists, and MAO-B inhibitors come with a long list of side effects, including nausea, appetite loss, confusion, and sleepiness.
By comparison, CBD is an incredibly safe, natural substance that hasn’t shown any side effects in Parkinson’s disease research.
Furthermore, CBD has the added advantage of being much cheaper than standard medication. It’s estimated that the average Australian living with Parkinson’s for 12 years spends some $161,300 on treatments.
Full-Spectrum CBD Oil for Parkinson’s Disease
Researchers are optimistic about the potential of CBD to treat Parkinson’s disease. Its apparent effectiveness highlights the involvement of the endocannabinoid system in brain health and suggests that targeting this system through cannabis-based medicines may offer treatment for all neurodegenerative disorders.
At the same time, CBD is cheaper and safer than standard Parkinson’s treatments. If you’re interested in trying out CBD oil to help with Parkinson’s disease, we highly recommend choosing a full-spectrum product such as Good Alternatives.
Full-spectrum CBD extracts contain the complete range of beneficial cannabinoids, terpenes, and other phytochemicals in cannabis. The synergistic interaction of these compounds results in greater therapeutic effects than pure CBD by itself. This explains why our ancestors successfully used cannabis as a medicine in its whole-plant form for thousands of years.
