How CBD Oil Helps Protect Against Fatty Liver Disease

In the United States, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common form of chronic liver disease with upwards of 100 million people of all ages – including children – being affected by it.

NAFLD is a general term for diseases that result in patients who drink little to no alcohol, but who have higher than usual amounts of fat cells in their liver.

8 Symptoms of Fatty Liver

  1. Fatigue
  2. Nausea
  3. Abdominal Pain
  4. Weight Loss
  5. Jaundice
  6. Itching
  7. Spider-Like Blood Vessels
  8. Swelling in Your Lower Extremities

If NAFLD isn’t found early enough, it can sometimes lead to scarring and your liver not properly functioning. It is imperative to get checked out as soon as possible.

After you meet with a doctor, it may be found that you have little cause of concern as long as you make a few lifestyle and habit changes.

Your doctor may suggest a variety of things – and this article will cover a considerably newer remedy known as Cannabidiol oil.

What Is Cannabidiol Oil (CBD)?

As marijuana use in the United States has become more regulated, Cannabidiol (CBD) oil has proven to be a new, popular remedy for treating NAFLD and other ailments.

That’s because research has found it may help in:

  • reducing pain
  • inflammation
  • general discomfort related to health issues in your liver and elsewhere

A non-psychoactive product of cannabis, CBD is a cannabinoid found naturally in marijuana and hemp plants that can be extracted in an oil or powder form. It has been known to be mixed in creams or gels to rub on the body to aid in pain relief and soreness.

It can also be taken orally either as a capsule, a sprayed mist, or inhaled vapor.

The way it is taken depends on what purpose it is being used for.  

Unlike THC, CBD oil won’t provide the same high usually associated with marijuana.

It has recently been approved by the FDA for exploratory trials on orphan diseases, including NAFLD.

How CBD Oil Helps Fatty Liver

A recent study performed on mice showed that CBD oil was able to protect the mice from the effects of liver damage brought on by alcohol consumption and reduce fat accumulation in the liver. It was also able to reduce the harmful effect of elevated liver enzymes, leading to the liver being able to function better. CBD oil even showed signs of antioxidant, cytoprotective, and anti-inflammatory effects.

There are still more studies to be done, but if this were to have a similar effect on the human liver – as it does on mice – there is reason to believe that CBD oil would be an excellent remedy for dealing with NAFLD and other liver ailments.

Other Uses of CBD Oil

Outside of treating liver disease, CBD has shown signs to be a good remedy for other issues as well.

Pain Relief

CBD oil has shown to be an excellent source for pain relief. It is believed that CBD interacts with receptors in the brain and immune system to create anti-inflammatory and pain-killing effects to help reduce pain.

People who suffer from back pain, arthritis, and even cancer have shown to benefit from use of CBD oil. Studies show that CBD oil can be a great product to help with pain that won’t have the more damaging habit-forming traits of opioids or other medications.

Anxiety Relief

CBD has been demonstrated to have properties to aid in anxiety management. It is believed that it changes the way your brain’s receptors respond to serotonin, helping you respond differently to certain stimuli.

Studies have shown that doses of CBD have helped test subjects with social anxiety give a speech while other studies performed with animals have shown signs of:

  • reducing their stress
  • helping them deal with PTSD
  • and helping them fall asleep

Anti-Seizure

Although still in its early research stages, there are currently studies being done to see if it can help people who suffer from epilepsy reduce how often they have seizures. A recent study showed that patients who took daily doses of CBD for 12 weeks reported a reduction of 36.5 percent less seizures per month.

But there were some bad side effects for 12 percent of participants. So although there is hope that this can help, more research needs to be done.

Acne Reduction

A recent study showed how CBD oil reduced activity in the sebaceous glands which are responsible for producing sebum, an oily substance responsible for hydrating the skin. Too much sebum can lead to oilier skin and acne.

By taking CBD oil, you may reduce sebum production and, in effect, reduce acne.

More studies still need to be done on how CBD affects acne, so it’s best to discuss with a dermatologist before choosing it as a potential remedy.

Cancer Treatment

There are currently studies to see if it can help reduce cancer cell growth, but this is still in its early stages. But there are signs that it can aid in dealing with cancer symptoms and the side effects of cancer treatment.

The most promising trait of CBD oil is how it is able to moderate inflammation and cell production. It may also be able to keep certain tumor cells from reproducing.

Side Effects of CBD

CBD hasn’t proven to have many risks, but there are possible side effects, including:

  • Depression
  • Dizziness
  • Hallucinations
  • Low blood pressure
  • Withdrawal symptoms, including irritability and insomnia

Being that there are studies still being done, there stands a chance for more possible long-term side effects to be discovered. If you start to see any of these side effects, you may want to consider changing how much CBD oil you take or stopping all together.

If you have other health issues, you may want to consult a physician before using CBD oil products.

Legality

It should be noted that – like marijuana – although it is legal in some states, CBD oil has still not been legalized in others. Some states have it legalized only for medical use or other special reasons.

Be sure to know the legality of it in your own state before attempting to acquire it. Also it is worth noting that the FDA has not approved CBD for treating medical conditions.

Citations

Bergamaschi, Mateus M, et al. “Cannabidiol Reduces the Anxiety Induced by Simulated Public Speaking in Treatment-Naïve Social Phobia Patients.” Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, 9 Feb. 2011, www.nature.com/articles/npp20116.

“Cannabis and Cannabinoids.” National Cancer Institute, 20 Dec. 2017, www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/patient/cannabis-pdq#link/_76.

Devinsky, Orrin, et al. “Cannabidiol in Patients with Treatment-Resistant Epilepsy …” The Lancet, 23 Dec. 2015, www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/laneur/PIIS1474-4422(15)00379-8.pdf.

Lowry, Josh. “CBD May Protect Against Fatty Liver.” CannaHealth, 9 Jan. 2018, www.cannahealth.org/cbd-may-protect-against-fatty-liver/.

National Institute on Drug Abuse. “The Biology and Potential Therapeutic Effects of Cannabidiol.” NIDA, 24 June 2015, www.drugabuse.gov/about-nida/legislative-activities/testimony-to-congress/2015/biology-potential-therapeutic-effects-cannabidiol.

Oláh, Attila, et al. “Cannabidiol Exerts Sebostatic and Antiinflammatory Effects on Human Sebocytes.” The Journal of Clinical Investigation, American Society for Clinical Investigation, 2 Sept. 2014, www.jci.org/articles/view/64628.

Roland, James. “Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.” Edited by Graham Rogers, Healthline, 27 June 2017, www.healthline.com/health/nonalcoholic-fatty-liver-disease.

Talan, Jamie. “News from the American Epilepsy Society Annual Meeting:… : Neurology Today.” LWW, Oxford University Press, 19 Jan. 2017, journals.lww.com/neurotodayonline/Fulltext/2017/01190/News_from_the_American_Epilepsy_Society_Annual.2.aspx.

Cherney, Kristeen. “Using CBD Oil for Pain Management: Does It Work?” Edited by Debra Rose Wilson, Healthline, 9 Oct. 2017, www.healthline.com/health/cbd-oil-for-pain#chronic-pain-relief.

Cherney, Kristeen. “6 Benefits of CBD Oil.” Edited by Debra Rose Wilson, Healthline, 10 Apr. 2017, www.healthline.com/health/cbd-oil-benefits.