Can CBD Help With COVID-19 Treatment?
BY NEWSWEEK AMPLIFY ON 8/10/20 AT 10:27 AM EDT
You've often heard people say, "it's a scary world out there." With the ongoing health crisis plaguing the entire world, that statement couldn't be any more true these days.
The uncertainty of the situation is just one of the many things to be worried about. The biggest cause for concern is still the ruthlessness of COVID-19. As of this posting, there are more than 20 million cases worldwide. While 12.9 million people already recovered, the virus still claimed 734,018 lives and continues to do so.
Experts remain unrelenting in their search for the ultimate solution to effectively combat the disease. Clinical trials for vaccines are non-stop. But scientists are also looking into the possibility of cannabidiol as a treatment option for people stricken with COVID-19.
We've previously discussed how CBD could be used for virus prevention through its immune system-boosting properties. But can it also be an effective cure?
Studies and research make a good case, but more research studies are needed.
What Happens to the Body When Infected With COVID-19?
It's only been a few months since COVID-19 wreaked havoc and brought the world to its knees. There is still a lot to unravel in terms of how it inflicts damage on the human body, but the one established outcome is that the immune system turns against the body to attack healthy cells.
When bacteria and infection begins to invade the body, the immune system responds by releasing cytokines. Inflammation then happens in the process, as part of the body's natural defensive reaction.
Here's when it becomes a problem: COVID-19 causes the cytokine system to go into overdrive, resulting in what experts refer to as a "cytokine storm." This is when the immune system begins to attack healthy cells, causing blood vessels to leak and clots to form. It is a catastrophic episode that can easily lead to organ failure and death.
Previous research shows elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines among COVID-19 patients, which pulmonologists like Temple University Hospital's Dr. Jamie Garfield find very alarming.
The real morbidity and mortality of this disease is probably driven by this out of proportion inflammatory response to the virus.
How Does CBD Fight Inflammation?
In a previous article, we discussed CBD's anti-inflammatory properties. But let's dig into this a little bit, particularly in terms of its reaction to cytokines.
In early July, Georgia's Augusta University conducted a study on mice to see how CBD deals with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), a complication brought on by a cytokine storm. The test subjects were first induced with ARDS, which immediately resulted in the reduction of blood oxygen saturation by 10%. Also evident were signs of lung damage.
At the height of their respiratory distress, the mice were given undisclosed amounts of CBD. As noted by researchers, symptoms of the cytokine storm among the subjects "were totally or partially reversed" while their overall condition went back to normal.
The authors of the study observed an increase in lymphocyte levels in the blood of their test subjects after adding CBD to the equation. Lymphocytes are white blood cells that fight off infection.
Considering all potential regulatory effects of CBD as well as the vast distribution of endocannabinoid system in the body, it is plausible that CBD may be used as a therapeutic candidate in the treatment of various inflammatory conditions including COVID-19 and other virus-induced ARDS.
Can CBD Help With COVID-19 Treatment?
In a perfect world where scientific research and laboratory experiments yield instant results, CBD can be considered as a viable treatment option. After all, it does get the job done if we're zeroing in on the anti-inflammatory aspect.
However, we also must consider one caveat: as previously stated, we're still at the beginning stages of really getting to know the full capabilities of the virus, and with that in consideration, scientists are also debating whether reducing the effects of inflammatory cytokines could compromise the overall response against the virus.
Bottom line: more research is very much needed. But if there's one silver lining in this situation, it's that scientists can now turn to a natural solution with very little to no adverse side effects. That, in itself, is something to be optimistic about in the very near future.
While CBD's effectiveness to combat COVID-19 isn't fully proven just yet, it does help and is useful in many other ways. So, as doctors often say: "what have you got to lose?"
https://www.newsweek.com/amplify/nirvana-cbd-...-treatment
BY NEWSWEEK AMPLIFY ON 8/10/20 AT 10:27 AM EDT
You've often heard people say, "it's a scary world out there." With the ongoing health crisis plaguing the entire world, that statement couldn't be any more true these days.
The uncertainty of the situation is just one of the many things to be worried about. The biggest cause for concern is still the ruthlessness of COVID-19. As of this posting, there are more than 20 million cases worldwide. While 12.9 million people already recovered, the virus still claimed 734,018 lives and continues to do so.
Experts remain unrelenting in their search for the ultimate solution to effectively combat the disease. Clinical trials for vaccines are non-stop. But scientists are also looking into the possibility of cannabidiol as a treatment option for people stricken with COVID-19.
We've previously discussed how CBD could be used for virus prevention through its immune system-boosting properties. But can it also be an effective cure?
Studies and research make a good case, but more research studies are needed.
What Happens to the Body When Infected With COVID-19?
It's only been a few months since COVID-19 wreaked havoc and brought the world to its knees. There is still a lot to unravel in terms of how it inflicts damage on the human body, but the one established outcome is that the immune system turns against the body to attack healthy cells.
When bacteria and infection begins to invade the body, the immune system responds by releasing cytokines. Inflammation then happens in the process, as part of the body's natural defensive reaction.
Here's when it becomes a problem: COVID-19 causes the cytokine system to go into overdrive, resulting in what experts refer to as a "cytokine storm." This is when the immune system begins to attack healthy cells, causing blood vessels to leak and clots to form. It is a catastrophic episode that can easily lead to organ failure and death.
Previous research shows elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines among COVID-19 patients, which pulmonologists like Temple University Hospital's Dr. Jamie Garfield find very alarming.
The real morbidity and mortality of this disease is probably driven by this out of proportion inflammatory response to the virus.
How Does CBD Fight Inflammation?
In a previous article, we discussed CBD's anti-inflammatory properties. But let's dig into this a little bit, particularly in terms of its reaction to cytokines.
In early July, Georgia's Augusta University conducted a study on mice to see how CBD deals with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), a complication brought on by a cytokine storm. The test subjects were first induced with ARDS, which immediately resulted in the reduction of blood oxygen saturation by 10%. Also evident were signs of lung damage.
At the height of their respiratory distress, the mice were given undisclosed amounts of CBD. As noted by researchers, symptoms of the cytokine storm among the subjects "were totally or partially reversed" while their overall condition went back to normal.
The authors of the study observed an increase in lymphocyte levels in the blood of their test subjects after adding CBD to the equation. Lymphocytes are white blood cells that fight off infection.
Considering all potential regulatory effects of CBD as well as the vast distribution of endocannabinoid system in the body, it is plausible that CBD may be used as a therapeutic candidate in the treatment of various inflammatory conditions including COVID-19 and other virus-induced ARDS.
Can CBD Help With COVID-19 Treatment?
In a perfect world where scientific research and laboratory experiments yield instant results, CBD can be considered as a viable treatment option. After all, it does get the job done if we're zeroing in on the anti-inflammatory aspect.
However, we also must consider one caveat: as previously stated, we're still at the beginning stages of really getting to know the full capabilities of the virus, and with that in consideration, scientists are also debating whether reducing the effects of inflammatory cytokines could compromise the overall response against the virus.
Bottom line: more research is very much needed. But if there's one silver lining in this situation, it's that scientists can now turn to a natural solution with very little to no adverse side effects. That, in itself, is something to be optimistic about in the very near future.
While CBD's effectiveness to combat COVID-19 isn't fully proven just yet, it does help and is useful in many other ways. So, as doctors often say: "what have you got to lose?"
https://www.newsweek.com/amplify/nirvana-cbd-...-treatment
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