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It’s no secret anymore - CBD is everywhere around us. It’s in our water, sweets, gummies - even body lotions! However, CBD is so much more than just a ‘remedy’ for stressful days. The debate for its medical benefits is still wide open and will continue to be until more research on the compound is done.

One area where additional research is necessary is the medical industry, specifically the relation between CBD and people diagnosed with diabetes.

In this article, we’re going to dive deep into the topic of CBD and uncover the valuable connection between cannabidiol and diabetes.

The Relation Between CBD And Diabetes

Diabetes is a condition where the body is incapable of correctly transferring the glucose found in food, into energy sources. This happens as a result of the body's natural response - releasing the hormone insulin. Over time, this irregularity can result in higher or lower blood sugar levels and the person affected by it gets diagnosed with diabetes.

There are two types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Patients diagnosed with type 1 diabetes are incapable of producing insulin, the critical hormone for transferring glucose. Usually, children and young adults are affected by this disease but it can affect older people too.

On the other hand, people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes can still produce insulin, but the body’s response is not adequate to it. In the USA alone, 90-95% of people diagnosed with diabetes have type 2 diabetes - only 5% have type 1.

One important note about the benefits of CBD for diabetes is that there’s a lack of studies on the effects of CBD. It’s due to the fact that cannabis, and CBD with it, is not FDA approved and resources for such studies are not allowed.

That being said, let’s see how people living with diabetes are using CBD to relieve their symptoms.

Use Of CBD For Type 2 Diabetes

Even though CBD is not officially allowed for diabetes, patients are finding different ways to use it to treat their condition.

However, problems occur when such patients don’t share this information with their doctor. They strike off on their own, without any consultation with medical professionals, which can lead up to further complications. If you’re living with type 2 diabetes, it’s crucial to stay transparent with your doctor about every treatment you take, including CBD.

That being said, there are a lot of different ways patients use CBD to treat type 2 diabetes symptoms.

There was a case where patients with type 2 diabetes used CBD oil to treat their nerve pain. Some people may experience only mild symptoms but others can endure severe pain. This can lead to swollen feet or joints and that’s usually one of the worst symptoms to deal with when you have type 2 diabetes.

Most patients use CBD by rubbing it in specific areas, which results in reduced pain. However, as most of the patients consume the oil as well, they also reported a reduced level of blood sugar. Also, as CBD has a proven therapeutic effect on the brain, the patients experience fewer sleeping problems.

Studies On CBD And Type 2 Diabetes

There is some evidence to prove the effectiveness of CBD on type 2 diabetes, but not enough.

One study from October 2016 from the Diabetes Care in the UK was done on 62 participants diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. For 13 weeks, these participants used a combination of CBD and THCV, which is another derivative of cannabis, twice per day. After the study was finished, they reported that the THCV improved their control over blood glucose, but not the CBD.

Another study was done by Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, a research scientist from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, who pointed out the specific connection between CBD and the pancreas. Specifically, he discovered that there are CB1 receptors in the islet cells of the pancreas, which is the main insulin production area.

CB1 receptors are the ones responsible for, among other things, controlling the dopamine transmission after consumption and regulating the brain limbic functions. This doesn’t mean that CBD is a cure for diabetes, but it’s a positive sign that should lead to further studies being done.

There are studies that explore the effect of CBD in mice diagnosed with diabetes and they are promising. However, our biological systems are quite different and we can’t allow ourselves to stand behind research that doesn’t fully explore more on the specific connection between type 2 diabetes and CBD.

Conclusion

CBD may have many therapeutic benefits for the mind and the body, but when it comes to the medical benefits of it, we should wait for more studies to be done. Specifically, there’s a connection between CBD and type 2 diabetes and the current studies are a good stepping stone for further research. However, if you’re living with diabetes and planning to include CBD in your therapy, please consult with a medical professional and see whether it can help your current condition or not.