A study sheds light on how CBD affects inflammation

Inflammation, or the inflammatory response, is one of the ways the body defends itself against attacks and is therefore part of what is known as the immune response. Although short-term inflammation can be protective, chronic inflammation is linked to various diseases, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. 

Inflammation often occurs at the same time as pain. The most common symptoms of inflammation are pain, heat, redness, and swelling. Inflammation can often be treated with anti-inflammatory medications, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and steroids. 

However, these medications come with risks and side effects. Some people choose to take a more preventive approach to treating inflammation, such as following an anti-inflammatory diet and taking anti-inflammatory supplements. Could CBD help with a more natural approach to inflammation? Does it actually have anti-inflammatory properties? 

Current evidence suggests that it does, but as with many topics in the world of cannabis, further research is needed. 

Inflammation is the body’s physiological response to an attack (by viruses, bacteria, or damaged cells). It involves the immune system and a series of molecules that normally protect the body. It is triggered when physical barriers, such as the skin, are insufficient to stop these attacks. Its most obvious characteristic is redness (papules, recent scarring around the area, etc.); swelling, warmth, and pain may also be present. 

The rise in temperature helps kill all vulnerable pathogens. The immune cells present release molecules (chemokines) that cause blood vessels to dilate (edema) and deliver reinforcements (other cells, nutrients, etc.). The threat must be eliminated, the damage (such as cellular debris) must be cleared away, and the area must be rebuilt—all of which require significant resources. The inflammatory response is therefore crucial to our body’s health. 

Inflammation is a normal physiological mechanism. Problems arise when it becomes chronic or when the inflammatory response is disproportionate to the threat being combated (acute allergies, chronic autoimmune diseases). 

Inflammation caused by disease or “unhealthy” lifestyle habits (a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, an unbalanced diet, etc.) can cause what is usually a temporary condition to develop into an abnormal chronic condition. Inflammatory molecules spread throughout the body, resulting in what is known as a hyperinflammatory state. This condition is associated with many of the harmful effects of obesity, chronic autoimmune diseases, and an increased risk of cancer (or its recurrence). 

Chronic inflammation can also cause cellular damage: 

• Digestive issues related to diet and stress (irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease, or Crohn's disease), leading to difficulties eating, absorbing nutrients, and experiencing pain.
• At the joint level: osteoarthritis and arthritis are inflammatory joint diseases. They result from a vicious cycle: joint damage, inflammation, and loss of mobility (stiffness, swelling, pain), leading to muscle weakness. Then, as people become less active, the joints are no longer properly maintained, leading to further damage (cartilage destruction, joint deformity).

Healthy inflammation ends with a phase of functional tissue repair. When an inflammatory response is too severe or recurrent, fibrosis (scar tissue) can develop. It then replaces cartilage, lung tissue, or liver tissue because the fibrosis is not functioning properly. This leads to a loss of function, pain, and often further inflammation. 

The final factor in chronic inflammation is stress. Cortisol is a hormone secreted during episodes of stress, but it has paradoxical short-term anti-inflammatory effects. This property led to the discovery of corticosteroids (steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs derived from cortisone). However, its continuous production leads to immunosuppression and a decrease in immune defenses, which explains, among other things, the many side effects of these medications. For people suffering from stress-related sleep disorders, these effects are exacerbated, further weakening these defenses. We then see an increase in attacks by pathogens and, consequently, an increase in inflammation.

Cannabinoids, including CBD, have potential anti-inflammatory properties. Numerous studies on cells, rodents, and humans have shown that CBD may be an effective anti-inflammatory agent, but further research is needed to determine how it works and its best applications for specific types of inflammation.

Inflammation is a complex process involving numerous signaling pathways. The body uses signaling molecules called eicosanoids to trigger an inflammatory response. CBD is thought to reduce inflammation, in part by inhibiting an eicosanoid enzyme called COX-2. NSAIDs such as Advil and aspirin also target COX-2.

CBD also appears to affect a class of molecules called cytokines, which play an important role in the inflammatory process. In fact, CBD tends to reduce the effects of pro-inflammatory cytokines, thereby reducing inflammation. 

German researchers have revealed how cannabinoids can reduce inflammation in the body, with CBD proving to be particularly effective. 

Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, Germany, has studied how certain compounds in the cannabis plant combat inflammation in the body. 

Previous research has shown that cannabis may possess not only analgesic and antispasmodic properties, but also anti-inflammatory properties. However, the reason for this anti-inflammatory effect remains unknown to this day.

Researchers studied the effects of various cannabinoids, including THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol), on the body's immune cells. According to a study published in the journal *Cell Chemical Biology*, the eight cannabinoids tested have anti-inflammatory effects.

“All of the compounds we studied inhibited the formation of pro-inflammatory signaling molecules in cells while enhancing the formation of molecules that counteract inflammation,” said doctoral student Lukas Peltner, a co-author of the study. 

CBD, in particular, is so potent that the research team studied its mechanism of action in greater detail. The researchers determined that CBD reduces inflammation by activating the enzyme 15-lipoxygenase-1, which triggers the production of signaling molecules that combat inflammation. The researchers were also able to confirm these results, which were obtained in cell cultures, through animal experiments on mice. 

Co-author Dr. Paul Mike Jordan explains: “CBD thus causes changes in the affected cells, shifting the inflammatory process from the pro-inflammatory side to the anti-inflammatory side, so to speak.”

The researchers concluded that, in the long term, the findings could lead to new therapeutic strategies for treating inflammatory diseases. They added that the focus should be on CBD, which research has shown to be the most potent cannabinoid.

The study was conducted at the PolyTarfet and ChemBioSys collaborative research center at the University of Jena in Germany and was funded by the German Research Foundation. 

We offer a wide variety of cannabidiol-based products in our CBD store. To help relieve inflammation, CBD is available in various forms. 

CBD oil is a common form of cannabidiol used to reap the potential benefits of this compound. It is taken sublingually by placing a few drops under the tongue and waiting one or two minutes before swallowing. With this method of administration, the active ingredient in cannabidiol takes effect ten to twenty minutes after consumption. 

Generally speaking, the potential anti-inflammatory effects of CBD oil last an average of two to three hours. Taking CBD concentrate sublingually is the best way to maximize the bioavailability of CBD oil. This means that the body quickly absorbs the full concentration of the molecule’s active ingredient and releases it into the bloodstream. 

To relieve inflammatory pain, CBD-containing products can be taken orally. CBD flowers and CBD resin are suitable for relieving inflammatory pain. Choosing this method of consumption allows CBD molecules to be absorbed through the liver. This major organ of the digestive system releases some of the active compounds into the bloodstream.

You can drink the flowers as a tea or add them to your recipes. If you don’t drink herbal tea to reduce inflammation, you can also eat CBD candies. The relaxing and anti-inflammatory effects of CBD can be felt after 60 minutes. They can remain in the body for more than six hours. In terms of bioavailability, the liver retains a portion of the CBD concentration.

The CBD extract found in CBD cosmetics can help relieve inflammation. These CBD concentrate products are suitable for use on the skin. This is a transdermal method of application designed to reduce skin irritation. In fact, CBD is absorbed through the SEC receptors in epidermal cells.

The transdermal route does not involve the release of the active ingredient CBD into the bloodstream. It is therefore recommended to apply CBD products to the skin to soothe skin irritations (insect bites, stings, minor bruises, etc.). However, the CBD concentration in certain products intended for topical use can affect the intensity of inflammatory pain.