9.4% of the US population has diabetes. (Source) While there is no cure for diabetes, early research points to improved well-being in diabetics using CBD.
Type 1 & Type 2 Diabetes
Type one diabetes is when your body does not make insulin. Your immune system attacks and destroys the cells in your pancreas that make insulin.
Type one diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, although it can appear at any age.
People with type one diabetes need to take insulin every day to stay alive.
Type two diabetes is the most common type of diabetes. With type two diabetes, your body does not make or use insulin well.
You can be diagnosed with type two diabetes at any age, but is more commonly found in people who are over forty-five, have a family history of diabetes, or are overweight.
Other contributing factors can be physical inactivity and certain health problems such as high blood pressure. These factors can also affect your chance of developing type two diabetes.
Type two diabetes can lead to other health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, kidney disease, nerve damage, foot problems, eye problems and even dental issues. So it can be a very debilitating disease.
The treatment of type two diabetes is also very costly for individuals diagnosed with the disease and costly for the health care industry in general.
CBD and Diabetes
There is now promising research showing that CBD can help type two diabetic patients manage symptoms and beyond that… it is also promising in lowering the risk of developing both type one and type two diabetes.
High glucose levels can trigger inflammation and cause pain in diabetics. CBD is an excellent anti-inflammatory and studies have shown that inflammation diabetics suffer from can be reduced with CBD.
The studies also showed the lowered risk of developing diabetes when mice were given CBD. In the mice, CBD inhibited destructive Insulitis which shifted the immune response and prevented the development of diabetes.
It is important to note the studies in lower risk of diabetes were conducted using rodents and there have not been clinical trials with humans, but the studies are promising.
Before you take a CBD product always seek the advice of your doctor. And by no means is CBD a cure or a replacement for current medications.
For more information on studies on CBD and diabetes go to the website for the National Institute of Health.