A 2-year review of clinical research papers has found that there is a significant impact of using CBD to treat the symptoms of stress and anxiety. The report also cautions that more research is required to fully understand the impact of CBD on these conditions.
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The recent analysis covered clinical papers worldwide from 2019 to 2020 has been published in the peer-reviewed Innovare Journal of Medical Science in the November/December issue.
The research, which is the first meta-analysis undertaken by a nutritional supplements company on cannabinoids, was conducted by Nutrition Formulators, a leading manufacturer of nutraceutical products, specializing in private label & contract manufacturing of custom formulas. The aim of the analysis was to understand more about the impact of CBD on anxiety and stress, as well as to begin to determine suitable and safe dosage regimens for CBD treatments.
In a review of 76 articles spanning the past two years, more than 70% of cannabidiol (CBD) research on anxiety and stress showed positive outcomes. The meta-analysis focused on CBD isolate and grouped the research into several categories, including CBD impacts on depression, sleep, panic attacks, dementia, inflammation, metabolism, behaviour, Parkinson’s disease, and psychiatric illnesses. Human and animal studies were both included in the review.
“After spending 10 months reviewing the research, I was surprised at how many people with anxiety and depression could be helped by incorporating CBD into their lives, but I was also aware how important it is to do more research, especially on the impact of CBD on liver function,” said Dr. Marcelo Ferro, lead author and biochemist with Nutrition Formulators, Inc.
When looking at anxiety, the studies show that CBD reduces anticipator anxiety, such as speaking in public by affecting the part of the brain that processes emotional information.
The analysis also showed a 66.6% positive improvement for clinicians using CBD as an alternative treatment for depression.
One of the larger questions was how much CBD should be used. The dosing in the reports varied widely from 50mg to 600mg daily dosing. Also, much more research is needed on CBD’s side-effect impact on liver function as well as the how CBD interacts in the body. In addition, the study’s authors cited the need for larger population trials that would achieve a statistically significant measure.
A fact observed in earlier studies on CBD was the difference observed in the therapeutic curve concerning the isolated CBD and the full spectrum CBD, where the full spectrum tends to maintain the therapeutic effect for an indefinite period of use, while the isolate loses its action in continuous use.
While the role of CBD in treating these conditions looks promising, the research authors caution that the role of CBD still needs investigation, “Although all the results presented in this study are promising, we need more information to position ourselves on the efficiency of CBD in proposed treatments… we are still in need of studies that show us the use of CBD in behavioural pathologies,
“This is just a stepping-stone to understanding more about the amazing CBD compound, how it may be helpful to so many, but also what additional information we need to know so that people can use it as safely as possible. So many of our CBD business clients are looking for research-based information to educate their customers, this report is a step in that direction,” said Adolfo Graubard, Nutrition Formulators, Inc. Chief Executive Officer.
NFI is currently working on additional CBD studies focusing on neuroinflammation and autism in partnership with several research institutions.