More people than ever suffer from diabetes and it’s a growing global problem. The condition currently affects about 440 million people worldwide, with estimates suggesting numbers will increase by around 10% by the year 2025.
People with the condition need careful and consistent blood sugar management to prevent several harmful symptoms.
Research has been carried out by research scientists on how CBD affects blood sugar levels and also how CBD affects secondary symptoms of diabetes. Thus, scientists are starting to understand how CBD may be beneficial to those who need treatment for diabetes. To understand how CBD may help, let’s start with the basics.

What is CBD?

CBD is an acronym for cannabidiol, which is derived from the cannabis plant. Although CBD was discovered in 1940, it has recently garnered much popularity, having been associated with assisting a variety of different medical conditions. Even though it is obtained from cannabis, any products that contain CBD are legal to use in the UK as far as they do not contain THC, the major intoxicating component in cannabis that is often consumed for its recreational high.

What is Type 1 Diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes, which was known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is a severe condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin. Insulin is known as a hormone that is required to allow glucose (sugar) to enter cells to produce energy. Several factors, including genetics and some viruses, may also contribute to type 1 diabetes. Even though type 1 diabetes often appears during childhood or adolescence, it can also develop in adults. Regardless of the thorough research, there hasn’t been a cure for type 1 diabetes. Treatments concentrate on managing blood sugar levels with insulin, diet, and healthy living to avoid complications.

Symptoms of type 1 diabetes:

The signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes can appear quite suddenly and may include:

  • Unintended weight loss
  • Irritability
  • Increased thirst
  • Frequent urination
  • Fatigue and weakness
  • Extreme hunger
  • Blurred vision
  • Bed-wetting in children who didn’t bed wet previously during the night

CBD Oil for Diabetes

CBD has revealed lots of promising treatments for diabetes-related health conditions, including inflammation conditions that influence the production of insulin. CBD also helps in reducing fatigue, decrease in pain, which increases the entire well-being of people with diabetes, and regulating the appetite.

 

How CBD affects your blood sugars

A scientific study published in Diabetes Care in 2016 concluded that CBD alone lowered the concentration of a hormone known as resistin, which is associated with obesity and resistance of insulin. Thus, it may help the body in producing and using insulin more effectively.

Current research for Diabetes and CBD

There are lots of research about CBD for diabetes that came up with exciting results that deserve further investigation. These include:

  • A study in 2006 where CBD reduced the onset of diabetes in non-diabetic mice.
  • A study in 2006 reveals that CBD reduces oxidative stress and inflammation in diabetic rats.
  • A preclinical study in 2010 suggested that CBD has significant therapeutic potential in treating the symptoms of diabetes.
  • A study in 2013 from Harvard Medical School suggested that cannabis helped in decreasing insulin resistance and improving blood sugar levels.
  • A study in 2016 on CBD in humans showed that it might help reduce obesity and enhance insulin resistance.
  • A study in 2019 on diabetic rats suggested that CBD reduces inflammation and enhances memory performance.

Avoid CBD edibles containing processed sugars!

It is pertinent to note that CBD edibles such as brownies and gummies are generally high in processed sugars. For the symptoms of health conditions like diabetes, CBD works better when combined with a healthy, balanced diet and exercise. Therefore CBD edibles that are high in processed sugars should be overlooked.

Administration of CBD to manage the symptoms of diabetes

Unfortunately, while CBD appears to be good at helping manage the symptoms of diabetes and lessening some of the causes, it doesn’t appear that CBD is the cure.

Final words

Although CBD may possess quite a good number of benefits to the users, its long-term effects on diabetes remain unknown. This is one reason why the FDA is yet to endorse CBD as a treatment for the condition. That said, when it comes to treating the symptoms of the condition, CBD is certainly looking like a good option.

Don’t forget to contact us with your questions or experiences of using CBD with type 1 diabetes. We’d love to hear from you!

Anthony Tribunella

Having experienced the benefits of CBD first hand when it was starting to gain popularity, Anthony decided to spend his working life championing it to the public and his peers in the wider CBD community. As a CBD innovator himself, Anthony likes to remain at the leading edge of scientific and product development to ensure that the potential of CBD has every chance of being fully realized.

See all posts by Anthony Tribunella

Participate in CBD Research

CBD World News is part of an active community, working to enhance our understanding of the benefits of CBD. You can become an active part of that community too, by taking part in our collaborative research. We are interested in finding out who is using CBD, how it is used, and what it is used for?

Taking part in this research will help bring the good word of CBD to life and help people all over the world discover the benefits of cannabinoids.