Our bodies change in noticeable ways as we age. Our hair greys, our skin wrinkles and loses its elasticity. Less obvious are the changes happening in our brains. CBD Blog
Much like muscles and joints, certain cells in our brains can stiffen up too, as evidenced in a recent study in mice. This is just one of many ways our brains change as we age – from declines in memory and cognitive abilities, all the way down to microscopic changes to brain cells and chemistry.
CBD might be a promising product in the fight against neurodegenerative diseases. A loss of neurons in different parts of the nervous system leads to a corresponding decline in cognitive and motor functions. These conditions, such as Parkinson’s, dementia, and stroke, cause the brain and nerves to deteriorate over time. Researchers are actively studying brain receptors to uncover the ways that CBD could help. Read more about CBD for Alzheimer’s and Dementia here
We discussed how CBD can lower inflammation. Because inflammation can actually make neurodegenerative symptoms worse, CBD can promote good brain health through this mechanism, too. Keep an eye out for more studies to come on this subject. CBD could evolve to become a useful tool to turn to in the fight against neurodegenerative diseases.
Mental Health & Mood-related Disorders – Could CBD lighten the symptoms?
As people age, they experience major changes as a result of getting older. Health usually declines and people are more likely to deal with loss and grief. Additionally, social isolation, depression, and loneliness may all play a factor in decreased mental health.
Cannabidiol (CBD) has been shown to help with these and other related conditions.
CBD may interact with brain receptors that are involved in mood regulation.
CBD can promote stress reduction, mindfulness, and improvement in cognitive function.
This powerful combination can strongly contribute to how the mind perceives its situation while enhancing mood.
With age, bones tend to shrink in size and density, weakening them and making them more susceptible to fracture. You might even become a bit shorter. Muscles generally lose strength, endurance, and flexibility — factors that can affect your coordination, stability, and balance.
Keeping bones healthy can be a challenge, especially for seniors living with osteoporosis. Bones become more fragile and vulnerable over time, making them more prone to breaking. For these reasons, seniors often experience significant pain and a propensity for fractures when falls occur.
In addition to reducing inflammation and promoting cell repair, research shows that CBD may aid in strengthening bones. It can also promote the body’s ability to heal. While more research is needed, results in this area so far are promising.
The Data
There are data on how CBD oil can help with pain and how CBD can help with common ailments of aging, but the evidence is also emerging to suggest CBD may help with other aspects of osteoporosis. For instance, in pre-clinical models, CBD was shown to enhance bone volume following spinal cord injury.
Researchers have observed that increasing the expression of CB2 inhibits the activity of the cells that break down bone. As a result, drugs that enhance the activity of this receptor have been shown in pre-clinical trials to reverse bone loss that occurs in postmenopausal osteoporosis. Given these findings, researchers suggest that currently available synthetic molecules that act on CB2 receptors could provide a basis for osteoporosis therapy.
Research into the specific effects of CBD on processes of osteoporosis has shown that CBD reduces the bone resorption that is the cause of bone mass loss. On the other hand, when the effects of CBD are blocked, there is more bone breakdown activity. These findings highlight the potential for CBD to prevent bone loss such as that observed in osteoporosis.