CBDA Benefits – What to Know
Like CBD, CBDA is a non psychoactive cannabinoid and will not get you high like its cousin THC.
Why is CBDA not as common as CBD? Because conventional technology always used heat in its purification which converts CBDA to CBD, thus many hemp companies were never able to isolate out the natural acidic cannabinoids.
A little known problem with CBD is that it has very poor absorption, an issue that is fixed by using CBDA and all other acidic cannabinoids.
As the cannabinoid field continues to expand, CBDA oil has gained popularity for its many benefits as new uses and benefits are being discovered everyday.
CBDA for Anxiety and Stress
There are now a number of well known mechanisms by which CBDA can help bring relaxation and calm to those who use it.
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is found throughout the body, but is well known for its role in the brain in regulating your mood. The ECS works in part through its 2 main receptors CB1 and CB2, which CBDA interacts with. There are now many published studies on how CBDA helps regulate the CB2 receptor, most commonly associated with CBD and its anxiety and stress relieving properties.
Another under appreciated but well studied impact of CBDA is on the serotonin receptor 5HT1A. CBDA can directly activate this receptor which is primarily found in the brain. This has significant implications for mood since this receptor is also a target for SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) which are commonly prescribed for depression.
Interestingly, activation of the 5HT1A can also reduce blood pressure through vagus nerve stimulation. This is a well known target for multiple blood pressure drugs, and has been extensively studied.
CBDA – Nausea Effects
Multiple pre clinical studies have shown that CBDA can help reduce symptoms of nausea.
These studies have narrowed down the target to 5HT1A activation, which appears to help control nausea symptoms. This is not the first time cannabinoids have been used to treat nausea symptoms as this is a well known approach for many chemotherapy patients.
CBDA – Anti Inflammation Properties
A unique property of CBDA that has been discovered over 10 years ago is its ability to both inhibit and decrease the production of COX-2 (cyclooxygenase 2).
COX-2 is a well known pro inflammatory enzyme involved in most diseases where inflammation is causing damage. This enzyme is a common target for many NSAIDs (non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs) such as Ibuprofen and Aspirin.
CBDA – Pain Relief
There are a numerous pre clinical studies finding that CBDA can impact pain in a positive manner.
This appears to be through two unique properties of CBDA, its affect on inflammation and COX-2 and its inhibition of the TRPV1 channel (Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1). The TRPV1 protein sits on the cell surface of many neurons and helps conduct pain signaling to the brain.
This is interesting because there has been a lot of work around using Capsaicin to inhibit pain through this exact mechanism. There are now prescription drugs on the market that use capsaicin to help with neuropathic pain.
CBDA – Anti Viral Properties
CBDA has received the most attention lately for a number of studies that came out showing that it can inhibit the Sars-Cov-2 virus from binding to epithelial cells.
This research has been performed in a number of in vitro studies, and showed that with multiple different strains it can inhibit both binding and expression of some viral proteins.
However, the concentrations used in the studies translated for very high blood levels, and in vivo studies have yet to be performed.