Why is it not good if the oil contains only CBD?
A pioneering Israeli study compared the therapeutic properties of full-spectrum CBD Oil to CBD isolate.
“Overcoming the bell-shaped dose-response of cannabidiol using a cannabis extract enriched in cannabidiol” is the title of an especially noteworthy article, due in part to the involvement of co-author Lumir Hanus, who contributed to the discovery of anandamide, an endogenous cannabinoid. Anandamide is a compound produced by our bodies that functions similarly to cannabinoids derived from plants. It was first identified in the brain of mammals in 1992.
Hanus and colleagues note that over the past fifteen years, numerous preclinical studies have investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of pure, single-molecule CBD* in various animal models of diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, and diabetes.
* Single-molecule CBD refers to 99-100% pure CBD, which can be either an isolate or synthetic CBD. The CBD isolate is derived from the cannabis plant and is a natural compound with 96-99% CBD content, accompanied by small amounts of CBDV.
These studies revealed that dosing with pure, single-molecule CBD produced a bell-shaped dose-response curve, meaning that if the amount of CBD exceeded a certain point, its therapeutic effect dramatically decreased. “Healing was only observed when CBD was administered within a very narrow dose range; neither lower nor higher doses provided beneficial effects.” This characteristic of single-molecule CBD—as manifested by the bell-shaped dose response—poses significant challenges that limit its usefulness in clinical contexts.
The Israeli team aimed to determine whether the use of a CBD-rich, full plant extract also results in a bell-shaped dose-response curve. “The goal of the current study,” the authors explained, “was to find a CBD source capable of overcoming the purified CBD’s bell-shaped dose-response.”
The researchers tested a cannabis strain called Avidekel, from which they extracted CBD-rich oil. The oil given to mice to evaluate its anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects contained 17.9% CBD, 1.1% THC, 1.1% cannabichromene (CBC), 0.2% cannabigerol (CBG), as well as trace amounts of cannabinol (CBN) and cannabidivarin (CBDV).
For comparison, the scientists gave pure CBD to another group of mice and evaluated its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. They also compared how much single-molecule CBD and full plant-derived CBD inhibited the production of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), a molecule involved in systemic inflammatory signaling. (Dysregulation of TNF-alpha production plays a role in numerous diseases, including cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, clinical depression, and irritable bowel syndrome.)
Tests with CBD alone confirmed earlier preclinical findings. Single-molecule CBD produced a bell-shaped dose-response curve with a narrow therapeutic window.
By contrast, a different dose-response pattern was observed when the mice were given full plant extract CBD Oil. Instead of showing a bell-shaped curve—where the therapeutic effect is only achieved within a narrow concentration range of pure CBD—the CBD-rich full plant extract directly and dose-dependently inhibited pain, inflammation, and TNFα production. In other words, increasing the dose increased the effect. “In sharp contrast to the CBD isolate,” the Israeli team reported, “the full-spectrum oil… showed a clear correlation between anti-inflammatory and analgesic responses and dose, with effects increasing along with dose, making it ideal for clinical use.”
Additionally, the Israeli researchers found that a smaller amount of full-spectrum CBD Oil from the full plant extract was needed to achieve significant pain relief compared to pure CBD to reach the same level of analgesic effect. While single-molecule CBD showed a dramatic drop in efficacy if more than a specific dose was administered, overdosing on the CBD-rich full plant extract did not undermine its therapeutic effect. If an amount greater than optimal was used from the full-spectrum CBD Oil, its effect neither increased nor decreased, but remained balanced, suggesting that the maximum therapeutic effect was achieved.
The Israeli study concluded that full-spectrum CBD Oil is “preferable for treating inflammatory conditions.” The greater efficacy of the full plant extract can be explained by additive or synergistic interactions between CBD and dozens of minor phytocannabinoids as well as hundreds of non-cannabinoid plant compounds. “It is likely that other cannabis extract components synergize with CBD to achieve the desired anti-inflammatory effect, which may help overcome the bell-shaped dose-response seen with CBD isolate,” the Israeli team hypothesized.
The scientists also compared full-spectrum CBD Oil to commercially available analgesics and anti-inflammatory agents. They found that both CBD isolate and full plant extract exerted stronger anti-inflammatory effects than, for example, aspirin.
“Much research has focused on isolating and characterizing the active ingredients of traditional medicinal plants to explore their potential therapeutic applications,” summarized the Israeli team. “However, our data, along with others’, legitimizes the introduction of a new generation of botanical medicines for diseases previously treated exclusively with synthetic drugs. The therapeutic synergy observed with plant extracts results in a reduced need for active components, which in turn lowers harmful side effects.”
The full research paper is available at this link https://www.scirp.org/pdf/PP_2015021016351567.pdf
It is important to mention that CBD Oil is not a miracle cure! The foundations of maintaining our health are regular exercise, a balanced diet, and a stress-free lifestyle. None of these can be replaced by CBD! In Hungary and most EU countries, CBD is classified as a “novel food” because its broad use before 1997 was not established; therefore, no promises can be made about prevention or treatment of diseases with CBD-containing products. The above are summaries from scientific studies.
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