A new study has proven that cannabidiol, a compound found in marijuana, protects neurons against aging and, with this, may be the key to preventing neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, as patients who have used the drug for some time have already realized.
Research published in Free Radical Biology and Medicine has also shown that the 'miracle compound' CBN (cannabinol) is not psychoactive. In other words, it doesn't go cheap or get people high.
“We found that cannabinol protects brain cells from oxidative stress and cell death – two of the main contributors to Alzheimer's disease,” says the study's senior author, Professor Pamela Maher.
"This discovery could one day lead to the development of new therapies to treat this disease and other neurodegenerative disorders - such as Parkinson's disease."
Substance prevents cell death
Studies on medical cannabis have focused on the active substances THC (delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol).
The team at The Salk Institute in California previously identified the neuroprotective properties. Now they have discovered the mechanism.
Laboratory experiments have shown that CBN stops a type of cell death called oxytosis. The process is triggered by the loss of an antioxidant called glutathione.
In experiments, nerve cells were treated with CBN – before oxidative damage was stimulated.
Further analysis found that cannabidiol boosted mitochondria – the power plants of cells.
In damaged neurons, oxidation caused them to curl up like donuts — a change that has been seen in the brains of people with Alzheimer's.
The cells impregnated with CBN maintained their healthy shape and kept them functioning well.
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