Is CBD an Antioxidant? It’s Time to Fight Free Radicals

Oh those powerful antioxidants: blueberries, dark chocolate, CBD oil… Wait, is CBD an antioxidant?

And what is an antioxidant, really? Do we really even need them?

Trust us, if you’re not sure on any of those questions, you’re going to want to keep reading…

What is An Antioxidant?

Every day, throughout your normal activities, your body encounters free radicals. Now, this may sound cool and hip, but trust me, these guys are not playing around. Their goal – total world domination.

Ok, no jokes, free radicals (free radicals reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species) are harmful molecules generated by our bodies. It’s a natural process that occurs at the cellular level. But they’re a problem. They steal particles from your DNA.

And when we can’t balance them out, they cause something called oxidative stress. Oxidative stress can negatively impact your overall health and trigger a whole laundry list of disease: cancer, Alzheimer’s, atherosclerosis, heart disease, and Parkinson’s, just to name a few. 

Sources of free radicals:

• Cigarette smoke
• Environmental pollutants
• Radiation
• Certain drugs, pesticides
• Industrial solvents
• Ozone

But your body also produces them naturally – so even if you’re living in a bubble, you’re not immune. Sorry 🙁

So, to offset that imbalance, we need to combat the free radicals with antioxidants, compounds produced in your body and found in foods. They help defend your cells against the damage caused by free radicals. Antioxidants actually stabilize the free radicals, stopping them from doing damage to the DNA in your cells.

What about synthetic antioxidants like butylated hydroxytoluene and butylated hydroxyanisole? Well, they’ve recently been reported to be dangerous for human health, so stick with natural sources.

Is CBD an Antioxidant?

So, now that we know how important it is to fight those free radicals with antioxidants, can CBD help? Is CBD an antioxidant?

Yes!

CBD has been extensively studied in this regard, so we know, without a doubt, that CBD is a powerful antioxidant.

Research tells us that CBD modifies the level and activity of both oxidants and antioxidants. It interrupts free radical chain reactions, capturing free radicals or transforming them into less active forms.

“It is believed that the endocannabinoid system, which includes G-protein coupled receptors and their endogenous lipid ligands, may be responsible for the therapeutic modulation of oxidative stress in various diseases. In this context, the phytocannabinoid cannabidiol, which was identified several decades ago and may interact with the cannabinoid system, is a promising molecule for pharmacotherapy.”

Furthermore, the antioxidant properties are highly protective! Research into the potential neurotoxicity show us that CBD is incredibly potent.

Neurotoxicity refers to the damage to the brain or peripheral nervous system from exposure to natural or man-made toxic substances. These substances can actually alter the activity of your nervous system in ways that can disrupt or kill nerves. That’s a major problem.

CBD to the rescue? Research says yes!

“Cannabidiol and THC also were shown to prevent hydroperoxide-induced oxidative damage as well as or better than other antioxidants in a chemical (Fenton reaction) system and neuronal cultures. Cannabidiol was more protective against glutamate neurotoxicity than either ascorbate or α-tocopherol, indicating it to be a potent antioxidant. These data also suggest that the naturally occurring, nonpsychotropic cannabinoid, cannabidiol, may be a potentially useful therapeutic agent for the treatment of oxidative neurological disorders.”

Final Thoughts

When it comes to overall health and wellness, we know that antioxidants are really important. How well we’re able to manage oxidative stress directly impacts your ability to prevent disease. That’s so important.

Luckily, getting antioxidants isn’t tough or terrible. Who is turning down chocolate after all? So, along with those blueberries and dark chocolate, add some CBD to your diet. Your body will thank you for it.