Alcohol addiction is more common than it seems, nowadays there are many human beings who create a dependence on drinking and the factors are quite diverse. CBD, in its rise as a natural medicine, is fighting against the social opinion that is held about it, since it continues to be classified as a drug, however, research has shown the opposite, since it has a large number of benefits to treat various diseases, but will these cannabinoids be able to treat an addiction such as alcohol?
In this article we will see if that is possible, we will study what science says about this interaction, what its benefits would be, how CBD works to treat alcohol addiction and what would be the correct way to use it.
Alcohol and its addiction
Alcohol is a very common psychoactive substance in society. It is capable of causing addiction very easily, so its harmful consumption can harm both the person who ingests it and those around them. It sometimes creates despicable attitudes and this dependency can be known as alcoholism.
Nearly 3 million people die annually from high consumption of alcoholic beverages, the vast majority of them being men. Also called chronic diseaseAlcoholism is usually progressive and in some cases completely fatal, affecting both physical and mental and social health. An alcoholic person is a person who commonly has problems in their interpersonal relationships, at work, with family, and sometimes even with people they do not know.
This addiction can be physical or psychological, with the physical one being noticeable with the naked eye, once the excessive intake of alcohol has started, reflecting obvious signs, while the psychological one comes after overcoming the physical one and where the patient has the true challenge, dealing with emotional causes that probably led him to become an alcoholic, as well as the idea of not being able to live without drinking.
The causes of this disease could be psychological problems such as low self-esteem, conflicts, a death, a sentimental loss, shyness, anxiety and othersHowever, it can also be caused by a biological part, for example, a family member with the same problem, this being found in hereditary causes.
Symptoms such as sleep disorders, strange behaviors, aggressive response, drinking alone, poor hygiene, inability to give up alcohol, feelings of guilt, blackouts, among others, are some of those that excessive alcohol consumption entails, which In turn, it could cause more than 200 additional diseases, especially irreversible liver damage or liver cirrhosis.
Science proves the effectiveness of CBD to treat alcoholism
Although there are few specialized studies on the treatment of alcoholism, there are others that intervene in complications caused by alcohol, so below we will name both of them.
A study carried out in 2019 in animals and humans demonstrated the ability of CBD to considerably reduce the need for alcohol seeking in patients, caused by stimulation and stress, in the same way it treated seizures caused by withdrawal from drinking, with what was concluded that CBD appears to be able to reduce the physical and mental causes of alcohol cravings, as well as relapses.
Another older study from 2004 was carried out by Dr. Tod Mikuriya in the United States, where he administered medicinal cannabis to 92 patients suffering from alcoholism, resulting in: a reduction in alcohol consumption and therefore in its consequences, around 10% managed to quit alcohol completely for 12 months.
In 2009, another study led by Amanda Reiman from the School of Social Welfare of the University of California, which consisted of administering medical marijuana to alcoholic patients, causing a result similar to the previous one, a considerable reduction in alcohol consumption.
In 2014, a study was carried out on alcohol-induced hepatic steatosis in mice, treated with CBD, which was published in the Journal of Free Radical Biology & Medicine, resulting in: CBD could prevent acute liver damage, which was induced by alcohol, this was surely possible thanks to CBD's ability to prevent oxidative stress and the reduction of autophagy caused by alcohol.
However, the 2014 study conducted by Meenakshi Sabina Subbaraman with help from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, said that: “Although more research and better study designs are needed to accurately identify the impact of using cannabis as a substitute for those affected by alcohol problems, cannabis appears to be a potential substitute for alcohol. Perhaps more importantly, cannabis is safer and potentially less addictive than benzodiazepines and other drugs commonly classified as alcohol substitutes.”
Finally, we refer to a study in mice to which CBD in topical gel was applied, this in order to observe the result in cocaine and alcohol addiction and in the triggers of relapse; The results were favorable, recording a decrease in relapse, when they were provoked with alcohol and cocaine, in turn, they obtained a reduction in anxiety and impulsivity.
Consume alcohol and CBD in the same bottle
Just as CBD is booming, where its use as a treatment for serious and chronic diseases such as alcoholism, is the protagonist, many connoisseurs of the compound have also created a trend, available in some countries where the use of CBD is legal, This is about adding CBD to a bottle of alcohol, generally beer, it is even sold in the most expensive liquor stores, which customers seem to be liking, however, is this interaction good or bad? Below we will show the pros and cons that will allow you to have your own opinion:
Pros:
First of all, we mention a study that reflects the “advantage” of consuming CBD and alcohol together.
Lower blood levels: A study from 1979 tells us what the process was like when administering alcoholic beverages to a group, where one consumed only alcohol and the other consumed CBD and alcohol, this demonstrated a deficiency in the motor and psychomotor function of both groups, very similar results, as well as well as an overestimation of time.
But, as researchers paid more attention to the chemical behavior of the body when ingested, they discovered something else, it seemed that the group that consumed CBD with alcohol was experiencing a much lower level of blood alcohol, compared to the group He only drank alcohol.
Which led to the conclusion that, although alcohol serves to help its processing within the body, causing a reduction in blood alcohol, it can also cause an increase in the effect of both.
Cons:
On the other hand, we have the opinion of a health specialist about this interaction:
Dr. James Gordiano, professor of neurology and biochemistry, in an interview stated that the consumption of alcohol with CBD can be harmful to the patient's life, this is because the effects of both are intensified when combined, so he wants To say that, although CBD does not affect on a psychoactive level, its sedative effect together with alcohol will cause a fairly considerable reduction in the person's mobility and reaction.
So this could be dangerous for the patient's life, since the percentage of suffering car or home accidents is quite high.
General opinion
Consuming CBD and alcohol does not seem harmful to the body, but it could cause external consequences. Along with this, it would only worsen alcohol addiction, so the patient would be missing out on the healing benefits of CBD, making it impossible to avoid consequences such as liver damage and neurological, as well as the social shock due to the bad attitude that occurs under the influence of alcohol; CBD and alcohol in combination is a DANGEROUS decision!
Benefits of CBD as a treatment for alcoholism
- Decreases dependency: This is perhaps the best benefit of CBD for alcoholism, cannabidiol considerably reduces the symptoms of alcohol craving, thus creating the possibility of quitting.
- Helps with various side effects: When it comes time to start giving up alcohol, it can cause various side effects, such as nausea, tremors, the need to continue drinking, sleep disorders and many more. Thanks to the knowledge we have about the benefits of CBD, we can know that by consuming it this type of symptoms would be reduced. Its relaxing effect could help you fall asleep and reduce tremors, as well as acting at the stomach level, controlling the nausea response.
- Reduces neuronal damage: This is one of the serious consequences of alcoholism, when drinking alcoholic beverages we produce very little damage at the neuronal level, but what happens if we do it in a harmful way? Surely the damage will be much greater and could cause much more serious diseases at the nervous level over time; CBD has neuroprotective capabilities that could reduce and prevent this damage. A 2013 study showed that CBD consumption reduced neurodegeneration by more than 50%.
- Reduces liver damage: Alcohol mainly affects one organ in the body, it is in this that most serious cases of alcoholism are reflected, we are talking about the liver, causing chronic liver damage, the patient could lose his life, however, the CBD has shown that, through its antioxidant function, it reduces oxidative stress produced by alcohol, thus causing less likelihood of developing liver disease.
- Goodbye hangover: Studies have shown that administering CBD after drinking alcohol considerably reduces hangover symptoms.
- Reduces anxiety: This point is important, since many times this is usually the cause of drinking alcohol in a harmful way, as well as it can also appear after becoming addicted and trying to quit, CBD has anxiolytic properties that prevent this.
Botton line
As we have seen, CBD is an excellent option to help combat alcohol addiction, since this cannabis compound is not a drug and is not capable of causing dependence. In turn, used correctly, could help combat consequences such as liver and neurological damage.
This wonderful cannabis compound is able to eliminate the need to drink alcohol, making it an excellent complementary treatment to eradicate this dependence, eliminating stress, anxiety, and depression, which can be both causes and consequences of excessive intake of this drink.
It relieves hangovers and its symptoms due to the high impact it has on headaches caused by inflammation due to dehydration due to excessive alcohol intake, and its ability as an antiemetic.
Its consumption is very easy and does not cause alarming side effects, escalating doses are the most recommended to start using this compound.
We recommend assistance from a health specialist to begin using this natural medicine, this will allow you to ensure correct progress and adequate intake of CBD, adjusting doses and performing complementary tests that allow you to observe the alcohol levels in the body and the conditions. that this has caused you.
More than an option, it is a medication that will help treat each of the problems associated with excessive alcohol consumption. We recommend it as a complementary treatment along with the relevant therapies with the appropriate health professional.
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