More and more people are trying cannabidiol, or CBD, to treat thyroid issues. Scientists have been questioning its effectiveness, actively studying its effects on these disorders. Because so many studies already exist on CBD, the world understands the therapeutic potential of this specific cannabinoid more than ever before. Despite this, more study is crucial to knowing the mechanisms of action at play.
Research is ongoing, particularly into this non-psychoactive cannabinoid and its abundance of medical properties. Currently, research into the effects of cannabinoids on thyroid health specifically is very limited. However, the evidence available so far heavily suggests that CBD might well prove more beneficial than current thyroid medications in treating these conditions and their symptoms.
Having said that, it is imperative to note that no clinical trials exist involving the use of CBD for thyroid disorders. Because of the prohibited status of cannabis at the federal level, laws and regulations make study difficult for researchers. This is why so few human studies exist. Despite this, evidence is mounting, and as legalization spreads, laws are relaxing toward human research.
Thus far, the beneficial findings of CBD’s effects on thyroid disorders stem from their relationship with the body’s own endocannabinoid system, a neurotransmission network crucial to human health and happiness. Cannabinoids have enormous influence on endocannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2, able to act as endocannabinoids able to regulate balance in all bodily processes, such as thyroid function.
The endocannabinoid system consists of several different mechanisms, all integrated. CB1 and CB2 endocannabinoid receptors are just one of them, and because cannabinoids work the same as endocannabinoids do, they interact with these receptors to support the whole system in maintaining homeostasis, or balance within the body.
Scientists discovered recently that the thyroid gland itself contains an abundance of receptors.
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, they also congregate within the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus, or PVN. The PVN is a region inside the brain responsible for regulating thyroid activity. It achieves this by transmitting signals directly to the thyroid.
The discovery of cannabinoid receptors on the thyroid and in areas of the brain responsible for signaling the thyroid is revolutionary. It hints at a promising future for cannabinoids in thyroid therapy. These studies suggest that pure CBD oil and other cannabinoids can have a role to play in improving thyroid health and performance.
That is not all, however. There is more. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, a study conducted in 2009 found a specific cannabinoid receptor, namely CB1, directly influencing activity in those neurons controlling thyroid function. This is a direct indication that pure CBD oil and other CBD products can have a very beneficial effect on those suffering from thyroid disorders.
The study’s researchers concluded, “The presence of both symmetric and asymmetric type CB1 synapses on thyrotropin-releasing hormone-synthesizing neurons in the hypothalamic periventricular nucleus suggests that endocannabinoids may influence both excitatory and inhibitory inputs of these neurons.”
Then there is another animal study from as far back as 2002. Its research team found evidence that CB1 receptors have the job of regulating hormones tri-iodothyronine, or T3, and thyroxine, or T4, released from within the thyroid gland. Furthermore, the study also found that administering cannabinoids, specifically CBD, had a tremendous influence on this hormonal activity.
That study ended with, “This data indicates that functional CB1 receptors, which are able to modulate the release of T3 and T4, are expressed in the rat thyroid, and suggests a possible role for cannabinoids in the regulation of rat thyroid hormonal activity.” According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, a 2015 study found receptors acting as therapeutic targets for both benign and malignant thyroid lesions.
Although scientists are still learning more about the effect of CBD on endocannabinoid receptors, and how it affects issues such as hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, it is clear that CBD has a positive role to play in treatment. Its influence on thyroid function and health indicates an impossible-to-ignore application for therapeutic use.
Pure CBD oil certainly helps with managing the most common symptoms associated with thyroid disorders, including anxiety, inflammation, dry skin, depression, and pain. Many studies prove these properties consistently. You can find CBD oil for sale at most dispensaries in California. You can choose from pure CBD oil to tinctures, capsules, edibles, vapes, and other concentrated CBD products.
