CBD Protects Against Alcohol-Induced Liver Damage

Guangdong, China: The administration of the non-psychotropic cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) protects the liver from damage caused by alcohol consumption, according to preclinical data published online in the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine.

Investigators from China and the US assessed whether cannabidiol administration can protect against alcohol-induced steatosis (excessive fat build up in the liver).

They reported, "[C]annabidiol protects mouse liver from acute alcohol-induced steatosis through multiple mechanisms including attenuation of alcohol-mediated oxidative stress ... and increasing autophagy (degradation of dysfunctional cells)."

Separate investigations of CBD, primarily in animal models, have documented the cannabinoid to possess a variety of therapeutic qualities, including anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-epileptic, anti-cancer, anti-psychotic, and bone-stimulating properties. Human trials assessing the administration of CBD in healthy subjects report the compound to be "safe and well-tolerated."

For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org. Full text of the study, "Cannabidiol protects liver from binge alcohol-induced steatosis by mechanisms including inhibition of oxidative stress and increase in autophagy," is available from the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine.