Cannabidiol (CBD) and Cannabigerol (CBG) are non-psychoactive compounds in cannabis that are associated with anxiety reduction and pain relief potential, but new research shows that CBD and CBG may have another important use – cleansing and fighting fatty liver, the most common condition of the liver.
What is fatty liver disease (MASLD)?
Fatty liver, known in medicine Metabolic syndrome with steatotic liver disease (MASLD)is the most common chronic liver disease in the world, affecting about one third of adults. When the liver accumulates too much fat, often due to poor lifestyle choices such as overeating or drinking too much alcohol, the liver can become scarred and eventually enter the stage of cirrhosis, preventing the liver from working properly.
The liver has amazing regenerative powers, so the prognosis for fatty liver can often be reversed by alleviating stress and inflammation, making healthier choices around food and alcohol consumption, but for many, this can be due to a variety of reasons, including addiction, other mental health issues. That’s why this is new research conducted by the HU School of Pharmacy and published by the British Pharmacological Societyit is very exciting. Scientists have found that CBD and CBG are able to affect the liver through a process called metabolic reprogramming, giving an encouraging glimpse into the future where plant-based treatments may one day become the norm. “Our findings identify a novel mechanism by which CBD and CBG improve liver energy and lysosomal function.” Professor Tam explainedwho was in charge of the main project. “This dual metabolic rearrangement contributes to improved hepatic lipid handling and highlights these compounds as promising therapeutic agents for MASLD.”
Research: How CBD and CBG Can Fight Fatty Liver
The results of administering CBD and CBG have shown that each has a profound effect on the liver’s ability to store energy under stress. When stressed by a negative lifestyle, these compounds can help the liver by increasing the level of phosphocreatine and provide a reserve of support for the liver even under the stress of a high-fat diet. According to the scientists, this was an extremely important finding because the liver does not normally rely on this particular system to provide itself with energy.
In addition to recharging the liver’s energy reserves, CBD and CBG worked to restore the activity of enzymes called cathepsins. These act to cleanse the liver, so increasing their production is important to remove harmful fats and other toxins. CBD and CBG have also been shown to remove harmful lipids such as triglycerides and ceramides. Accumulation of ceramides is a concern because it contributes to insulin resistance.
The study concluded that although both compounds were effective in their own right, each had slightly different benefits for metabolic health. Both CBD and CBG were able to normalize blood sugar levels and improve how the body clears glucose, the team noted. However, CBG appears to have a greater effect on some measures. It significantly reduced body weight and improved insulin sensitivity compared to CBD. CBG was also more effective in lowering total cholesterol and “bad” LDL cholesterol.
While these results are very encouraging, the scientists say, the team also notes that more work is now needed to understand how these findings best apply to human patients, potentially opening new avenues for using plant compounds as weapons in the treatment of metabolic conditions.
