Depression and anxiety are chronic and debilitating mental health conditions that can negatively impact an individual’s life. Fortunately, many natural treatments can reduce symptoms and improve quality of life.
One of those is CBDA, an acid cannabinoid with significant therapeutic potential for treating inflammation, seizures, and even certain types of cancer. However, what is CBDA, and how does it work?
Table of Contents
Increases Serotonin Levels
Depression and anxiety disorders affect an estimated 18% of the population, often requiring pharmaceutical medication to treat. These medications come with many adverse side effects. They can cause a lot of discomforts, which is why more and more researchers are looking for alternative treatments to help alleviate symptoms.
CBDA has been shown to increase serotonin levels in the body, improving mood and reducing stress. It also helps regulate appetite and sleep, positively impacting overall health.
However, it is essential to note that CBDA works differently than CBD in many ways. It has a greater affinity for the 5-HT1A serotonin receptors, which means it will have more effect on the body than CBD alone.
In addition, it inhibits COX-2, an enzyme that is associated with inflammation and infection. It can make it a more effective anti-inflammatory agent than CBD. It also can potentially reduce cancer cell migration, dramatically lowering the threat of certain types of tumors.
Reduces Nausea
CBD is a famous cannabinoid for its many beneficial effects, including pain relief, sleep improvements, and anti-inflammatory benefits. It can also help with nausea and anxiety.
However, research into the efficacy of CBD and its cousin, CBDA, is less extensive than it should be, and more studies are needed before we can know how this compound helps people.
In particular, we need more high-quality research on how it affects anxiety and depression symptoms.
Despite this lack of data, early findings show that CBDa is much more effective at leveling stress and anxiety and deterring nausea than CBD, which may make it a better choice for some applications. Moreover, it is significantly more bioavailable than CBD, essential regarding how well the cannabinoid interacts with our body’s endocannabinoid system.
Inhibits COX-2
CBDA is an effective treatment for anxiety and depression as it works similarly to SSRI inhibitors. It suppresses the activity of inflammatory genes that play a role in many health conditions, including depression and anxiety.
It inhibits COX-2, the enzyme responsible for inflammatory responses. This action is similar to that of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
One reason it is effective at treating anxiety and depression is that it also affects serotonin levels. It also activates 5-HT receptors, which are essential for reducing stress and improving sleep.
The endocannabinoid system regulates the number of chemicals in the body, such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and cortisol. Keeping these levels in balance is critical to overall well-being and can help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.
In animal models, the endocannabinoid system has been shown to impact behavior and symptoms associated with depression and anxiety. Studies using knock-out mice, for example, suggest that decreases in eCBs and ECS signaling may contribute to the development of depression. In contrast, increases in eCBs are beneficial to alleviating anxiety and depression.
Suppresses Cancer Cells
CBDA is an acid form of the cannabinoid CBD, which has been shown to suppress cancer cells. It might be due to its capacity to block COX-2, an enzyme associated with many cancer-related adverse effects and capable of accelerating breast cancer cell migration.
Several studies have found that CBDA can decrease the size of tumors in animal models, which is why some people are considering it for treating cancer. To demonstrate its effectiveness in humans, more research is required.
According to a study using the cancer cells MDA-MB-231, CBDA can stop cancer cell migration by suppressing the COX-2 enzyme, which can help prevent the spread of invasive breast cancer to other parts of the body. It is optimistic since it could treat breast cancer without harmful side effects.
In addition, CBDA can increase the activity of RhoA, a protein that regulates cell proliferation and migration. It is possible because of its ability to inhibit phosphorylation on Ser188, which can lead to the inactivation of RhoA (Lang et al., 1996; Dong et al., 1998; Ellerbroek et al., 2003).
