Is CBD Oil Placebo? — Are the Benefits of CBD Just in the Mind?
CBD has taken the health industry by storm. Its many therapeutic effects quickly made it a household name.
According to a study, 16.2% of Canada’s population is using CBD. The most popular CBD product is dropped, which includes CBD oil and tinctures. Of the CBD users, 47.3% use CBD drops for various reasons.
Over half or 55.9% of the CBD users think CBD oil is either good or very good for the health, compared to 7.8% of the CBD users who don’t.
The majority of CBD users think this cannabinoid is beneficial to their health. Not only do they find CBD effective in relieving their symptoms but also in improving their overall health.
But is CBD oil just a placebo? Are the beneficial effects of CBD all in our minds?
CBD Oil — Real Pain Relieve vs Placebo Effect
A study was done on CBD’s effects on pain. It was composed of 15 healthy adults. All subjects were pain-free, and they were not taking any pain-killing medications for symptoms.
The researchers used heat to induce pain, and they gave the subjects either CBD or a placebo. However, to separate the effects or response to CBD and placebo, the subjects were told they received CBD when, in fact, they received a placebo.
The researchers then repeated the same experiment. Only this time, the subjects were told they were given a placebo when, in truth, they were given CBD.
After the experiment, the researchers found that the pain-relieving effects of CBD are actually a combination of both. It relieves pain through its pharmacological action on the cells, and the subjects’ psychological expectations also create a sort of placebo effect.
Many studies show CBD does have an analgesic effect on pain. However, the subject’s expectation of CBD’s pain-relieving effects also helped increase their pain tolerance.
The researchers also found that, while CBD didn’t fully relieve pain, it did help the subjects feel less bothered by their pain.
They admit though that the study is limited. Not only is the number of participants limited, but the participants are also relatively healthy. They’re not the group that usually uses CBD for pain management.
The study also used pure CBD oil. The overall pain-relieving effects of CBD may still differ if other types of CBD oil were used, such as broad-spectrum and full-spectrum CBD oil.
Co-Occurrence of Pharmacological and Placebo Effects
Pharmacological and placebo effects can co-occur.
The subjects involved in the study are aware of CBD’s effects on pain. And when they were told they received CBD, they became more tolerant of the pain caused by heat.
So, in addition to CBD’s pharmacological actions, our knowledge of its therapeutic effects also made its pain-relieving effects seem more effective.
According to the researchers, emphasizing the realistic pharmacological effects of CBD on reducing pain and not overemphasizing its adverse side effects can help improve CBD’s overall benefits.
CBD, Symptoms, and Inflammation
46.9% of the CBD users in the first study say they use CBD for pain. This includes several types of pain — from simple muscle pain and arthritis to more complex pain like neuropathy. 29.9% of Canadian CBD users also use it to control their headaches and migraine.
Many also use CBD for mental health issues.
The study found that 44.1% of CBD users in Canada use it for anxiety control while 30.3% use CBD to help with depression.
If you look closely at these conditions, they all have one thing in common — cellular injury and inflammation.
According to several studies, chronic low-grade inflammation contributes not only to the development and progression of several chronic medical conditions but also to the worsening of their symptoms.
When cells get damaged (either by an injury or a disease), they release pro-inflammatory compounds that attract immune cells to the injured site, causing inflammation.
Our immune cells repair, engulf and get rid of the damaged structures and any debris that might have accumulated from them. But in some cases, our immune response can go awry and lose its self-limiting nature.
Instead of helping, inflammation suppresses cellular healing and attracts more immune cells to flock to the injured site. Low-grade inflammation then contributes to disease progression and worsening of symptoms.
Low-grade inflammation is seen in many chronic health problems — from chronic, treatment-resistant pain and migraines to anxiety and depression. It can also be seen in diabetes, cancer, arthritis, heart disease, and obesity.
CBD as a Powerful Anti-inflammatory Compound
CBD’s pharmacological actions extend to not just pain control but inflammation reduction as well. It also functions as an antioxidant agent. It protects the healthy cells from toxins caused by tissue damage.
Studies show CBD may be helpful for conditions worsened by low-grade inflammation like cancer, epilepsy, seizures, diabetes, heart diseases, anxiety, depression, arthritis, and other neurodegenerative diseases.
It works on the endocannabinoid system in reducing inflammation, specifically its cannabinoid receptor type 1. CBD also stimulates other non-cannabinoid receptors such as adenosine, vanilloid, serotonin, PPAR, and GPR receptors. These receptors work together in making sure the levels of the chemicals and compounds in our body are balanced.
Precautions in Using CBD
Placebo or not, CBD has captured the attention and hearts of millions of people in the country. In just a few years, it has become a household name. Some people even use it with their over-the-counter or prescription medications for symptom control.
But similar to other supplements, you should also exercise caution when using CBD for your symptoms.
One, if you want to try CBD, then discuss the option with your doctor first. This is especially important if you’re taking medications. Some studies have shown that CBD can either enhance or reduce the efficacy of medications.
Two, if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, then it’s best to talk with your doctor, too, before trying CBD. CBD and other cannabinoids can cross the placental barrier. They can also get into the mother’s milk and be passed on to the baby. This could be detrimental to the developing fetus or the baby since early exposure to cannabinoids can affect their cognitive functioning. Some of the cognitive dysfunction can even affect them well into adulthood.
Final Thoughts — Is CBD Oil Placebo or Not?
It’s a combination of the two. CBD does have many therapeutic properties that can help relieve many symptoms. However, a study found that its effects can be enhanced by psychological expectations.
