A study published this week by the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity has found that cannabidiol (CBD) may help counteract the damaging effects of obesity on the aging brain.
For the study, researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, and the Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre in Brazil, tested the impact of CBD on 18-month-old Wistar rats fed a cafeteria-style diet designed to induce obesity. The animals were split into groups, with some receiving daily oral CBD treatment at 15 mg/kg while others received only a vehicle solution.
After several weeks, obese rats showed higher anxiety-like behaviors in both open field and elevated plus maze tests. According to the study, “CBD mitigated these behaviors in the open field”.
The study also found that obesity increased inflammation in the body and brain. Rats on the high-fat diet had higher levels of molecules linked to inflammation, but these dropped when they were given CBD. In the brain’s prefrontal cortex, the diet raised levels of a key inflammatory protein while reducing certain protective receptors tied to mood and stress. CBD treatment lowered those inflammatory signals and helped bring the system back into balance.
Additionally, obesity disrupted endocannabinoid signaling, lowering levels of 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and anandamide (AEA). CBD treatment not only alleviated this disruption but also influenced proteins tied to immune response and cell stress, such as TREM2.
Researchers conclude the study by saying “Notably, CBD demonstrated the ability to attenuate inflammatory markers and improve anxiety-like behavior, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic strategy to counteract obesity-induced neurobiological alterations in aging.”
Sponsored
