Full-spectrum cannabis oil prevented or significantly reduced several early signs of heart damage caused by a high-sugar diet in rats, including fat accumulation in heart tissue, inflammation and structural abnormalities, according to a new study accepted for publication in Frontiers in Nutrition.
The study, conducted by researchers from multiple universities and research institutions in Argentina and published this week, examined whether cannabis oil could protect the heart against metabolic changes triggered by excessive sugar consumption.
Researchers divided male Wistar rats into three groups over a three-week period. One group received a standard diet, another was fed a sucrose-rich diet, and the third received the same high-sugar diet along with daily oral administration of full-spectrum cannabis oil.
The oil contained cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in a 2:1 ratio and was administered at a dose of 1 milligram per kilogram of body weight daily.
Rats consuming the high-sugar diet without cannabis oil developed significantly elevated systolic and diastolic blood pressure, increased levels of circulating markers associated with cardiac injury and greater accumulation of triglycerides in heart tissue.
Researchers also documented increased oxidative stress, weakened antioxidant defenses, elevated inflammatory activity and greater collagen accumulation in the heart, indicating the beginning of fibrotic remodeling. Microscopic examinations revealed structural damage to cardiac tissue.
However, rats receiving cannabis oil alongside the high-sugar diet experienced substantial protection against many of these changes.
Cannabis oil prevented or markedly reduced cardiac fat accumulation, oxidative stress, inflammatory signaling and structural injury. The treatment also limited changes associated with fibrosis, a process involving the accumulation of excess connective tissue that can interfere with normal heart function.
Another finding involved the body’s endocannabinoid system. Rats fed the high-sugar diet experienced increased expression of cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 in heart tissue, while cannabis oil administration prevented or reduced this response.
Despite the measurable changes in cardiac tissue and blood pressure, researchers found no significant differences between groups in several electrocardiographic measurements, including heart rate, electrical conduction intervals and corrected QT intervals.
The researchers concluded that the heart can undergo measurable metabolic and structural changes after just three weeks of excessive dietary sugar intake, even without detectable abnormalities in standard electrocardiographic measurements.
The findings suggest that full-spectrum cannabis oil may help protect against early metabolic and inflammatory changes affecting the heart, although the research was conducted exclusively in animals and does not establish cardiovascular benefits in humans.
Because the study used an oil containing multiple cannabis compounds, researchers could not determine whether the protective effects resulted primarily from CBD, THC or interactions among the plant’s constituents. They identified further investigation of individual cannabinoids and cannabinoid receptor signaling as necessary to understand the mechanisms involved.
