As the world continues to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and science searches for new, potentially more effective ways to combat the virus, studies have emerged showing the health benefits and efficacy of CBD in treating and fighting off the coronavirus.
With the new year came new, exciting news out of Oregon State University. Researchers at the university’s Global Hemp Innovation Center found that a pair of cannabinoid acids – CBD-A and CBG-A – bind to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and block a crucial step in the process that the virus uses to infect people, cells that would otherwise be targeted gain CBD health benefits. Specifically, the two cannabinoids prevent spike proteins from binding to the ACE2 enzyme, a protein on the surface of a variety of cells. The enzyme acts as a cellular doorway, and it’s through this protein that the virus enters a cell and infects a person. This is possible because acids from hemp are cell entry inhibitors, binding to the cell walls. Thus, by preventing the virus from binding to the ACE2 enzyme, CBD-A and CBG-A can help prevent COVID-19 from entering the cell. The researchers from Oregon State also found that hemp compounds like CBD-A and CBG-A were effective against the alpha and beta variants of the virus.
The results of the Oregon State study were replicated a little more than a week later when a study published in Science Advances suggested that CBD could block COVID infection at both early and late stages of infection. The researchers theorized that CBD inhibits viral gene expression while also increasing the body’s natural immune response and CBD health benefits.
While the results of these studies are certainly exciting, it is important to keep in mind that this is very early research, and we still don’t know that much about what CBD can do for COVID prevention, treatment, and health benefits. The authors of the second study even state “Future studies to explore the optimal means of CBD delivery to patients along with clinical trials will be needed to further evaluate the promise of CBD as a therapeutic to block SARS-CoV-2 infection.” However, the outlook for what CBD can do for COVID is hopeful, and there are several clinical trials currently underway that should soon tell us how effective cannabinoids truly are. Like the rest of the CBD industry, we eagerly await the results.
At RAD Extracts, we take pride in creating minimally-processed full-spectrum extracts and handle and process our hemp all the way from seed to sale so we can guarantee quality. We’ve been focused on extracting extracts that are rich in CBD-A and CBG-A and provide CBD health benefits for several years and are thrilled that our efforts can potentially help in the fight against COVID-19. If you are interested in CBG-A/CBD-A rich full-spectrum extracts or adding a new acid form tincture to your product line, RAD would love to help! So, what are you waiting for? Fill out a contact us form to receive a quote for the products and services that RAD Extracts provides.
