CBD Protects The Aging Brain From Damage Caused By Iron Buildup
As we get older, mineral levels in the brain and body accumulate.
While you might think that minerals in the body is a good thing, too much of certain minerals can cause serious health problems down the line. One of the most prevalent minerals in aging bodies is iron, which tends to accumulate in the brain. Science tells us that iron buildup can contribute to neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, and dementia.
Excessive levels of iron is associated with impaired cell function, especially the mitochondria, which is responsible for producing energy for the cell. It can also disrupt the DNA and have a significant impact in overall brain function. Iron overload also leads to more free radicals, which causes brain inflammation and even more damage. This is why protecting your brain from the harmful effects of iron is seen as a new way of protecting the brain from age-related neurodegenerative diseases.
Iron Causes Cell Death
A 2013 study published in the journal Molecular Neurobiology helps shed some light on how iron impacts mitochondria.
Mitochondria is stored inside the membrane of most cells, and these are responsible for generating much of the cell’s chemical energy. This is why mitochondria is given the nickname of the “cell power plant” because it is their job to regulate cell processes, which included apoptosis or programmed cell death. In the brains of individuals with neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, it has been observed that they have one thing in common: less chemical energy present within the synapses, which is where cells communicate to one another, suggesting that mitochondria may be the key in ensuring that the neuron circuit in the brain is well-maintained. The presence of too much iron disrupts the mitochondria’s dynamics, because it results in them initiating apoptosis more than what is normal.
How CBD Helps
Cannabidiol (CBD) has been shown to help the brain recover from memory deficits caused by excessive iron levels. A 2014 study conducted by researchers from the Pontifical Catholic University of Brazil looked at the impact of CBD and neurodegenerative diseases. They examined the mitochondria to get a better understanding of how CBD can alleviate symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
The researchers fed rats with high amounts of iron, and some of them were given CBD as treatment. The levels of proteins dynamin-1-like (DNM1L) as well as caspase 3,which are associated with apoptosis, were found to be very high because of the high iron levels. Because of this, the scientists felt that there is more evidence suggesting that iron disrupts mitochondria balance.
The results were promising when they looked at the rats who were treated with CBD. The protein levels in the hippocampus were back to normal after CBD treatment. Since these proteins are linked to apoptosis, the researchers then concluded that CBD is effective in mitigating the effects of iron on the cells.
A much newer study, one that was published in March 2018 in Brain Research Bulletin supports these findings. Although this study showed that CBD does not get rid of the surplus iron, it still helped the mitochondria manage the iron effectively which led to less disruption. Additionally, they found that CBD was helpful in preventing the harmful effects of iron to the mitochondria’s DNA. The researchers also suggested that CBD’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties aided in protecting the mitochondria and its DNA from damage caused by iron, further solidifying the premise that CBD can be used as a preventative tool for age-related neurodegenerative disorders.
It is clear that accumulation of iron on the brain will have serious implications on your health down the line, especially as we age, which is when we are much more vulnerable to disease of mind and body. Iron is closely linked to the onset of numerous neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s. While there is still a dearth in the number of studies analyzing the effects of CBD on neurodegenerative diseases, the findings we have so far today are promising. We definitely need more research to be done in this field, although there is no harm seen in using CBD to prevent degradation of the brain.
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