Part VI: CBD Oil… Hype, Harm, or Heck Yeah!

I introduced the “entourage effect” of the compounds found in cannabis in Part IV of my CBD oil series. This concept is based on the belief that the full spectrum of this plant’s phytocannabinoids and terpenoids will produce more comprehensive and beneficial outcomes than any of its isolated constituents alone. It is similar to how all the compounds found in essential oils act in synergy to create balance in the body. The author of the widely cited review article on this subject, Taming THC: potential cannabis synergy and phytocannabinoid-terpenoid entourage effects, states:

Could phytocannabinoids function analogously to the endocannabinoid system (ECS) with its combination of active and ‘inactive’ synergists, first described as an entourage (Ben-Shabat et al., 1998), with subsequent refinement (Mechoulam and Ben-Shabat, 1999) and qualification (p. 136): ‘This type of synergism may play a role in the widely held (but not experimentally based) view that in some cases plants are better drugs than the natural products isolated from them’.

Recently, in Part V of this same series (and in its accompanying video), I explored the different actions of the cannabinoids, CBD, and cannabis essential oil on the endocannabinoid system. Knowledge of these differing mechanisms and their variety of therapeutic effects further provided evidence that isolating only one of them could create a desired result, but also unwanted side effects. (source, source, source, source)

In my latest article, recently published on NatPath, I review the benefits of the complementary phytocannabinoids in cannabis, beyond isolated CBD oil. These include the terpenes found in cannabis essential oil and the whole “entourage.” It is an introduction to the exploration of the synergy of cannabis essential oil and its terpenoids that is coming up!

Click here to read the article now.

You can earn more about the complementary actions and mechanisms of the various phytocannabinoids from this table and its terpenes (essential oil constituents) from this table embedded in the article review mentioned above.

Feel free to post your comments below!

Want to catch up on other health news you may have missed at the start of 2019?

Click here for the January 2019 Holistic and Integrative Medicine Top Reads.

 

Please note, this website is not endorsing any CBD or associated products.

This material is for information purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prescribe for any illness. You should check with your doctor regarding implementing any new strategies into your wellness regime. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. (Affiliation link.)

Disclaimer: This information is applicable ONLY for therapeutic quality essential oils. This information DOES NOT apply to essential oils that have not been tested for purity and standardized constituents. There is no quality control in the United States, and oils labeled as “100% pure” need only to contain 5% of the actual oil. The rest of the bottle can be filled with fillers and sometimes toxic ingredients that can irritate the skin. The studies are not based solely on a specific brand of an essential oil, unless stated. Please read the full study for more information.