CBD and Osteoporosis

Strengthen your bones, with CBD

Osteoporosis is a bone disease, which causes a decrease in bone mass and a change in the micro-architecture of the bone system, resulting in a loss of bone strength and an increased risk of fractures. In France, this disease mainly affects women, with nearly 4 million patients, compared to 1.5 million in men, and causes no less than 400,000 fractures per year. Let's see how to prevent the risk of fracture, and how CBD can help you strengthen your bone system.

CBD & Osteoporosis

What is osteoporosis ?

Osteoporosis is a well known disease that greatly weakens the skeleton for 2 reasons :

  • A decrease in bone mass, the bone loses density.
  • A modification of the bone micro-architecture, the bone builds itself differently and becomes less resistant.

The risks of fractures are increased, and shocks or traumas that would not have had any consequences on a healthy bone, can cause great damage to the skeleton of a sick person.

Contrary to what one might think, bone is a living tissue, just like skin or muscles. It is constantly being renewed under the influence of hormones and in particular of a substance called cytokine. When the bone is too old, or damaged, the organism calls upon "worker" cells, each with a specific role :

  • The osteoclasts, whose work will be the destruction of the old bone.
  • Osteoblasts, whose work will be the construction of new bone

The functioning of this mechanism deteriorates over time, and as we approach our fifties, we observe a natural progressive decrease in bone mass. Depending on the case, the repercussions on bone health will be inconsequential, or may give rise to osteoporosis. In France, women are almost 3 times more affected by this disease, and although osteoporosis generally appears later in men, they are not spared. Every year, there are approximately 400,000 osteoporosis-related fractures, most of which are localized :

  • To the vertebrae
  • On the wrists
  • At the neck of the femur

What factors promote the disease ?

As we have seen, as we age, it is normal to lose bone mass, as several scientific studies on patients have shown. However, certain factors can promote the development of osteoporosis, especially if they add up :

  • Age
  • Gender (women are much more affected, especially due to menopause)
  • Ethnicity
  • Poor nutrition
  • Deficiencies (protein, calcium, vitamin D)
  • Lack of physical activity
  • Hormonal problems
  • Certain diseases

Symptoms

Osteoporosis is a disease that advances in a hidden way, and is usually not accompanied by any clinical signs. Thus, only a measurement of bone mass can validate the hypothesis that the patient suffers from the disease.

Treatment

There are several pathways to treating osteoporosis and reducing the risk of bone fracture in patients.

  • Drug treatments : 2 drugs are used in the treatment of the disease, bisphosphonates, and strontium ranelate. These drugs aim to reduce the activity of osteoclasts, whose function is, as we have said above, to destroy old bone.
  • Non-medicinal treatments : these means are used to prevent the risk of fractures. Like physical activity, the objective of which is to stimulate bone densification. These activities must be sufficiently fortifying with notions of loads and shocks: muscle strengthening, running. Food: it must be rich in calcium and vitamin D. The consumption of vegetables and fruit is also recommended, as well as the prevention of falls through an adapted living environment (shower, carpet, obstacles), adapted and closed shoes.

Osteoporosis and CBD

CBD (cannabidiol) is a molecule that has gained great popularity in recent years due to its therapeutic potential. This substance, part of the cannabinoid family, comes from industrial hemp (Sativa cannabis). Cannabis, or rather should we say cannabis, is a family of plants grouping three subgenera, whose proportions of cannabinoids are very different :

  • Cannabis Sativa : rich in CBD, poor in THC
  • Cannabis India : rich in THC, poor in CBD
  • Cannabis Ruderalis : low in CBD, low in THC

CBD and THC are the 2 most well known and used cannabinoids. The THC, should not be unknown to you, the media speaks about it regularly. It is the forbidden cannabinoid, and illegal. Indeed THC is psychotropic, it modifies certain biochemical and physiological processes of the brain. Its consumption and marketing is currently prohibited in most countries. As for CBD, it is not psychotropic, its sale and consumption are perfectly legal.

  • In 2015, an Israeli study showed that CBD (cannabidiol) improves the biomechanical properties of bone fractures (KOGAN et al 2015).
  • Various studies have shown that CBD stimulates the enzymes responsible for the cross-linking of collagen. Collagen participates in the structure of bone.
  • CBD promotes the maintenance of the balance between osteoblasts and osteoclasts, allowing better maintenance of bone mass.