While in college, I visited my great aunt in her nursing home. Her room was sunny and cheerful, and my aunt was happy to have some company. My grandmother, her sister, was with me. We sat and chatted for a while, catching up on family news. She asked me what I was going to school for and I explained I was majoring in Information Technology. The topic changed to something else, then she asked me again what I was going to school for. This happened several more times throughout the conversation. She wasn't deliberately forgetting, she had Alzheimer's.
With the expansion of hemp legalization, new studies are uncovering more and more benefits. In a recent study conducted by Agusta University, researchers are exploring the possibility of CBD reducing the onset of Alzheimer's disease. This ground-breaking study has opened up a new path for a possible cure.
According to the Alzheimer's Association, "It's the destruction and death of nerve cells that causes memory failure, personality changes, problems carrying out daily activities and other symptoms of Alzheimer's disease." While we don't really know what causes Alzheimer's, experts suspect abnormal structures called tangles and plaques are to blame.
In the study conducted by Agusta University, they concluded, "A two-week course of high doses of CBD helps restore the function of two proteins key to reducing the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaque, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, and improves cognition in an experimental model of early-onset familial Alzheimer's".
The next step is to focus on optimal dosages and early delivery of CBD as a preventative measure. Researchers are studying the possibility of using an inhaler delivery system over other methods. However, because CBD and Alzheimer's both affect individuals uniquely, this could prove to be a complicated process.
While this is a preliminary study and deserves more in-depth research, it opens a new window of opportunity to eradicate Alzheimer's disease. The expansion of hemp legalization and research is helping lay the groundwork for studies such as the one conducted by Agusta University. With time, we may find a way to help divert Alzheimer's disease and save the lives of those predisposed to it.