Anti-Inflammatory Properties of CBGA

The Burden of Chronic Inflammatory Diseases

Chronic inflammatory disorders or diseases cause over 50% of all disease-related deaths worldwide. Inflammation-related diseases include stroke, cancer, diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, chronic kidney disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD), autoimmune and neurodegenerative conditions.  These and other syndromes arise from an overactive immune response and affect over 60 million people globally. 

Risk factors include advancing age, long-term exposure to irritants, industrial chemicals, autoimmune disorders, sensitivity to allergies, and auto-inflammatory diseases, such as Bechet’s disease

Inflammatory disorders present with mild symptoms then graduate to chronic pain, restlessness, sleep-related disorders, depression, mood disorders, gastrointestinal complications, weight gain or loss, and frequent infections. 

The anti-inflammatory properties of CBGA

The endocannabinoid system and its receptors regulate immune response. However research indicates a widespread chronic endocannabinoid deficiency syndrome of which the public and even most medical professionals remain totally ignorant.  Therefore many people are suffering needlessly from inflammation. As the “master switch” of the ECS, cannabigerolic acid (CBGa) delivers drug-free anti-inflammatory treatment in addition to a vast array of other health benefits. 

The expression of CB1 and CB2 receptors in the brain, central nervous system and peripheral organs like the liver and the immune cells can modulate cognitive activities, including inflammatory responses. The regulative activity of CBG on the CB2 receptors was found to keep immune cells in check, thereby reducing the possible chances of inflammation. 

As the mother of cannabinoids, CBGA has shown excellent anti-inflammatory properties, which, if explored, can provide a long-lasting solution to the increased challenge of inflammatory diseases in the world. These challenges are discussed below; 

The ability of CBGA to reduce the spread of colon cancer has been extensively studied by researchers in 2017. Their study discovered that preparations of Cannabis sativa containing cannabinoid acids like CBGA could interact with the cannabinoid system and their receptors or agonist to produce a cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory effect. The activity of CBGA was shown to suppress cyclooxygenase (COX-2) and metalloproteinase-9 (MNP9) in both cell culture and colon tissue. This can play an active role in assisting patients suffering from inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) and colon cancer. 

The cyclogeneses enzymes (COX-1 and COX-2) are responsible for producing prostaglandins from arachidonic acid. While prostaglandins are important mediators in the inflammatory process; and their products can be reduced by COX-inhibitors such as CGBA. 

The role of CBGA and other cannabinoids was explored in calming inflammatory storms by Covid-19. The research was carried out by  Kovalchuk et al. (2021), who discovered the role of cannabis extracts containing CBGA in decreasing the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines in human 3D issues. They were found to downregulate pathways involved in inflammation and fibrosis in COVID-19 patients. 

CBGA has exhibited better inhibitory activity than NSAIDS in preventing the activities of prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are responsible for generating inflammatory responses, and their biosynthesis can increase inflamed tissues, thus contributing to the development of cardinal signs of acute inflammation. When screened for COX-2 enzyme inhibitory activities, CGBA showed more than 30% inhibitory potential suggesting an excellent anti-inflammatory property. They also inhibited prostaglandin formation in the test subjects. 

Another research published by Kogan et al. (2021) shows that novel derivatives of CBG can reduce inflammation, pain and obesity. These derivatives include analogs of CBGA that can inhibit aldose reductase activity, thus assisting people with obesity. This also deals with pain and inflammation associated with the disease. 

More evidence points to how CBGA may play a critical role in serving as a neuroprotectant agent. The mother of all cannabinoids can also provide users excellent antioxidant activities, which supports homeostasis and the proper functioning of immune cells. There are also reports pointing to the antimicrobial activity of CBGA against pathogens that may support inflammatory diseases. 

How to Use CBGA to Treat Your Inflammation

The main challenge is proper dose determination.

Many users will take the typical one mL dropper with minimal results and assume the medicine isn’t for them. But the fact is that research is ongoing and there’s no real established dosage yet. Further, the ECS is complex and relies on many factors such as diet and your circadian rhythm.

The good news is that CBGA and other cannabinoids have no side effects and no risk of overdose. That means you can be liberal in how much you take and experiment based on your condition. Keep a journal of results to determine the best treatment plan.