A study entitled "Efficacy and Safety of Cannabidiol and Tetrahydrocannabivarin on Glycemic and Lipid Parameters in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel Group Pilot Study" was published in the journal Diabetes Care investigated the potential benefits of the cannabinoids CBD and THCV for Type 2 Diabetes.
The study involved 62 subjects with "noninsulin-treated type 2 diabetes" who were randomized to five treatment arms, or subgroups, as listed below. The study lasted for 13 weeks.
CBD 100mg daily
THCV 5mg twice daily
CBD 5mg and THCV 5mg twice daily
CBD 100mg and 5mg twice daily
Matched Placebo
The scientists reported that the patients receiving CBD and THCV, in the various ratios described above, experienced "a change in HDL-cholesterol concentrations from baseline."
The study's authors described secondary benefits to the type 2 diabetes patients that included "changes in insulin sensitivity, body weight, liver triglyceride content, adipose [fat] tissue distribution, appetite, markers of inflammation, markers of vascular function, gut hormones, circulating endocannabinoids, and adipokine concentrations."
Of note is the fact that this study reported changes in endocannabinoids (primarily anandamide and 2-AG) resulting from the ongoing consumption of hemp- or cannabis-derived phytocannabinoids such as CBD and THCV.
The study noted that, compared to the placebo, "THCV significantly decreased fasting plasma glucose and improved pancreatic β-cell function...although plasma HDL was unaffected." It also reported on the safety profile of CBD and THCV, summarizing that both cannabinoids were "well tolerated" by patients.
The study's authors concluded that THCV could represent "a new therapeutic agent in glycemic control in subjects with type 2 diabetes."
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