CBD may be potential treatment for those in postmenopause

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By Liz Gold

A new study has revealed cannabidiol (CBD) as a possible treatment for postmenopausal individuals whose ovaries no longer make estrogen.

The study, published in Frontiers in Pharmacology, was conducted by researchers at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. They found that when estrogen-deficient mice were fed CBD, a non-intoxicating compound extracted from hemp, they improved in several areas. Their bloodstreams disposed of glucose more easily, they burned more energy, and their bone density improved, according to the study. In addition, the researchers found that these mice demonstrated less inflammation in gut and bone tissues and they possessed higher levels of beneficial gut bacteria.

To conduct the study, investigators fed estrogen-deficient mice a steady diet of either tiny, CBD-laced peanut butter balls or peanut butter balls without CBD over the course of 18 weeks. According to the study, they found that the untreated estrogen-deficient mice developed symptoms that resembled those of postmenopausal human females, such as metabolic dysfunction, evidence of inflammation, lower bone density, and lower levels of beneficial gut bacteria. However, in mice that ingested CBD, these conditions were significantly improved.

“CBD is already being used by many women to deal with symptoms of menopause and postmenopause,” said Diana Roopchand, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Food Science of the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS) and senior author on the study in a statement. “This study provides preclinical evidence to support further investigation of CBD as a therapeutic for postmenopause-related disorders.”