{"id":468235,"date":"2026-03-10T18:47:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T18:47:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/468235\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T18:47:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T18:47:09","slug":"cannabis-compounds-could-reverse-disease-affecting-one-third-of-adults","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/468235\/","title":{"rendered":"Cannabis compounds could reverse disease affecting one-third of adults"},"content":{"rendered":"

Compounds\u00a0found in cannabis<\/a>\u00a0could provide a new roadmap for treating the world\u2019s most common chronic liver disorder, according to a study released by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.<\/p>\n

The research, published in the British Journal of Pharmacology, found that cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabigerol (CBG) significantly reduced liver fat and improved metabolic health in experimental models.<\/p>\n

CBD is the more widely studied non-intoxicating cannabinoid, while CBG is a less common \u201cprecursor\u201d cannabinoid from which CBD is formed.<\/p>\n

Unlike THC, the primary psychoactive component in cannabis, these compounds do not produce a \u201chigh,\u201d making them viable candidates for long-term\u00a0medical treatment<\/a>, the study suggests.<\/p>\n

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) currently affects approximately one-third of the global adult population, according to health data.<\/p>\n

The condition, which is closely linked to obesity and insulin resistance, has few approved pharmaceutical treatments, the researchers said, leaving patients to rely largely on\u00a0lifestyle changes\u00a0that can be difficult to maintain.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOur findings identify a new mechanism by which CBD and CBG enhance hepatic energy and lysosomal function,\u201d said lead study author Joseph Tam, director of the Multidisciplinary Center for Cannabinoid Research at Hebrew University, in a press release.<\/p>\n

The study highlights a process called \u201cmetabolic remodeling,\u201d in which the cannabis compounds created a \u201cbackup battery\u201d for the liver by increasing levels of phosphocreatine, a high-energy molecule stored in\u00a0muscle cells.<\/p>\n

The research found that cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabigerol (CBG) significantly reduced liver fat and improved metabolic health in experimental models. NanSan \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

Unlike THC, the primary psychoactive component in cannabis, these compounds do not produce a \u201chigh.\u201d bukhta79 \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

This energy reserve helps the organ function under the stress of a high-fat diet, which was an unexpected discovery, the team noted.<\/p>\n

The researchers also found that CBD and CBG restored the activity of \u201ccellular cleaning crews\u201d known as cathepsins, enzymes that work within the cell\u2019s recycling centers to break down harmful fats and waste.<\/p>\n

With this process, the liver was better able to clear out dangerous lipids, including triglycerides and ceramides, which are known to trigger inflammation, the study showed.<\/p>\n

The condition, which is closely linked to obesity and insulin resistance, has few approved pharmaceutical treatments, the researchers said. contentdealer \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

While both compounds were effective, CBG showed more robust results in certain areas, such as reducing\u00a0total body fat mass, lowering \u201cbad\u201d LDL cholesterol and improving insulin sensitivity.<\/p>\n

Researchers say this study opens a new path for using plant-based compounds to treat metabolic diseases by focusing on how cells manage energy and waste.<\/p>\n

Limitations and caveats<\/p>\n

Despite the promising results, the research team cautioned that the study was conducted in a controlled experimental environment. Further clinical trials are necessary to determine the proper application for\u00a0human patients.<\/p>\n

Other recent studies have pointed to\u00a0potential issues\u00a0with using cannabis as a medical tool<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A major analysis published in JAMA examined more than 2,500 scientific papers from the last 15 years, including other reviews, clinical trials and guidelines focused on medical marijuana.<\/p>\n

The 2025 review highlighted significant gaps between public perception and scientific evidence regarding cannabis\u2019 effectiveness for most medical conditions.<\/p>\n

This energy reserve helps the organ function under the stress of a high-fat diet, which was an unexpected discovery, the team noted. Africa Studio \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

Other recent studies have pointed to\u00a0potential issues\u00a0with using cannabis as a medical tool. Chanwit \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

The researchers concluded that there are very few conditions for which cannabinoid therapies have clear, well-established benefits backed by high-quality\u00a0clinical data.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhenever a substance is widely used, there is likely to be a very wide set of outcomes,\u201d Alex Dimitriu, MD, who is double board-certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine, previously told Fox News Digital. \u201cThis study points to the reality that this widely used substance is not a panacea.\u201d<\/p>\n

The strongest evidence supports FDA-approved cannabinoid medications<\/a> for treating specific conditions, including HIV\/AIDS-related appetite loss, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, and certain severe pediatric seizure disorders, according to the review.<\/p>\n

Anyone interested in using marijuana for medical purposes should speak to a\u00a0healthcare provider\u00a0to discuss potential risks and benefits.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Compounds\u00a0found in cannabis\u00a0could provide a new roadmap for treating the world\u2019s most common chronic liver disorder, according to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":468236,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[3614,21124,102,30605,2960,3616,650,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-468235","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-healthcare","tag-cannabis","tag-diseases","tag-health","tag-health-department","tag-healthcare","tag-marijuana","tag-public-health","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/468235","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=468235"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/468235\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/468236"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=468235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=468235"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=468235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}