There’s been a huge surge in demand for cannabigerol or CBN-based products. With each brand claiming their oil as the best CBN for sleep, there are plenty of opportunities for new or even experienced buyers.
It’s usually known as the best cannabinoid for sleep, and research shows that it can help improve sleep cycles by reducing the frequency of frequent wake-ups in between sleep cycles.
Despite being the very first discovered cannabinoid, research on CBN is still quite limited. However, new research from the Salk Institutes is making waves in the scientific community.
It seems like CBN has neuroprotective properties, which can revolutionize the treatment of severe neurological conditions like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Huntington’s disease. So is CBN good for your brain? Can it protect your brain cells? Let’s find out.
What is CBN?
CBN, or cannabigerol, is a lesser-known plant compound and comes from the same family of popular compounds like CBD and THC. THC is mainly used for recreational purposes, for the high it creates, and CBD is used for holistic health benefits.
CBN is somewhat of a balance between the two; it won’t make you high like THC but does have slightly better sedating effects than other cannabinoids. That’s why it’s the best-known cannabinoid for people who have insomnia, disrupted sleep cycles, and other sleep hygiene issues.
Plus, just like CBD, CBN also has pain-curbing, nerve-calming, and anti-inflammatory effects. It forms when THC breaks down over time because of the natural oxidization process. That’s why CBN is mainly found in dried, cured, old, and fully mature marijuana plants.
Its concentration in hemp plants is next to nil because they have levels of CBD and only trace amounts of THC. Due to its close relation to THC, CBN is slightly psychoactive but only at very high doses. So you may not feel all jolly or trippy with CBN, but it can help to chill down, relax, and slide into a restful sleep.
Why is CBN good for your brain?
Our brain is a powerhouse that controls all important activities including motor skills, vision, breathing, memory, emotion, hunger, and more. To do all this efficiently, it relies on power generated by energy-producing cells called mitochondria. These powerhouse cells are essential for the smooth functioning and maintenance of our brain.
When these cells stop working or break down, it severely degrades our brain’s functioning power. Such death of brain cells is a major side cause of degrading brain health in people suffering from Huntington’s, Parkinson’s’, Alzheimer’s, prion diseases, motor neuron diseases, and other such conditions.
Researchers found that CBN can protect our brain from damage by protecting the brain cells and stopping, or slowing down their death rate. That’s why CBN’s ability to slow down the damage caused by neurological diseases or brain injuries can potentially help patients by stopping or slowing down the rate of mental health degradation.
What’s behind CBN’s neuroprotective properties?
To understand and study the neuroprotective properties of CBN, scientists tried to break it down on a molecular level in different parts. Then they studied its various active parts and tried to make an improved and more potent version.
This new supercharged compound became even more powerful at protecting the brain as compared to the original CBN molecule. Our brain cells die down in a specific process known as ferroptosis or oxytosis.
This cell death process is the major culprit behind degrading mental health in people suffering from neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
To see this in action, they tested both supercharged and original CBN on mouse and human brain cells.
They noted that both the compounds are good at protecting brain cells from damage, and the tweaked CBN version was even more powerful and efficient. They named a version a CP1 and tested it on a set of brain-damaged fruit flies.
Results revealed that the flies treated with the CP1 version had a much higher survival rate as compared to the other non-treated group.
It shows that CBN has the potential to help people suffering from damaging and devastating effects of brain injuries, trauma, and diseases.
What else CBN can help with? Are there any side effects?
CBN can do a lot more than protect your brain. It forms when THC breaks down, which gives it strong sedating yet nonintoxicating effects.
That’s why it can help you to sleep better without causing any fatigue throughout the daytime the next day. It also has anti-inflammatory effects and can speed up your post-workout recovery and pain relief.
It’s also proven for its antibacterial or antimicrobial effects; it can fight against many bacterial strain infections, including MRSA. CBN is also good at preventing itching and redness, so you can apply it to your skin for relief from rashes and redness.
In terms of side effects, most people don’t suffer any. It may cause slight dehydration, nausea, or fatigue initially. But if you start slow and keep your water intake good, you’ll be just fine. Just give your body some time to adjust to the new compound.
The Final Thoughts
To sum it up, yes, CBN is good for your brain. It can protect your brain cells from damage and slow down the death rate of dying mitochondria cells. It can also help you with sleep, anxiety, stress, and inflammation issues.
Just make sure to buy CBN oil only from trusted and well-tested brands like Colorado Botanicals. For best health effects, try to develop a healthy routine involving a daily dose of CBN oil before bed, clean and healthy food, and regular workouts.