All You Need to Know About CBD For Diabetes

Published on February 22, 2022

There’s a lot of hype surrounding CBD for diabetes. Following the recent legalization of Cannabis, Cannabidiol’ numerous health benefits are drawing all the attention.

Recent studies have revealed tangible effects of CBD on diabetes, founding that CBD may help lower blood sugar levels, increase insulin production, and reduce cholesterol. CBD is also proven to have relaxing, calming, anti-stress, sleep-aiding, and strong pain-relieving properties, which indirectly helps manage diabetes better.

Let’s take stock of the situation and take a look at what we know today about CBD and diabetes. Can CBD really lower blood sugars? Does it help produce more insulin? Does Cannabidiol effectively relieve diabetic neuropathy pain? What are the best CBD oils for diabetics?

What is Cannabidiol (CBD)?

Cannabidiol is a natural compound found in the Cannabis plant. Along with Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), CBD is one of the 113 identified cannabinoids of the plant. But unlike THC, it does not produce any “high” effect. Although CBD isn’t regulated by the FDA outside the field of Epilepsy, many are those who claim its benefits for conditions like stress, anxiety, depression, chronic pain, sleep disorders, and others.

Is CBD Safe for Diabetics?

Cannabidiol is mostly safe for use and well-tolerated by most people, including diabetics. It can cause side effects such as dry mouth, diarrhea, reduced appetite, drowsiness, fatigue, or damage to the liver in rare cases.
CBD can interact with some medications such as blood thinners for example).

In any case, it’s better to ask your doctor before using CBD, especially if you have a pre-existing condition or if you are taking specific medications.

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CBD For Diabetes Management and Blood Sugar Control

Be careful what you read on the internet. Medical CBD shows great promise but scientific evidences are still limited and more research needs to be conducted. CBD is mostly safe for everyone to use including people living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. But it shouldn’t be used for what it’s not. And Cannabidiol is certainly no treatment for diabetes.
However, CBD can play an important role in diabetes management, mainly by improving the overall emotional health which ultimately helps lower blood sugar levels.

Does CBD lower blood sugar?

Studies on whether or not CBD directly helps lower blood sugar levels are very limited. One study conducted on middle-aged diabetic rats in 2019 found that CBD cut down hyperglycaemia, lowered cholesterol levels, and increased insulin production. No similar studies have been conducted on humans yet and despite being quite promising, there’s not enough evidence that CBD would lower blood sugar levels in humans.

Having said that, CBD could indirectly help lower blood sugar levels for type 2 diabetes patients. The proven relaxing, calming, sleep-aiding, and pain-relieving effects of Cannabidiol can play an important part in improving diabetes management and blood sugar control.

So, how does CBD help with diabetes?

We know that stress, anxiety, pain, and inadequate sleep have a direct impact on diabetes. When you’re under stress, your body releases hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, both known to provoke insulin resistance and increase blood sugar levels.

If CBD has not been proven to directly lower blood sugar levels, its anti-stress, tranquilizing, calming, and relieving effects are now firmly and scientifically corroborated. By lowering your stress levels, reducing your anxiety, increasing your sleep quality, relieving your pain, or simply improving your overall emotional health, CBD can noticeably help keep your blood sugar levels in range and lower your average HbA1c.

What are CBD Oil benefits for diabetes?

Even though direct benefits of CBD for diabetic patients have not yet been backed up by scientific research, CBD oil shows great promises and benefits for diabetes management:

It reduces stress and anxiety
It helps treat insomnia
It relaxes your body
It reduces pain caused by diabetic neuropathy
It can reduce blood pressure
It may help fight weight gain
It may lower insulin resistance
It may help decrease the risk of heart diseases
It may lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes

Does CBD promote weight loss?

Obesity is the main contributing factor for the development of type 2 diabetes. Studies show that type 2 diabetics can improve their blood sugar levels by losing as little as 2% of their body weight.

While research is still limited on the subject, there’s evidence that CBD can help promote weight loss by reducing appetite, boosting metabolism, converting “bad” fats into “good” fats, and helping the body burn more calories.

Is CBD a treatment for diabetes?

CBD is not a treatment for diabetes and it should not substitute your diabetes medications. CBD alone can’t control your blood sugar levels. It can help achieve a better diabetes management when taken in addition to the treatment put in place by your medical team. Whether you’re on Metformin, insulin, or any other diabetes drugs, never stop taking your medications without your doctor’s advice.

CBD For Diabetic Neuropathy Pain

Another great benefit of CBD for diabetics is its strong pain-relieving properties for those who suffer from diabetic foot pain caused by peripheral neuropathy. About 50% of diabetics suffer from some kind of neuropathy. Symptoms such as tingling, burning, sharp pain, or numbness can be incapacitating and the pain is often unbearable.

Regrettably, pharmaceutical treatments often fail to deliver relief from neuropathic symptoms. Well, CBD is THE newest natural ingredient found to effectively relieve the pain caused by damaged nerves.

Research about CBD for neuropathy

There are more research and scientific results available on CBD for neuropathy than on CBD for blood sugars. Recent studies have shown that CBD effectively helps reduce nerve pain caused by diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

In the most important study, “The effectiveness of topical cannabidiol in symptomatic relief of peripheral neuropathy“, 15 patients were placed in the CBD group and were topically administered Cannabidiol-infused creams on the painful areas. 14 patients were placed on a placebo group. After 4 weeks, the results showed that there was a “significant reduction in intense pain, sharp pain, cold and itchy sensations in the CBD group when compared to the placebo group”.

CBD for chronic pains

The Cannabidiol contained in the Cannabis plant interacts with our endocannabinoid system to create pain-relieving effects. Because of the way it works, it’s effective on any kind of acute or chronic pain. CBD is now used in pain-management therapies for arthritis, chronic back pain, fibromyalgia, and of course neuropathy.

CBD is a natural and non-addictive way to manage nerve pain. It’s often much less expensive than pharmaceutical painkillers and has very few side effects.

How to use CBD oil for diabetic neuropathy?

There are several effective ways to take CBD for neuropathy. You can take pure CBD oil orally or sublingually. You can also apply topical CBD creams or gels directly on the areas affected by nerve pain (usually the feet and hands). You can also find sugar-free CBD gummies for pain that are great for diabetic neuropathy.

Peripheral neuropathy is a serious condition. Always ask for your doctor’s advice before applying any new product on your feet.

What’s the Best CBD Dosage for Diabetes?

There is no guide to how much CBD you should take for diabetes, blood sugar control, neuropathy, or any other condition. Every person reacts differently to cannabinoids. To safely begin with CBD, you should follow a stepwise dosing procedure and be sure about the actual CBD concentration of your product.

How much CBD should you take for diabetes?

Due to FDA regulations, advising on specific CBD dosage for a particular condition such as diabetes is illegal. Besides, people respond very differently to cannabinoids and terpenes. While some would feel strong effects with a low dosage, others might need 10 times the same dosage to feel something. To give you a general idea, diabetics most commonly use anything from 2.5 mg to 100 mg of CBD per day.

If your doctor is open to discussing cannabis and CBD for diabetics, ask for his advice first. If not, you can book an appointment with a Holistic cannabis practioner who will help you start using CBD for diabetes within a safe and medical environment.

You can also safely start your CBD treatment without supervision if you follow a stepwise dosing procedure. Start with a low dosage and gradually increase until you reach the desired effect and find the dosage that works best for you.

How much CBD should you take for neuropathy pain?

The same goes for neuropathy pain. There’s no CBD dosage officially recommended for nerve pain relief. You should either ask for your doctor’s advice, consult a holistic cannabis practioner, or follow the stepwise dosing procedure starting with the lowest strength and gradually increasing potency until you find relief from neuropathy pain and symptoms.

For example, according to Mydosage.com, the recommended CBD dosage for chronic neuropathy pain for a 55 years-old woman of 60 kilos, newbie to CBD, who rates her pain level at 5/10 is 11 mg of full-spectrum CBD per day or 6 mg twice a day. For a 70 years-old man of 120 kilos, already familiar with CBD and who rates his pain level at 10/10, the recommended CBD dosage for neuropathy pain is 21 mg per day or 11 mg twice a day.

Calculate the actual CBD concentration

Whether in oils, capsules, edibles, or creams, CBD dosage is always expressed in milligrams (mg). You can find anything from very low-potency products with as little as 2 mg of CBD per serving to high-potency ones with more than 200 mg per serving. Most of the time, the packaging specifies the mg of CBD per serving (drops, capsules, gummies, tea bag, etc.) so it’s easy to calculate how many servings you need to get the dosage you want.

But sometimes it’s a bit harder to calculate, especially with CBD oils and tinctures. If the packaging does not specify how much CBD is in a drop, you’ll need to figure it out yourself. Divide the total amount of CBD in the bottle (usually 250 mg, 500 mg, 1000 mg, 1500 mg, or more) by the number of drops in the bottle. One drop is 0,05 milliliters (mL), so a 10mL bottle contains 200 drops, and a 30 mL bottle contains 600 drops.

For example, in a 10mL CBD bottle with 1000 mg of CBD, you have 1000 mg / 200 drops = 5 mg of CBD per drop. If your dosage is 20 mg, you would need to take 4 drops of that CBD oil.

Isolate, broad-spectrum, or full-spectrum?

Besides CBD potency and dosage, you must also choose between three different forms of CBD: isolate, broad-spectrum, or full-spectrum.

CBD Isolate is the purest form of CBD and contains cannabidiol only. Broad-spectrum CBD contains CBD along with other cannabis compounds such as terpenes and flavonoids.

Full-spectrum CBD contains CBD along with all the other natural compounds found in the cannabis plant, including Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which is the one that provokes the “high” effect. All CBD products legally sold in the USA contain less than 0,3 % of THC, which isn’t enough to actually get you high unless you ingest incredibly high doses.

Choosing one or the other form of CBD depends on your goals and ideas. Many CBD users for chronic diabetic neuropathy pain prefer full-spectrum CBD as you can benefit from the “entourage effect” and the synergy between all the cannabis compounds. Full-spectrum CBD is believed to be more effective on pain.
If you’d rather stay away from THC, you can still benefit from part of the entourage effect with broad-spectrum CBD. CBD isolates are best for those who want pure Cannabidiol.

How to Take CBD For Diabetes?

There are many ways to take cannabidiol and to benefit from its properties, the most common and purest one being CBD oil. However, depending on what you’re expecting from CBD and whether you’re using it for relaxation, pain relief, or sleep you might find capsules, gummies, herbal infusions, topical creams, or flowers to be more adapted.

Pure CBD oil

CBD oil is most often taken by sublingually. Place the drops under your tongue and hold for a minute before swallowing. Most oils come in small 10mL or 30mL glass bottles with a dropper cap. The CBD is diluted into a carrier oil (generally coconut or hemp oil) and the actual concentration varies. You can also add your CBD drops to a smoothie, coffee, salad dressing, or whatever your feel like!

CBD Tinctures

CBD tinctures are similar to CBD oils but the CBD is diluted in 60-70% of distilled alcohol. It allows a longer shelf life and a higher bioavailability than CBD oil. You can take CBD tinctures the same way you would take CBD oils, that is sublingually or diluted in your drinks or foods. CBD tinctures usually have a bitter taste that does not please everyone.

CBD Capsules

Softgel and hard-shelled capsules are other forms of taking CBD for diabetes or neuropathy. They’re intended to be taken as food supplements. CBD capsules are taken orally. The CBD must pass through your digestive system before being able to enter your bloodstream. It takes longer to start feeling the effects of cannabidiol than with CBD oil. The dosage is much simpler as you know precisely how much CBD is in every capsule.

Sugar-free edibles & CBD gummies

Edibles and gummies are very popular because they make a “funnier” way to take CBD. Like with capsules, it takes a bit longer for the CBD to start acting. You can find CBD gummies, CBD cookies, CBD teas, CBD chocolates, or any kind of foods infused with CBD. Potency varies from one product to the other. If you have diabetes, be sure to choose sugar-free edibles suitable for a low-carb diet.

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CBD-infused creams for neuropathy pain

If you’re using CBD for pain-relief purposes you might find topical application to be more effective. Each person responds differently to cannabidiol, so it really depends on your own preferences and tests. Some people affected by diabetic neuropathy find CBD oil drops to work great, while others prefer applying CBD-infused creams directly on the affected area.

CBD Flowers

The very first way to consume CBD was initially by smoking the flowers from cannabis plants. The cannabis plants are modified so they contain only a very small amount of THC. Smoking CBD flowers may allow faster absorption and effects, but finding the right dosage is more difficult and uncertain. Also, smoke from marijuana combustion contains many toxins, irritants, and carcinogens that could harm your pulmons.

What are the Best CBD Oils for Diabetes?

If you’re willing to try CBD for diabetes, you must choose your CBD oil carefully. Over-the-counter CBD products are not FDA-regulated and companies often mislabel and misrepresent their products. Some CBD oils have even been found to contain no CBD at all.

How to choose quality CBD Oils?

All the CBD oils listed below have been carefully selected according to the highest standards to guarantee their safety, effectiveness, and quality.
They’ve all been third-party-tested. Each of them comes with a Certificate of Analysis (COA) proving the absence of contaminants as well as the exact amount of CBD and THC it contains.

If you have diabetes, you must also pay attention to other ingredients found in CBD oils. Stay away from CBD products that contain added sugars, artificial flavors, or unhealthy additives. Prefer simple products with clean formulas.

1. Best Overall Full-Spectrum CBD Oil for Diabetes & Neuropathy

PureHemp CBG + CBD Full-spectrum Oil – Natural Flavor – 1000 mg

Full-spectrum / 500 mg CBD + 500 mg CBG / Organic composition / No additives / Natural flavor / Sugar-free

Suggested use: sublingually – orally – CBD-infused recipes – topically
Best for: diabetic neuropathy pain – those who want full-spectrum CBD oil – diabetics with eye glaucoma – diabetes swollen feet

Pure Hemp CBD + CBG Full-Spectrum Oil

Pure Hemp CBD + CBG oil is an unsweetened flavorless full-spectrum CBD oil. You’ll benefit from the entourage effect of 500 mg of full-spectrum CBD enhanced with 500 mg of Cannabigerol (CBG).

The addition of CBG makes this product unique and well-appreciated by people living with diabetes. CBG is another type of cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant with numerous health benefits. It may help lower cholesterol, protect the nerves, and reduce swelling, making it particularly interesting for diabetics suffering from nerve pain or swollen feet. Researchers found CBG to reduce eye pressure in cats, which can be interesting for diabetics who are at high risk of developing glaucoma. Cannabigerol is also showing great promise to fight cancer cells growth.

You can use this oil sublingually, add it to your favorite food or drink recipes, or even apply it topically for pain management. It has a super clean and organic composition without any additives, artificial flavors, added sugars, or chemicals. A great healthy choice for those who want to use full-spectrum CBD oil for diabetes or peripheral neuropathy.

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2. Best CBD Oil for Blood Sugar Control & Weight Loss

Zatural CBD + Apple Cider Vinegar Tincture – 1500 mg

CBD isolate / 1500 mg of CBD / Apple Cider Vinegar / Clean composition / Sugar-free

Suggested use: orally – CBD-infused recipes –
Best for: appetite control – weight loss – blood sugar levels – cholesterol

Zatural CBD Tincture with Apple Cider Vinegar

This is a unique product combining Cannabidiol with raw unrefined Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) to help diabetics lose weight, control blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol, and improve overall health and wellness.

Several studies have shown that taking Apple Cider Vinegar during meals helps reduce post-meal blood sugar levels, and taking it before bed may help reduce morning blood sugars in type 2 diabetics. If drinking ACV won’t have a tremendous impact on your sugar levels alone, adding it to your healthy diabetes management routine can definitely help.

Regarding CBD, this tincture from Zatural is infused with 1500 mg of pure CBD isolate to relieve pain and inflammation and reduce stress levels. It’s 100% sugar-free and can be taken alone, mixed with water and drinks, or incorporated into your favorite recipes.

3. Best CBD Oil for Diabetes Burnout, Stress, and Anxiety

CBD FX Calming Tincture with CBD + CBN Oils

Full-spectrum CBD / 500 mg – 6000 mg / CBN terpene complex / Solvent-free / Sugar-free

Suggested use: sublingually – orally – cooking
Best for: stress – anxiety – depression – diabetes burnout

CBD FX CBD + CBN Calming Tincture

If you’re looking for a CBD oil for stress, anxiety, or depression, search no more! CBD FX, one of the leading CBD companies in the USA, has recently come up with this new version of CBD Oil enhanced with CBN.

Cannabinol (CBN), commonly known as the “relaxation cannabinoid”, is another compound of the cannabis plant which is drawing a lot of attention lately. Recent studies have revealed that CBN has strong sedative and relaxing properties, as well as great pain-relief ones. The same studies have shown that health benefits were greater when CBD and CBN were used together than when used separately.

CBD FX CBD + CBN oil blends combine full-spectrum CBD with high-potency CBN. It’s the most effective CBD oil you can find to decrease stress levels and anxiety levels, which ultimately considerably helps improve diabetes management. They come in various strengths from 500 mg to 6000 mg. The composition is organic and clean. There’s a nice natural citrus taste, and it’s 100% sugar-free (contains Stevia).

4. Best CBD Tincture for Diabetics with Sleep Disorders

CBD FX Sleep CBD Tincture with Melatonin

Broad-spectrum CBD / 1000 – 4000 mg / CBN / Melatonin / Sugar-free

Suggested use: sublingually – orally – cooking
Best for: sleep disorders – insomnia – relaxation

CBD FX Sleep Tincture CBD + Melatonin

The CBD Sleep Tincture is another premium product from CBD FX, this time for diabetics who suffer from sleep disturbances and insomnia. According to the Sleep Foundation, “one in two people with type 2 diabetes have sleep problems”. Blood sugar level fluctuations, hyperglycaemia, and hypoglycaemia during the night, as well as diabetes-related stress and anxiety can cause great sleep disturbances.

Many people suffering from sleep disorders turn to CBD making it the most popular sleep-aiding natural ingredient known today. But CBD FX has created more than just a CBD Sleep Oil. Not only does the Sleep Tincture formula contains a high dosage of broad-spectrum CBD (THC-free), but it combines it with relaxing CBN, sleep terpene complex, and the sleep hormone melatonin (5 mg per serving).

This CBD oil provides such an “ultimate deep sleep experience” that the company warns you about possible drowsiness or sleepiness and advices you not to drive after taking it. It’s available in different strengths and is naturally sweetened with Acacia gum (zero sugar content).

5. Purest CBD Isolate Oil for Diabetes

Pure Hemp Pure CBD Isolate 1500 mg, Natural Flavor

CBD isolate / 1500 mg / Organic / Natural flavor / No additives / Sugar-free

Suggested use: sublingually – orally – cooking – topically
Best for: diabetics who want pure CBD oil – relaxation – stress-relieving – diabetes management – neuropathy pain

Pure Hemp 1500 mg CBD Isolate Oil

If you’re looking for the purest form to take CBD for diabetes, Pure Hemp 100% pure CBD isolate is your best choice. It’s also a great option for those who begin with CBD and who want to slowly start experimenting with the impact of CBD on their blood sugars, emotional health, sleep quality, or diabetic foot pain. You use this oil sublingually, add a few drops to your meals or drinks, or apply it topically to massage painful areas of your body.

This CBD isolate oil is available in two strengths (500 mg or 1500 mg). Both strengths come in a 30 mL bottle. You get 0,5 mg of CBD per drop if you choose the lowest strength, and 1,5 mg of CBD per drop with the highest strength. It’s the cleanest composition you can find with 99% pure organic CBD isolate. You can choose between the flavorless version or a mint-flavored one.

6. Best CBD Capsules for Diabetes and Neuropathy

MedTerra Ultra Broad-Spectrum CBD Capsules

Ultra broad-spectrum CBD / 50 mg per dose / 30 liquid capsules / Sugar-free

Suggested use: orally
Best for: calming – relaxing – sleeping – diabetic foot pain

MedTerra Ultra Broad-Spectrum CBD Capsules

Some people don’t feel comfortable dosing CBD oil from bottle droppers and others simply don’t like the taste of CBD oil. The Ultra Broad-spectrum CBD liquid capsules from MedTerra provide you with the same benefits as CBD oil. It might take a bit more time before you start noticing the effects of CBD because of the digestive process, but the results are the same.

MedTerra is a leading CBD company in the USA and distinguishes itself by its super clean formulas. No additives, no artificial flavors, no chemicals, no nothing but CBD. Each Ultra Broad-Spectrum liquid capsule contains 50 mg of broad-spectrum CBD enhanced with additional cannabinoids and compounds found in the hemp plant. It’s 100% THC-free, and it was one of the most popular CBD products in 2021!