What is CBDa?

You’ve just about got your head around CBD oil, when suddenly you keep reading about CBDA as well. It probably seems a bit confusing, right? Is CBDA suddenly better than CBD? Should you be choosing a CBD oil that contains both CBD and CBDA? What’s the difference between CBD and CBDA? All these questions and more will be answered in this ‘all you need to know about CBDA’ article.

What is CBDA?

CBDA (Cannabidiolic acid) is a type of compound found in hemp called a cannabinoid. CBD (cannabidiol) is also a type of cannabinoid, but if you examined fresh hemp, you would find very little CBD. Instead, there would be abundant amounts of CBDA. That’s because CBDA is the acid precursor of CBD and only comes into being when raw hemp containing CBDA is heated, causing what’s known as decarboxylation. Decarboxylation in scientific terms is a type of chemical reaction removing a carboxyl group.

In the past, it was thought that unless raw hemp was heated, transforming CBDA into CBD, it had no therapeutic benefit. Indeed, it is true to say that far more scientific research has been performed on CBD compared to CBDA.

However, CBDA is now becoming a cannabinoid of interest in its own right, that’s why at Medivita, our 20% Raw oil contains both CBD and CBDA.

How Does CBDA Affect The Body?

Research into how cannabinoids affect our bodies is very much in its infancy. But it seems that both CBD and CBDA share a few commonalities. Neither create a high or stoned effect because they do not directly interact with receptors in our endocannabinoid system – the complex network of cell receptors and cannabis-like chemicals that brings balance to our bodies and minds.

In fact, both CBD and CBDA are thought to cause some of their most noted effects on the body by activating the 5-HT1A serotonin receptors. Serotonin is a type of neurotransmitter found in the brain involved in regulating mood, anxiety, sleep, and feelings of nausea.

CBD has been tested on humans with social anxiety, with subjects able to perform a simulated public speaking task more effectively after taking the cannabinoid. CBDA research into depression has only reached the preclinical stage, but so far it has been found to elicit antidepressant effects on rats at doses 10-100 times lower than CBD. It’s thought these anti-anxiety and mood boosting effects are a result of increased serotonin levels.

CBDA’s activation of the 5-HT1A serotonin receptors has also led to it being investigated as a potential anti-nausea drug, with one study finding CBDA more effective at reducing nausea than CBD.

And finally, like CBD, CBDA is thought to be anti-inflammatory, inhibiting key inflammatory mediators called COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes.

CBD and CBDA – Better Together

At Medivita we are committed advocates of full spectrum hemp extracts containing both CBD and CBDA. So, if you’re interested in adding CBDA to your wellbeing routine, why not stop by our webshop,.