Dry January: cannabis reduces alcohol-induced liver damage

Could cannabis help mitigate some of the liver damage caused by excessive alcohol consumption? A recent study suggests so.

Based on its results, the Cannabinoids reduce liver toxicity caused by ethanol, the chemical compound found in alcohol.

These results led the study’s authors to conclude that they might even represent a potential treatment for impaired liver function, also known as hepatotoxicity.

Study details

For the study, the researchers examined the protective effects of cannabinoids against ethanol-induced liver toxicity in rats. The animals were divided into seven groups, all of which were treated with different combinations of ethanol and cannabinoids.

An analysis revealed that the groups treated with higher doses of cannabinoids showed a reduction in inflammation compared to animals treated with ethanol alone.

The authors note that levels of the inflammatory markers COX-2, CD-14, and MIP-2 showed a «remarkable decrease» in the groups treated with cannabinoids, compared with the control groups.

A more in-depth analysis showed that cannabinoids act as inhibitors of mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways, which are involved in cellular responses to stimuli such as mitogens, osmotic stress, and pro-inflammatory cytokines.

L’The study concludes : «Our results suggest that cannabinoids are a potential candidate for the treatment of alcohol-induced hepatotoxicity.»

Previous research

Previous studies have examined the potential of cannabinoids, particularly CBD, as a therapeutic treatment for alcohol use disorder and alcohol-induced damage to the liver and brain.

A 2019 study revealed that CBD not only reduced alcohol consumption in people with alcohol use disorder, but also reduced alcohol-related steatosis and fibrosis in the liver by «modulating inflammation» and reducing oxidative stress.

A study published in late 2017 also pointed to an inverse association between the Cannabis Use and Fatty Liver Disease.

In a separate study, researchers from the University of Colorado at Boulder and Colorado State University examined the relationship between cannabis use and alcohol consumption among individuals enrolled in an alcohol treatment program.

The results, published in the journal *Addiction*, indicate that on days when these participants used cannabis, their alcohol consumption decreased significantly. This The trend was consistent among people who used large amounts of cannabis and those who used only small amounts occasionally.