Early-Stage Discoveries: Cannabidiol, Vitamin K2, Green Tea Extract
- Cannabidiol inhibits Covid replication
Doctors in this lab study found cannabidiol (CBD) inhibited SARS-CoV-2 infection in human and mouse lung epithelial cells. High concentrations of CBD acted after the virus entered cells, preventing it from reproducing copies of viral RNA—a completely unexpected result.
Discussing the findings, doctors said, “This study highlights CBD as a potential preventative agent for early-stage SARS-CoV-2 infection,” and emphasized the study CBD was a non-THC medical formulation extract from cannabis sativa.
Reference: Science Advances; 2022, Vol. 8, No. 8
- Vitamin K2 promotes circulation in kidney failure
People with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are unable to remove phosphate through the kidneys, allowing deposits of calcium plus phosphate to develop in blood vessels. Doctors can treat with phosphate binders, but these also bind with vitamin K2, leading to K2 deficiency. In the lab, vitamin K2 plus phosphate-binding treatment significantly reduced blood vessel and artery calcification in rats deficient in vitamin K2.
Doctors said, “K2 is the only known compound to impact vascular calcification, potentially improving cardiovascular health.”
Reference 2: Nephrology, Dialysis, Transplantation; 2021, gfab314, Published Online
- Green tea and Down syndrome facial features
Children with Down syndrome (DS) who took green tea extracts with EGCG in the first three years of life had fewer facial malformations than are typical in DS. In the first lab phase, 60 percent of mice with DS that took green tea EGCG had facial shapes similar to healthy subjects.
In the second, human phase, children with DS who took green tea extract during the first three years of life had more normal facial shapes than children with typical DS facial malformation.
Reference 3: Scientific Reports; 2021, Vol. 11, Article No. 4715
