Cannabidiol aka CBD, is a cannabis compound with big promise. It has been touted for its wide range of potential benefits, including its FDA-approved use as a treatment for seizures. As researchers strive to gain a deeper understanding of CBD, they also aim to make it more accessible. One team at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) may have found a solution—and it could already be in your kitchen.
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The scientists created a new class of medicines that mimic some of the effects of CBD using caraway seeds. The team chemically altered the shape of the seeds’ main active ingredient, resulting in a CBD-like compound free of THC.
In a pre-clinical trial, the new CBD-esque medicine was effective at reducing seizures in mice. There were also fewer side effects compared to benzodiazepines, which are commonly used to treat seizure disorders.
The peer-reviewed study, published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, could be a breakthrough in the treatment of epileptic syndromes, especially for infants and children. Currently, benzodiazepines are the most common treatment for seizures, and researchers have been seeking alternatives for some time.
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Benzodiazepines carry many potential side effects and may harm the developing brain. Meanwhile, Epidiolex, the FDA-approved CBD medicine for seizures, can be expensive and hard to obtain. It can also cause side effects like lethargy, stomach issues, or, in rare cases, liver damage.
Researchers noted that while the cannabinoid wasn’t discovered in caraway, the seeds may help create CBD treatments at scale—especially if the chemical conversion process can be fine-tuned.
“Caraway seeds don’t contain CBD. They just contain the scaffold to create it,” said study co-author Adriana Carrillo.
While the results of the research are indeed exciting, there are benefits to using full-spectrum cannabis extract in therapeutic settings. Compounds like CBD interact with the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which is responsible for maintaining balance throughout the body.
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It’s believed that when all active ingredients in cannabis are present, the main characters like CBD work better. The theory, dubbed the “entourage effect,” still needs to be properly investigated, but a substantial amount of research has shown it may be key to amplifying cannabis’s medicinal applications.
Still, the UNLV research is promising, particularly as it could provide wider access to seizure treatments. While caraway seeds will likely not replace hemp plants anytime soon, this study does raise the question of whether other household ingredients could contain the building blocks to making CBD more accessible in the future.
