Full-spectrum hemp CBD has a number of proven advantages, including pain relief, reduced anxiety and depression, and anti-inflammatory properties. And, CBD has been scientifically proven to have antioxidant properties.
You may have heard the word “antioxidant” before, particularly when looking for skincare products or making dietary changes, but you may not be aware of what it means from a scientific standpoint. What role do antioxidants play in the body? What makes them so vital?
Free Radicals
Antioxidants act to protect the body from free radicals. If the levels of free radicals in your dog’s or your own body become too high, they can cause significant damage. They are the body’s reaction to something foreign, such as pollution, viruses, or a mineral or vitamin imbalance.
Consumption of unhealthy foods can also cause them (like commercial kibble). Because of the stress that so many free radicals place on the body, they have been related to conditions including heart disease and cancer.
Antioxidant Benefits for Dogs
Antioxidants help your dog in a variety of ways, making them an important part of any pet’s diet. Indeed, there are many fruits and vegetables that are not only high in antioxidants but also readily accessible to you and your dog! Here are some of the many ways they will help your dog’s health:
- Improved Cognitive Ability – According to studies, older dogs eating antioxidant-rich diets were more effective in learning complex tasks than dogs fed a controlled diet.
- Allergy Resistance – Antioxidants have also been shown to benefit dogs who suffer from allergies, as well as coat and skin issues.
- Stronger Immune Response – Antioxidants strengthen the immune system and encourage immune system activity because they protect it from free radical harm.
- Antioxidants have been shown to cross the blood-brain barrier and deliver vital nutrients to the brain, resulting in a healthier brain.
- Antioxidants help in the reduction of joint pain and inflammation.
- Antioxidants’ anti-inflammatory effects aid in the relief of dry eye and other painful eye conditions.
- C-Reactive Protein (CRP), a proxy for heart disease in dogs, has been shown to be reduced by an antioxidant-rich diet.
Fruits and Vegetables Rich in Antioxidants
Many of the vitamins and minerals contained in many of the fruits and vegetables we eat, especially in the skin of produce like apples, carrots, and berries, contain antioxidants.
Beta carotene, selenium, and lycopene are the most common antioxidants.
Foods rich in antioxidants include:
- Carrots
- Green peppers
- Squash
- Onions
- Kale
- Peaches
- Apples
- Broccoli
- Spinach
- Brussels sprouts
- Citrus fruits
- Strawberries
These foods can be difficult to feed our dogs- that’s where CBD comes in.
CBD as an Antioxidant
CBD has been shown in studies to have a direct effect on free radical chain reactions by trapping and diverting the most harmful free radicals (i.e. highly reactive source of oxygen.) The levels of oxidative stress were also reduced, bacteria were eradicated, and tissue repair began.
Antioxidants including cannabidiol and other cannabinoids protect the brain. CBD and THC, together with antioxidants, have been shown to avoid oxidative damage to the brain induced by a chemical reaction and/or neurons in a dish in both human and animal models of concussions.
CBD (cannabidiol) was found to be more effective than ascorbate (vitamin C) and alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) at preventing glutamate-induced damage, suggesting that it is a strong antioxidant.
Scientists subsequently petitioned for and received a government patent for “cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants” based on their findings. Patent #US6630507B1 expired in 2019, 20 years after it was issued, allowing large corporations to use the technologies discovered by those researchers.
Antioxidants are Vital
Antioxidants are unquestionably vital to the body. Without enough of these, the body is vulnerable to free radicals, which can cause significant harm. They operate by giving free radicals oxygen atoms, which they are still searching for. If the free radicals have obtained the extra electrons, they can no longer steal oxygen from neighboring cells, putting an end to the destructive cycle that they began.
Many foods, especially those high in vitamin C and E, are known to be high in antioxidants. CBD is another antioxidant-rich substance. There have been research studies that show CBD is high in antioxidants. And, contain more antioxidants than the most well-known antioxidant source.
The best part is that CBD also assists in the defense of the nervous system. It has been shown to have neuroprotective properties that help to prevent neurodegenerative diseases.
Read More:
Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants
Antioxidative and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Cannabidiol