By GeorgiTodorov July 2, 2019 - 10:52pm

Most women enjoy having a drink to celebrate or socialise with co-workers, family, and friends. Quite often, that ice-cold beer or glass of wine in the evening helps to take off the edge after a stressful and long day.

Depending on alcohol on a daily basis can be exacerbated by alcohol-friendly media, self-promotion, and acceptance by our peers, which all work to plunge our country into a crisis that kills one person each hour. According to recent studies on CBD use with alcohol, it is showing that CBD can help to reduce levels of alcohol.

A Nation Dependent On Alcohol

Public Health England reports that in just the UK alone there are over 1.6million individuals who have some degree of alcohol dependency, while there are 10.7 million who are drinking to a degree that poses "serious public health risks."

Alcoholics Anonymous UK has dispelled preconceived ideas that alcohol addiction affects only those who are living out on the streets. The organisation states that most of their members have a mortgage, a job, and the outward appearance of a normal happy life.

A severe migraine or bulging waistline can instigate changes to lifestyle, but we frequently fall back on our old, familiar ways all too often.

Cannabidiol

The non-psychoactive compound Cannabidiol (CBD) is derived from the hemp plant and has been studied for numerous health benefits. It is now believed by researchers that it can also help to reduce alcohol intake.

Published this May, Miguel Hernandez Institute researchers have shown that CBD that was administered to mice results in an alcohol intake that was significantly reduced compared to the placebo.

Alcohol intake was reduced in both females and males following the acute administration of 90 mg/kg of CBD. Chronic CBD administration (90, 60, and 0 mg/kg) did reduce alcohol intake in males, but in females, there was only a significant reduction with the highest dose of 90 mg/kg.

It was shown that CBD significantly reduces the enzyme Tyrosine Hydroxylase, which is involved in dopamine synthesis.

Alcohol binds u-opioid receptors with endogenous ligands that are linked with dependence. The number of u-opioid receptors inside the brain was reduced by CBD to reduce alcohol dependence in mice. CB1 receptors were also inhibited by CBD which in previous studies have been shown to decrease relapse in mice.

Research was published that showed that when CBD was administered to mice it reduced relapse, motivation for alcohol, and alcohol consumption.

Mice and CBD Research

Further research into cocaine and alcohol addiction in rats has shown that when CBD was administered once per day for 7 days it prevented relapse for 5 months at least even though CBD was cleared from the body and brain after 3 days.

Two studies of mice in 2014 and 217 also showed that CBD reduced steatosis inside the liver and protected the liver against binge-induced steatosis.

Conclusion

Every year Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) ends up costing the UK more than  £21 billion in NHS costs, lost workplace productivity, and alcohol-related crimes. Every weekend as many as 70% of individuals who are admitted to hospitals is the result of an alcohol-related injury.