Cannabigerol – or CBG – may seem like the new, hot cannabinoid on the scene, but it was actually discovered in 1964. And as far as cannabinoids go, it’s been dubbed “the mother of all cannabinoids” because it’s the first cannabinoid produced as the cannabis plant develops, with other cannabinoids – like CBD and THC – being created from it.
Does that mean CBG is psychoactive?
No. You will not get high from CBG, even though it’s a precursor to THC, the main cannabinoid in cannabis responsible for the psychoactive effects. But CBG has a lot of other benefits, many of which include your brain. And that is what today’s blog is all about!
The benefits of CBG
The real reason you may not have heard about CBG as much as some other cannabinoids has to do with how rare it is within the cannabis plant. In fact, within a cannabis plant, only 1% of it can be CBG, whereas the other popular cannabinoids like THC and CBD are present at up to 30%.
While its rarity makes it more expensive and hard to come across, it certainly doesn’t make it any less beneficial.
Research has shown that CBG can help with:
✅ Chronic pain
✅ Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
✅ Glaucoma
✅ Bacterial infections
✅ And even some types of cancers
On top of this, it can also help with the health of your brain! So, without further ado, let’s learn about how this rare cannabinoid can support cognition.
3 major ways CBG supports brain health
1. Reduces neuroinflammation
Inflammation, unfortunately, can run amock in our bodies, even when we don’t fully feel like we’re unhealthy. This can happen due to oxidative stress caused by free radicals created from stress, toxins in our environment, processed foods, alcohol, and other harmful things.
When inflammation is in the brain, it shuts down energy production in the neurons, so brain endurance drops, making it harder to read, work, or concentrate for any length of time. This can also lead to depression. In the long run, neuroinflammation can result in neuron death and brain disorders, such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease.
Thankfully, research has shown that CBG helps with neuroinflammation. For example, one study from 2018 found that CBG reduced neuronal death caused by brain inflammation. The compound also restored antioxidant defense (which fights against free radicals) and reduced inflammatory cells. [1]
2. Boosts mental health
One study found that the top reason people used supplements containing CBG was to reduce anxiety, with one in three stating they used it to ease depression. Most of the users reported that they felt as though CBG was more effective for these purposes than conventional medicines. [2]
This may be because CBG activates certain neuroreceptors that play an important role in mental health and well-being. When CBG does this, it influences the nervous system, reduces anxiety, stress, and blood pressure.
It also interacts with other brain chemicals that make you feel happy. For example, CBG can boost the production of an endocannabinoid called anandamide. This compound has been dubbed “the bliss molecule” as it triggers the brain’s reward response and provides a natural mood elevation. [3]
3. Enhances memory and learning
CBG interacts with many receptors involved with memory and learning. These include cannabinoid receptors like CB1, which is abundant in the hippocampus and frontal cortex, both areas critical for memory, and CB2, which modulates immune factors that can damage memory function. It also increases serotonin levels, which has been shown to enhance memory, and it reduces norepinephrine, another receptor that impairs memory retrieval.
But it’s not just through receptors that CBG can help improve memory. CBG can also inhibit an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase, which results in more acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that is vital for encoding memories.
CBG also protects from neuroinflammation, as mentioned above. This is crucial because any level of inflammation in the brain can severely impact memory and learning.
Studies also show that CBG stimulates the growth of new brain cells in the hippocampus, helping repair and build memory circuits while relaxing blood vessels, allowing for the blood flow required to carry oxygen and nutrients to memory centers. [4]
To top it all off, CBG has also been found to help neurons reach farther and communicate faster, which means faster thinking and quicker recall. [5]
CBG for YOUR brain
As you can see, CBG protects your brain in some serious ways and gives it an incredible boost!
When you take CBG, you can see serious brain benefits like:
✔️ Improved encoding and faster recall of newly learned information
✔️ Heightened attention, focus, and concentration
✔️ More feelings of happiness
✔️ Higher motivation and productivity
✔️ Increased short-term memory needed for daily function
✔️ Improved long-term memory consolidation and retrieval
✔️ Enhanced blood flow to feed your brain and nourish memory centers
✔️ Reduced memory lapses from stress and anxiety
✔️ Protection against age-related cognitive decline
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These delicious passion-fruit-flavored gummies’ star ingredient is CBG, but it also contains other ingredients that can support the health of your brain.
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