Low dose daily CBD beverage consumption for eight weeks does not improve physical and mental health measures in healthy individuals: A randomized clinical trial

Background

This study explores whether a 60 or 30 mg dose of CBD consumed in a beverage further supplemented with L-theanine, vitamin E, and vitamin C would alter various measures associated with general health and well-being in healthy individuals.

Methods

This double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial recruited healthy, college-aged subjects for randomization into one of four treatment groups where they consumed daily a single 12 ounce beverage for eight weeks containing 1) 60 mg CBD (CBD60) plus L-theanine; 2) 30 mg CBD (CBD30) plus L-theanine; 3) no CBD (CBD0), L-theanine alone, and 4) a vehicle control (PLAC) containing no additives. Surveys evaluated quality of life, wellbeing, stress, and sleep, while a Fitbit wrist monitor collected physical activity and sleep data. Anaerobic performance was evaluated with a Wingate test. Fasted blood concentrations of cortisol, CRP, and creatinine were analyzed with an ELISA. Pre-intervention time point differences were determined by ANOVA and a 4×2 ANOVA identified treatment effects.

Results

A total of 102 healthy participants were randomly assigned to CBD60 (n = 25), CBD30 (n = 28), CBD0 (n = 24), or PLAC (n = 25). There were no differences among the groups at the pre-intervention time point, and the average age of the participants was 24.4 ± 7.0 years, with an average BMI 23.9 ± 3.6 kg/m². Following the eight-week intervention period, there were no significant CBD treatment effects with respect to quality of life, psychological wellbeing, perceived stress, sleep, body composition, voluntary physical activity, and anaerobic performance measures. Additionally, circulating concentrations of serum cortisol, CRP, and creatinine were similar between the treatment groups.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that 60 or 30 mg of CBD added to a beverage containing L-theanine, vitamin E, and vitamin C; consumed daily for 8 weeks was well tolerated in this younger, generally healthy population, but CBD had no significant impact, either positive or negative, on subjective measures of quality of life, psychological well-being, perceived stress, and sleep; as well as objective measures of voluntary physical activity, anaerobic performance, sleep, serum cortisol, CRP, and creatinine concentrations. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov. Registered 12/01/2022; # NCT05189275; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05189275?cond=CBD%20-focus&rank=1