Cannabidiol in Food Supplements: Evaluation of Health Risks and Health Claims – New review article co-authored by Alexander Cartus
As a member of the working group on Food Constituents within SKLM (Senate Commission on Food Safety) of the DFG (German Research Foundation), Dr. Alexander Cartus (Chemservice Luxembourg), together with colleagues from authorities and academia, has published a review article evaluating the health claims and health risks of cannabidiol (CBD) in foods and food supplements.
In brief:
- Currently available non-medicinal Cannabidiol (CBD) products are often advertised as having several positive health effects, including pain relief, and improvement of stress, anxiety and sleep.
- Evaluation of the alleged beneficial effects shows that these health claims are not scientifically substantiated at dose ranges up to the lowest levels that may induce liver toxicity.
- Depending on the CBD content and dosage recommendations, exposure to CBD could, however, easily exceed the provisional acceptable daily intake (ADI) and may even reach levels of hepatotoxicity, among other adverse effects.
- Risk-benefit assessment indicates that the risks outweigh the benefits when evaluating exposure scenarios relevant for food supplements.
- In conclusion, oral consumption of non-medicinal CBD-containing products does not provide substantiated health benefits and may pose a risk to human health.
The open access article is available via the following link:
Further information on the work of SKLM: