Here’s a surprising twist in the fight against COVID-19: scientists at Oregon State University have found that certain compounds in hemp might help stop the virus from entering human cells.
Yep, you read that right — hemp!
Researchers led by Richard van Breemen at OSU studied how natural compounds interact with the virus that causes COVID-19. Using a special chemical screening method developed at OSU, the team discovered that two acids found in hemp — CBGA (cannabigerolic acid) and CBDA (cannabidiolic acid) — can attach themselves to the virus’s spike protein.
That spike protein is the part of the virus that helps it latch onto human cells and infect them. By blocking it, these hemp compounds might actually help prevent the virus from spreading in the body.
Not Your Average Cannabis
It’s important to know that these compounds are found in hemp, not marijuana. They’re non-psychoactive, meaning they don’t get you high like THC does. They’re also legal and safe, and they’ve been used in various wellness products like lotions and supplements.
Lab Results Look Promising
In lab tests, both CBGA and CBDA blocked the virus — including two concerning variants: Alpha (first detected in the UK) and Beta (from South Africa). That’s a big deal because some variants are known to dodge antibodies from vaccines or earlier infections.
The hemp compounds were shown to stop the virus from binding to the ACE2 enzyme, which is a key gateway for COVID-19 to enter our lungs and other organs.
How Did They Find This?
The research team used a technique called affinity selection mass spectrometry (don’t worry, that’s just a fancy way of finding which compounds stick to specific proteins). They tested a bunch of plants used in supplements, including licorice, hops, and red clover — but hemp stood out.
Can This Treat COVID-19?
It’s too early to say. These findings are from lab experiments, not real-world testing yet. But the results suggest these compounds could help prevent or possibly even treat COVID-19 in the future. And because they’re already known to be safe in humans, researchers are hopeful.
Still, don’t ditch your mask or skip the vaccine just yet — this research is still in the early stages, and much more testing is needed.
A Combined Approach
The good news is that combining vaccination with natural compounds like CBGA and CBDA could give us more tools to fight COVID-19 and its many variants. The team also found another promising compound from licorice but hasn’t tested it against the live virus yet.
This discovery opens the door to new ways of tackling the pandemic — and it all started with hemp.
Source:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34939787/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35007072/
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