Study Finds Cannabis Oils With THC and CBD Reduce Liver Damage and Oxidative Stress in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Researchers from several Argentine institutions, including the Universidad Nacional del Litoral and CONICET, contributed equally to the findings.

Using an animal mode, researchers tested five cannabis oil formulations containing varying ratios of cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), along with terpenes such as beta-myrcene and d-limonene. These formulations were administered orally to Wistar rats with NAFLD induced by a sucrose-rich diet (SRD). After three weeks of treatment, several formulations—particularly THC-rich oil and those with 1:1 and 2:1 CBD:THC ratios—showed significant reductions in liver fat accumulation, liver damage markers, and oxidative stress.

“This study demonstrated that COs, particularly THC-rich CO, CBD:THC ratio 1:1 CO, CBD:THC ratio 2:1 CO and terpenes, can effectively reduce dyslipidemia, liver damage and hepatic steatosis in SRD-induced NAFLD,” the authors wrote. “COs with a higher proportion of CBD in their composition showed antihypertensive properties. All the COs exhibited antioxidant properties.”

In addition to improving lipid profiles and reducing liver enzyme markers like AST and ALT, several CO formulations helped normalize blood pressure and restore the expression of the CB1 receptor—a key component of the endocannabinoid system known to play a role in liver disease progression.

The oils also modulated key enzymes involved in lipogenesis and fatty acid oxidation, pointing to a mechanism by which cannabinoids and terpenes may regulate hepatic metabolism. All COs decreased markers of oxidative stress in liver tissue, including reactive oxygen species (ROS) and TBARS, and increased antioxidant defenses like glutathione levels and enzyme activity (CAT, GPx, GR).

The results highlight the importance of cannabinoid ratio: while CBD-rich oil had limited effects on lipid metabolism, it significantly reduced blood pressure and oxidative stress. In contrast, THC-rich and balanced-ratio oils (1:1, 2:1) were more effective at reducing liver fat and restoring lipid balance.

These findings build on the hypothesis that full-spectrum cannabis oils—containing both cannabinoids and terpenes—offer therapeutic potential through synergistic effects, sometimes referred to as the “entourage effect.”

The authors call for future studies evaluating isolated compounds and exploring ECS-related pathways to better understand how cannabis formulations could be used to treat or prevent NAFLD and associated conditions.