In this day and age of complete information transparency, we start to pay a lot more attention to what we consume on a daily basis. The health and wellness sector is no exception. In fact, it is the area of our consumption habits where we need to concentrate most of our attention. When you visit a pharmacy or a drug store, you are never guaranteed to find safe products for consumption, as there are still hundreds of brands that are a lot more focused on the business side of things rather than producing safe and effective goods.
It is one of the many reasons why we as consumers are so drawn towards everything and anything natural as to not be victims of products full of synthetic chemicals, pesticides and GMOs. One of the phenomenal events that came with the strive for natural health and wellness products is the boom of CBD products. We see them everywhere: in high street drug stores, in cafes and restaurants, in yoga studios, and even in vending machines on the streets and in shopping malls. The information we are exposed to today on the subject of CBD research and use is also everywhere: published in scientific journals and glamorous magazines, in personal blogs, and other media channels.
The phenomenon of CBD lies not only in its naturalness and harmlessness but also in the fact that it is indeed a very universal product that can cure many different types of distress. Often the reasons why someone would take CBD are even on complete opposite spectrums; for example, one finds it useful to treat epilepsy, while another takes it for relaxation and good sleep.
In this article we would like to shed some light on the basis of CBD, explain in simple terms what it is and how can we use it for different conditions.
What is CBD?
CBD, short for Cannabidiol, is a natural component extracted from the Cannabis Sativa plant, also known as marijuana or hemp. CBD is one of more than 100 phytocannabinoids that are found in this plant. According to numerous scientific tests, CBD has a lot of benefits and healing properties. Good news is that it doesn't have psychoactive properties and doesn't get you high, unlike another cannabis component known as THC, tetrahydrocannabinol. Although some CBD products include THC in their composition, the concentration is so little that it doesn't cause a high effect.
How does CBD Work?
As you may know, our body has both messengers and receptors. The messengers are Cannabinoids, and the receptor is the endocannabinoid system. After consuming CBD infused products, cannabinoids from the CBD send signals to your brain to regulate panic attacks, calm down a mental state, or facilitate pain relief. Our organism can get those messages both from your naturally produced cannabinoids and cannabinoids from the CBD products.
Exploring CBD Oil Benefits
CBD infused goods provide a variety of advantages for our health and wellness. It's a useful product for managing chronic pain, reducing stress and anxiety symptoms, and even in providing extinction of unpleasant memories. However, numerous researches show that the list doesn't end there. CBD products can handle the following problems:
CBD for anxiety
Many tests showed a positive effect of CBD in anxiety treatment. The component interacts with receptors in a human brain and reduces feelings of concern. For example, it can help prevent the phobia of public speaking and increase alertness. CBD promotes the production of new neurons like a signal in the brain to reduce anxiety. Also, it can improve acute symptoms of schizophrenia. CBD oil effectively reduce psychotic symptoms by blocking THC-induced psychosis.
CBD for depression
CBD acts as an antidepressant and helps during mental disbalances. It can be used as a more natural and healthy alternative to other antidepressants. By increasing the level of serotonin in the brain, it regulates mood, and mental wellbeing helps to manage depression and behavioural disorders. Such disorders can include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), general anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), substance-abuse disorders.
CBD for insomnia
Regular use of CBD may improve overall sleep habits and enhance sleep quality. The compound interacts with a chemical found in our brain that is responsible for sleep known as melatonin and as a result, helps in dealing with insomnia and sudden awakenings during the sleep.
CBD for pain
CBD oil is an effective way to relieve pain. It diminishes inflammation that can trigger pain flow in the body. Cannabidiol facilitates muscular aches after an intense physical exercise by stimulating the anandamide production, which relaxes and calms your body. It can be used for the reduction of various chronic aches and other types of pain. Consistent consumption helps to support joint health, mobility and flexibility.
CBD for acne
CBD oil can be used externally to treat skin conditions, such as eczema and acne. It diminishes the effects of skin diseases by encouraging abnormal cell death. CBD oil also helps in regulating oil production of the skin, which also leads to less clogging of the pores and consequently less bacteria being spread and trapped in the epidermis.
Other uses
Can CBD be beneficial in other situations? Absolutely. A wide choice of CBD-infused products encourages us to try them for curing other distresses. CBD is a promising method of treatment and may also be helpful in the following cases: nicotine withdrawal symptoms, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, diabetes, etc. Cannabidiol is also named one of the most effective pain relievers for patients with cancer. All due to the ability to reduce side effects of chemotherapy without decreasing their effectiveness. Believe it or not, but there are even CBD infused products for pets to improve their health and treat different conditions.
Side Effects of CBD and Things to Consider
A logical response to reading about one natural product being so universal and helpful in a variety of different distresses it to think that it seems too good to be true. Where is a fly in the ointment? The next question that we need to address is whether CBD has any side-effects, and if so, what are they.
Like any product, CBD has side effects in case of overdose. Scientists already held plenty of tests to reveal CBD influence. Despite that fact, there are still a lot of studies to come to find out its exact side effects, and we should always be smart and take into account that CBD may have different effects on different people.
The most common side effects include:
Furthermore, bear in mind that CBD infused products can be incompatible with some supplements or medications that you are taking. You need to be extra careful when choosing a product if you are already taking other medicaments and especially antibiotics. We do not recommend practising a self-diagnosis and self-prescription; consulting a doctor before purchasing CBD products is very important and will spare you risks of bad choices. When you make a decision to try CBD, make sure to examine the labels of products carefully to make sure you are not allergic to any of the individual components found in a specific composition.
Lastly, we would like to draw your attention to the sad reality: many CBD manufactures use pesticides and synthetic fertilisers, and the same is true for cultivating other types of plants that are grown for industrial use. Unfortunately, these chemicals can often affect our health and general wellbeing negatively. Luckily, there are a lot of honest manufacturers that do not use any chemical accelerators and produce natural and organic products. Therefore it is your responsibility to research the brand you are planning to try. Look out for any ingredients that you can't even pronounce: it is always a red flag.
