A Healthy Place: 13 Key Benefits of Using CBD
Are you ready to transform your life and your health? Do you want to find a healthy place to reside when it comes to your physical, mental, and emotional well-being?
If so, cannabidiol or CBD oil may be a smart addition to your daily routine. Over the past few years, more and more people have turned to CBD oil to help with many physical and mental conditions. In fact, people have reported using CBD oil to help with sleep disorders, anxiety, pain, and more.
Are you interested in CBD oil? Are you unsure if it is right for you?
If you answered “yes” to one, or both, of the questions above, keep reading. Here you can learn about some of the top health benefits offered by CBD oil.
The Legality of CBD
Before diving into CBD’s benefits, many people want to learn more about whether it is legal. This is an important question.
Thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill, all hemp-derived CBD products with less than 0.3% THC content are considered legal on a federal level. Keep in mind that while the products are legal federally, some states do not have these same laws.
Now, let’s dive into the potential benefits of CBD. Keep in mind that the type of CBD used will impact its effectiveness, and you can read more here about this.
1. Epilepsy
One of the most well-known uses of CBD oil is for epilepsy. The reason for this being so well known is that the Food and Drug Administration has approved a CBD medication, Epidiolex, for treating those with epilepsy.
Before approval, Epidiolex underwent rigorous human studies. Once complete, the FDA approved it as an effective and viable treatment for seizures caused by Dravet syndrome or Lennox-Gastrault.
Experts are still not sure how CBD helps control seizures. According to one theory, it is believed that CBD influences one of the receptors that is involved in seizure activity.
2. Anxiety
Some studies show CBD’s promise in the treatment of anxiety disorders. According to recent investigations, CBD showed to be an anxiolytic when tested in animals.
Experts believe that part of this response is explained in the way that CBD reacts in the brain. Sometimes, CBD serves as an agonist. This means it triggers the opposite response as it binds to a specific receptor.
It is believed that lower doses will create a positive agonist response, and higher doses may overwhelm the brain. If this happens, it could create a compensatory effect, which will fight against the effects of CBD.
3. Neuroprotective
Researchers have studied a receptor in the brain to learn more about how CBD may be beneficial for individuals suffering from neurodegenerative disorders. These are diseases that result in the nerves and brain to deteriorate as time passes.
The receptor in question is called CB1.
Today, experts are researching the use of CBD oil to treat conditions, such as:
- Stroke
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
It is also believed that CBD oil may be beneficial in reducing inflammation that worsens neurodegenerative symptoms. Additional research is required to fully understand the impact of CBD oil on different neurodegenerative diseases.
4. Ease Minor Discomfort
One of the main body functions that the endocannabinoid system works to regulate is your nervous system. As the name implies, this system controls nerve function, joint function, muscle formation and repair, and other vital organs.
According to a study conducted in 2018, CBD can help reduce discomfort. This is done by impacting the activity between several points in the ECS.
Because the ECS receptors create a cellular reaction in your nervous system for activating regulation, CBD helps to stimulate the endocannabinoids and regulate the nervous system.
Taken regularly, CBD oil can increase the endocannabinoid system’s impact, which produces better results when it comes to reducing mild discomfort in the body.
5. Diabetes Prevention
It is believed that CBD oil can help prevent a condition called insulitis. This condition destroys the body’s pancreatic beta cells.
Insulitis is considered one of the main causes of Type I Diabetes. This means that if you can prevent insulitis, it can help prevent diabetes, too.
However, for those who have already been diagnosed with diabetes, CBD may reduce this condition’s side effects. Some of the side effects it helps with include neuroinflammation and memory deficits.
6. Acne
CBD oil is known for affecting the receptors in your immune system. When these receptors are affected the CBD works to reduce inflammation throughout your body, including in the skin.
Because of this reduction in inflammation, CBD oil provides some benefits for acne management.
It was found that CBD oil helped to prevent sebaceous gland activity. These are the glands that produce sebum, which is a natural oil substance.
Sebum is produced to help hydrate your skin. However, when too much sebum is produced, acne may form.
7. Nerve Pain
People with terminal cancer or any other form of intractable pain may be prescribed medical marijuana. However, there is now some evidence that CBD can contribute to nerve pain relief, too.
For example, rats have been injected with inflammatory chemicals in their hind feet. However, those that were given CBD experienced less neuropathic pain and inflammation.
It is believed that CBD can help reduce nerve pain when it binds to the glycine receptors present in the brain. When this happens, it is possible to regulate the speed that nerve signals are moving between the nerve cells in your body.
To date, though, studies related to this belief in humans are limited. Most of the studies that do exist today are focused on the impact of THC on the body. This makes it challenging to isolate the specific effect that CBD has.
8. Positive Mental Support
Taking CBD oil regularly may help you cope with day-to-day stressors. It can also help provide positive mental support and balance your moods.
CBD can change the way brain receptors respond to serotonin. This is the chemical that is related to your emotional happiness and health.
The brain’s receptors are proteins that are responsible for transmitting chemical sources of communication to other brain cells. This invokes stimuli and response.
When you introduce CBD to the brain, it impacts the receptors to respond to serotonin more efficiently. This may lead to a sense of calm.
When you improve how your brain responds to serotonin, you may find that it improves your mental well-being.
9. Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is the top cause of more serious cardiovascular diseases, including heart attacks and stroke. If you take a single dose of CBD oil daily, you may find you have lower average blood pressure readings.
This also means your risk for heart disease, stroke, and heart attack is reduced.
10. Joint Health
As you age, your joint health may fail. This may result in difficulties getting around and participating in certain activities.
However, CBD oil may help to support joint function. This is done by supporting the joint nerves and by promoting overall cartilage health.
When CBD starts to interact with the endocannabinoid system’s CB2 receptors, it can support your joints if harmful cells are present. Also, CBD reduces the production of collagen antibodies. This maintains the proper function of your joint cartilage.
Collagen is considered a crucial amino acid in your body. It is produced naturally and protects your joint cartilage. It is also used to rebuild cartilage that is lost.
When CBD begins interacting with the receptors that are used for joint function, it will stimulate improved growth. All this leads to better joint health overall.
11. Antipsychotic
Some studies have shown that CBD has antipsychotic benefits. CBD may be helpful for those who are suffering from certain mental disorders, such as psychosis or schizophrenia.
While not all mental disorders will benefit from the use of CBD, some do.
12. Energy Boost
As mentioned above, the endocannabinoid system works to regulate many of the functions in your body. CBD oil may help give your ECS the additional boost needed to regulate these important functions properly.
The additional boost provided by CBD may provide a side effect of more energy. This is because the body is returning to a state of homeostasis.
If you take CBD and feel a renewed source of energy, it is a good thing. Some people equate this feeling to caffeine. While this is true, CBD provides the boost of energy without the jitters or issues with sleep.
13. Overall Health Benefits
The primary function of your endocannabinoid system is to keep your body in a state of homeostasis. This refers to the stability and balance of your body’s internal processes.
In many cases, internal balance can be disrupted by external conditions. With CBD, it is possible to ensure the ECS is working properly to achieve homeostasis.
CBD will help to enhance the body’s current endocannabinoids that interact with the cannabinoid receptors responsible for regulating different functions.
It is also possible for CBD to mimic endocannabinoids. This means it can encourage the ECS to provide the same results that the endocannabinoids provide. Because of this, you may find that adding CBD to your routine can benefit your overall health and wellness.
Tips for Using CBD Oil
CBD is extracted from hemp or marijuana plants. Remember, CBD extracted from hemp plants is the only legal option across the U.S.
The extracted substance will be in powder or oil form. These can be mixed into creams, gels, tinctures, and more.
The way you take CBD depends on why you are taking it. In some cases, especially if you are treating a chronic condition, speaking with your doctor first is smart.
Potential Side Effects of CBD Oil
It is important to note that CBD oil is, for the most part, safe. Side effects and risks are rare.
While this is true, there are some issues you may experience. Knowing what the possible side effects are can be beneficial in case they occur.
Some of the most common side effects (which are very uncommon) you may see when taking CBD oil include:
- Low blood pressure
- Depression
- Hallucinations
- Dizziness
- Withdrawal symptoms (i.e., insomnia and irritability)
- Anxiety
- Vomiting
- Appetite changes
- Nausea
- Mood changes
- Dry mouth
- Diarrhea
- drowsiness
It is worth noting that more human studies are needed to fully understand all the potential side effects and risks linked to CBD oil.
Tips for Buying CBD Oil
People who have taken CBD oil for a while may recommend full-spectrum oils over isolates. Unlike the isolates, which only contain CBD, full-spectrum oils include various compounds found in the hemp or cannabis plant.
This includes things like chlorophyll, proteins, terpenes, and flavonoids. Taking all these together may offer more benefits than CBD alone.
It is still important to remember that CBD oils are not widely regulated. As a result, it is up to you to find a safe product to take.
Find Your Healthy Place with CBD
As you can see from the information above, CBD offers many health and wellness benefits. If you are interested in trying CBD for yourself, take the time to find the right product.
Also, remember that the effects of CBD may not be seen right away. It is something you have to wait to see, which can take a week or longer.
Now that you know all about the potential benefits of CBD read some of our other blogs. We offer information on travel, food, fashion, entertainment, and more. With the information found here, you can stay informed on an array of topics.