As the global population becomes more conscious of their health in the face of recent world events, more people are turning to natural remedies to keep themselves healthy. Many of these supplements and natural products fall under the category of a more preventative approach to health that treats the body holistically and views it as one interconnected organism.
While this view of the body is slightly different than the approach taken by many conventionally trained doctors, many physicians and Western medical experts are starting to see some of the virtues of taking a more holistic view of the body and health.
A range of products has become more popular and more available that can boost users’ health and immunity. Many CBD products in particular have been hailed for their positive effects on the body and mind. Among them include CBD edibles, CBD concentrated oils, CBD tinctures, and many others.
While CBD has an active and growing community of proponents that have enjoyed many of the health benefits it offers, knowledge of CBD as a whole is still harder to come by than it should be. This is large because much of the important research on CBD was delayed due to regulatory hurdles and political controversy.
The good news is that regulations around CBD haven loosened substantially in modern years, and political will has shifted towards a more tolerant and reasoned approach to the substance.
Nonetheless, accurate information regarding CBD products is still hard to come by. So, let’s explore the five things you should know about CBD since many of its health benefits are more important now than ever.
CBD users around the world take CBD products as a way to reduce anxiety and induce a sense of calm. This comes as no surprise considering that a chart review of 72 psychiatric patients treated with CBD found that anxiety was alleviated by CBD products, as reported in this piece by the New York Times.
Moreover, the same piece by the Times explained that a review published in the Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy saw in a study that rodents seemed to adapt better to stressful situations after having CBD administered. Samia Joca, one of the authors of the review and a fellow at the Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies in Denmark wrote, “Surprisingly, CBD seems to act faster than conventional antidepressants.”
Of course, it’s important to keep in mind that this was a rodent study, and depression or anxiety can be difficult to detect in animals. Nonetheless, the review did seem to indicate that CBD could be a fast-acting way to alleviate some symptoms of anxiety or depression, which leads us to our next point.
When considering CBD for therapeutic purposes, it’s important to remember that the clinical research done on CBD is still currently quite limited. This is largely due to past regulations that prevented CBD from being adequately studied. Nonetheless, there could be some reason to believe that CBD could be beneficial to those suffering from depression.
Depression is often correlated with low levels of serotonin. While CBD does not directly increase levels of serotonin, a 2014 animal study found that CBD’s effect on serotonin receptors in the brain produced antidepressant and anti-anxiety effects. More recently, a 2018 review of existing studies concluded that CBD has anti-stress effects, which could help reduce stress-induced forms of depression.
Although more research must be conducted, there is reason to be optimistic about CBD’s ability to help people suffering from depression, according to Daily CBD Mag. Despite these hopeful signs of CBD’s therapeutic effects, there is still not enough evidence to suggest that it should be considered as a complete replacement for antidepressants. CBD should be administered and taken responsibly, and should not be thought of as a cure for depression.
Since there is some evidence that CBD could be beneficial to those suffering from high levels of stress and could possess some anti-anxiety properties, it makes sense that it also works as a sleep aid.
Indeed, many CBD users take it for this purpose, as reported in this piece by the LA Times.
CBD accomplishes its calming effects by acting on users’ endocannabinoid system which helps to maintain a sense of balance and stability, or homeostasis, in the body. To assess CBD’s benefits in aiding sleep, it’s important to consider that insomnia can be caused by a variety of different external factors.
Causes of insomnia include stress, mental health disorders such as anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Other possible causes for insomnia are physical conditions like chronic pain or restless leg syndrome, or environmental factors like an uncomfortable bed or loud noises. Obviously, CBD could help to mitigate some of these factors and not others.
For those experiencing insomnia due to stress, anxiety, or depression, CBD could help to aid sleep by alleviating some of those causes. In one 2019 study, subjects had CBD administered each day and in the first month, 79.2 percent of patients reported lower anxiety levels and 66.7 percent reported better sleep.
In 2018, following extensive clinical research, the FDA approved a CBD oil medication called Epidiolex for managing seizures associated with two rare forms of Epilepsy. Many individuals had already successfully been using CBD to manage seizures before the passage of this legislation. However, the FDA’s approval of Epidiolex is a significant and meaningful stamp of approval for many that had been skeptical of CBD’s ability to help users manage these kinds of seizures.
It’s a reason why it’s important to keep up with recent developments in the research literature. A good science and technology publication can be a good resource for this purpose.
Individuals who keep their fingers on the pulse of the latest scientific studies and reports will be more educated consumers.
Another hopeful sign of CBD’s positive effects on certain kinds of seizures is one study conducted on patients with Dravet syndrome. In the study, patients reported a significant improvement in symptoms including a median motor seizure reduction of 70.6 percent.
Another study found that 50 percent of patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome that had CBD administered reported a seizure frequency drop of over 50 percent, according to Kyro.
When looking at CBD, it’s important to consider not just its benefits but the forms in which it can be administered. The most popular form factor of CBD is concentrated CBD oil.
These products are made by mixing CBD with a carrier oil. The carrier oil can vary, but it is typically an oil high in fat content. This is because an oil with high-fat content acts in the body to make CBD more bioavailable.
Coconut oil is the most common carrier oil used for CBD products due to its high-fat content and other health benefits, but some CBD products or manufacturers use other oils.
Edibles are another popular form of CBD. CBD can be infused into a variety of different edible products ranging from oils to butter, to candies, to beverages.
CBD tinctures are yet another form of CBD and are produced by mixing CBD with a water and alcohol solution. CBD tinctures present some unique benefits, including being the most potent form of CBD products.
Users can explore different forms of CBD depending on their needs and preferences.
There is a lot to learn about CBD, but hopefully these five points will offer a good place for you to start exploring the substance.
