7 Health Benefits of Cannabidiol

The medical use of cannabidiol (CBD) preparations like the Every Day Optimal 2000mg CBD Tincture continues to gain more and more proponents. Contributing to the rise in popularity of CBD use are studies and research that confirm its viability in the treatment and management several medical and neuropsychological conditions. It is hard to deny, however, that the primary reason for CBDs recent popularity is that this cannabinoid is among the primary considerations in the discussion of marijuana legalization.

Cannabidiol is one of the approximately 100 chemical components of the cannabis plant. The most popular of these components is easily the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) because of its psychoactive effects. While marijuana or cannabis sativa does have CBD, a batch of it also contains some 5 to 30 percent of THC, which are the levels that give you a high. Another member of the cannabis family, the hemp or cannabis indica has high CBD content but negligible THC traces. Hemp CBD, therefore, will not make you high or cause you to fail a drug test, which is why it is nearly legal in all 50 states. While THC also has medicinal use, CBD is a better option for those who want to enjoy the medical benefits of cannabis without the high and hazy effects of THC. The following are some of the health benefits of using cannabidiol.

1. Stress and Anxiety Management

The Journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics published a study in 2015 that shows the effectiveness of CBD for the treatment and management of several anxiety disorders. These disorders include generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder (SAD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). CBD works by binding with neurotransmitters, which in turn activate receptors, including the endocannabinoid receptors that are responsible for emotional behavior and fear responses to stressors.

The CBD stimulates these receptors to produce an anxiolytic or calming effect in response to the stressors that trigger multiple anxiety disorders. The 2015 study shows that in some cases, CBD is effective enough in counteracting fear responses. The same study likewise suggests that CBD administration may help protect you from the harmful effects of chronic stress. Users who attest to the effectiveness of CBD as an anxiolytic recommend wax vaporizer pens with CBD oil for faster and more convenient form of self-administration.

2. Pain Alleviation

Apart from affecting the endocannabinoid receptors to trigger anxiolytic effects, these receptors also impact the body’s physiological response and tolerance for pain. CBD helps in alleviating pain by inhibiting the body’s natural response to it. Several studies on animal models show that CBD shows a significant reduction in pain response in rats.

In human models, CBD has shown effectiveness in alleviating various forms of pain including migraine, back pain, muscle pain, neuropathic pain and pain associated with cancer. In combination with THC, CBD also show promise as treatment for pain in patients suffering from multiple sclerosis.

3. Chemotherapy Discomfort Mitigation

 

Even as CBD works well in helping make cancer pain tolerable, it also helps make the side effects of chemotherapy treatments bearable. Chemotherapy side effects, which include nausea, vomiting and stomach cramps, also show decrease in their intensity and duration with CBD treatment. As with pain alleviation treatment, the efficacy of CBD for mitigating the effects of chemotherapy is more potent in combination with THC. It is important to keep in mind, however, that more studies are needed to fully assess the safety of CBD in relation to cancer pain and chemotherapy side effect mitigation treatments.

4. Neuroprotective Properties

Still in relation to the endocannabinoid system (ECS), the 2015 study cited several other studies showing CBD’s neuroprotective properties. Among the other effects of CBDs on the ECS include its ability to reduce inflammatory response in the brain that is typical in neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis. While clinical studies on CBD’s neuroprotective properties are still underway, initial results from the studies that investigate its viability in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders show tremendous promise. Among these disorders are Alzheimer’s disease, Tourette’s syndrome, Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy.

5. Sleep Pattern Correction

Another popular belief is that using marijuana helps patients who are suffering from insomnia. Again, this is only partly true. Studies point to CBD and its anxiolytic properties as one of the main factors that make marijuana an effective sleep aid. Since stress is behind most cases of insomnia, the calming and negating effects of CBD on various types of stressors can help those suffering from insomnia achieve better sleep quality. During daytime hours, studies show that CBD enhances focus and wakefulness. Even with these benefits, this same study also gives evidence that this cannabinoid does not interrupt healthy sleep-wake patterns.

The catch is that the THC component of marijuana, although having intoxicating effects, can actually cause or worsen existing anxiety and paranoia, which in turn can aggravate insomnia. THC likewise, decreases wakefulness during the daytime hours and thus disrupt normal sleep-wake patterns. These findings suggest that hemp derived CBD is a better choice for sleep pattern correction rather than marijuana.

6. Heart and Circulatory Health

A study has linked CBD as a major contributing factor in helping alleviate the symptoms of high blood pressure, which is a condition that can lead to stroke and various heart problems. The study shows that CBD has a relaxing effect that effectively reduces resting heart rates in subjects. The subjects were then asked to undergo stress test to increase their blood pressure. Despite the stress tests, the blood pressure of the subjects only showed a slight increase. The result of this particular study is indicative of the ability of CBD to alleviate hypertension and improve heart health. In a separate study on animal subjects, CBD was demonstrated to have antioxidizing properties that help prevent the onset of heart disease. While this finding is promising, further studies are needed to confirm the viability of CBD in treating and preventing heart and circulatory problems.

7. Other Health Benefits

Proponents and users of CBD oil and other derivatives attest to its effectiveness in curing or at least managing a variety of health conditions. These conditions include lack of appetite, diabetes, tumor growth, substance abuse and schizophrenia.

Even without the widespread discussion on marijuana legalization, CBDs can stand on its own merit when it comes to its contribution to the field of medicine. While it is a good idea to remain guarded, you can allow yourself to enjoy some of the benefits that long-time users and proponents have already proven for themselves.

This is a guest blog entry.