- For Treating Mental Health
- For Alleviating Chronic Pain
- For Female Care
- For Pets
- For Athletic Recovery
- For Better Sleep
- For Brain Boosting
You may have noticed that CBD is everywhere. The budding CBD industry, still considered by many business analysts to be in its infancy, has grown substantially in recent years. This is due to more and more people turning to CBD to replace certain prescription medications. New scientific research is showing CBD to be effective in the treatment of a variety of health conditions. Even more impressive is the number of anecdotal stories of how people have been helped with CBD. Here are some common uses for CBD backed by science.
CBD for Treating Mental Health
One of the most exciting avenues of CBD research focuses on its therapeutic usage in the treatment of anxiety and depression. According to a study from 2017, 17.3 million American adults suffer from depression. Similarly, high numbers of Americans are affected by some form of anxiety. The most common, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and social anxiety disorder (SAD).
Shockingly, suicide is now the 10th most common cause of death in the US. Unfortunately, the most common prescription pharmaceutical treatment, serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) carry unpleasant and often dangerous side effects.
For anxiety, the traditional pharmaceutical interventions can be even more disastrous. The go-to medication for many doctors is a class of drugs called benzodiazepines. This class of drugs includes alprazolam (Xanax) and diazepam (Valium). They are effective at blunting anxiety in the short-term by binding to the GABA receptors in the brain that are responsible for relaxation. However, these drugs also carry a serious risk of addiction and even dementia with long-term use.
Enter CBD. Therapeutic CBD supplementation is often more effective than conventional medicines in treating mental health disorders. However, it does not carry the same risks associated with SSRIs and benzodiazepines. CBD has potent relaxation properties.
CBD Knowledge Nuggets
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There are hundreds of companies selling CBD, both good and bad. A popular company may not have the right product for you. Sometimes it may come down to just which one feels right to you. You can see our list of partners that we have determined are good ones to purchase products from.
Vaping/smoking goes directly into the lungs making it the quickest to take effect, within minutes. Tinctures can take about 20 minutes and edibles may take up to two hours. See Ways to Consume CBD
On it’s own, CBD does nothing. When partnered with your endocannabinoid system, CBD helps manage stress, anxiety, pain and other bodily functions.
CBD for Alleviating Chronic Pain
The second of the common uses for CBD is the alleviation of chronic pain. Chtronic pain is defined as daily or regularly recurring pain that lasts more than three months in the same area. It has many causes. Here are a few.
• Arthritis
• Back injuries
• Nerve damage
• Fibromyalgia
• Lyme Disease
CBD works to effectively treat chronic pain by reducing out-of-control inflammation throughout the body. Unchecked inflammation is a major contributor to many diseases. In the West, because of diets lacking adequate nutrition, sedentary lifestyles, and lack of proper sleep, the average American adult experiences some degree of chronic inflammation.
With its high-payoff and low-risk profile, CBD is an optimal alternative for relief from chronic pain.
CBD for Female Care
Many women have found relief for menstrual issues by using CBD products for period care. It is proven to reduce the intensity of menstrual cramps and bloating. Through its activity on the so-called “vanilloid receptor,” it reduces tenderness in the breasts and lower abdomen pain, common menstrual symptoms experienced by women.
Endometriosis is a condition in which tissue that normally grows inside the uterus grows outside of it, usually in the ovaries and fallopian tubes. This can be extremely painful. Often, endometriosis carries substantial health risks as well. According to medical literature, roughly 10% of women experience this condition. Often, symptoms become more severe during the menstrual cycle.
Related Article Best Ways To Consume CBD
CBD for Pets
Dogs and cats are both mammals, and have many features physiologically similar to humans. Just like humans, dogs, cats, and most vertebrates have an Endocannabinoid System (ECS). This means that they have receptors for cannabinoids like CBD. Therefore, pets can benefit from CBD supplementation just as humans can.
Pet anxiety is one of several common uses for CBD. CBD for pets can be used to treat anxiety, pain (frequently associated with arthritis in older pets), and seizures. Despite the fact that the FDA has not officially approved CBD for therapeutic use in pets, many manufacturers now make products specifically marketed to pets. Keep in mind that your pets require smaller serving sizes of CBD because of their lower body mass.
CBD for Athletic Recovery
In addition to its pain-killing and anti-inflammatory benefits for athletes, CBD is thought to boost blood flow to the muscles. This ensures optimal delivery of oxygen and important nutrients. Sleep is arguably the most critical factor in recovery from strenuous physical activity. CBD’s promotion of healthy sleep habits may help speed athletic recovery.
High-intensity exercise triggers the release of cortisol, which has a catabolic effect on the body, meaning that the body is likely to break down muscle. CBD prevents the excessive release of cortisol in athletes who perform this type of intense exercise.
CBD for Better Sleep
Research only released within the last year confirms what anecdotal accounts from regular CBD users have reported for years: that CBD significantly enhances sleep among users. In the study, the participants given CBD slept longer and enjoyed higher-quality, more restorative sleep after administration of CBD.
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Like a team, all parts of the plant work together to have a better effect. Full and Broad Spectrum formulations take this into account.
Isolate is pure CBD. Full and Broad Spectrum formulations incorporate terpenes and flavonoids to take advantage of the entourage effect.
The ECS is a complex network of biological infrastructure that coordinates activity between different systems within the body. It is responsible for several important bodily functions.
CBD for Boosting Brain Power
If you have surfed health-related corners of the internet, you may have encountered the term “nootropic.” A nootropic is any substance that causes a physiological effect resulting in enhanced brain function. The practice is popular among Silicon Valley tech entrepreneurs looking for insight as well as by everyday Americans looking for a leg-up mentally.
CBD qualifies as a nootropic because of its anti-anxiety relaxation properties, its mitigation of stress, and its regulation of sleep. Connoisseurs of nootropics are known to add CBD to their regimen to reap these benefits.
The Takeaway
Scientific inquiry into CBD’s natural healthcare applications has only begun in earnest in the last decade. It is expected that further discoveries of CBD’s amazing healing potential will likely develop. New studies emerge regularly that document the therapeutic effects of CBD supplementation for a number of conditions.
