CBD product's popularity has sky-rocket across the US, and this is because this natural but potent main ingredient has proven to aid its users with several illnesses and conditions. Below we will discuss the CBD health benefits but first, we must understand what CBD is.
What is CBD?
Cannabidiol, more commonly referred to as CBD, is an active compound found in the cannabis plant.
CBD is one of several different compounds found in the hemp plant, referred to as cannabinoids.
Until recently, the most commonly known cannabinoid among the general public was by far, THC.
While sometimes touted for its medical benefits, the psychoactive side-effects of as little as 0.3 THC have always held it back from being seen as a major option.
However, over the last 20 years or so, there’s been a ton of research into the second most common cannabinoid in marijuana, CBD.
It was through this research on CBD that it’s become prevalent for the variety of benefits it offers while being extremely well-tolerated in all types of people.
CBD Oil is an extracted form of CBD, which tends to be mixed with some all-natural carrier oils, such as coconut oil.
Regardless of the methods used to create the CBD oil, the resulting product is not intended to get you “high”, as it isn’t psychoactive at all.
That means you don’t have to worry about it getting you high if you’re unwilling or not able to be under the influence.
Not only is this great for adults with substance abuse issues or moral objections, but it also means CBD is a viable treatment option for children as well.
CBD For Chronic Pain
Chronic or Neuropathic pain like sciatica pain can occur when a trauma or disease impacts the sensory system in a way that causes it to stop working properly.
For some people, the damage to one's sensory or nervous system can cause numbness, but for most, it can create sharp or burning pain.
There are so many different variations of neuropathic pain that it is hard to describe them all.
It can be caused by things as varied as alcohol abuse, diabetes, chemotherapy, arthritis, shingles, or syphilis.
It can also be caused by large traumas.
For instance, phantom limb syndrome or the sensation of pain in a limb that has been lost falls under the category of neuropathic pain.
Chronic pain is more widespread than many realize, one in 10 adults over the age of 30 suffer from it, and the risk increases even more as people age and or gain weight.
It is an issue that can be severe and has a significant impact on the daily life of those suffering from it.
It is vital for those suffering from neuropathic pain to seek help from a professional. However, CBD oil products may part of an excellent treatment plan.
There has been a steady stream of research devoted to examining cannabis, and more specifically, CBD's effect on Neuropathic Pain.
PharmIdeas Research and consulting released a study back in 2007 on the subject.
What they found was that CBD/THC based drugs have demonstrated effectiveness in treating and managing neuropathic pain.
The same year, GW Pharmaceuticals published a study; Cannabis, Pain, and Sleep.
CBD for Chronic Pain Research
From Therapeutic Clinical Trials of Sativex, a Cannabis-Based Medicine.
They were able to conclude that a CBD/THC based product could help participants sleep, especially those suffering from neuropathic pain.
Additionally, the University of Utah released a study that looks more closely at CBD alone called Cannabinoids for Neuropathic Pain.
This study found that CBD was an effective treatment option in a number of varying neuropathic pain models.
The team believes more research is needed, but early results are extremely promising.
Other reports, including one out of the University of Milan-Bicocca, have identified several distinct endocannabinoid receptors, which may play an integral role in the mitigation of neuropathic pain, including CB1, CB2, and TRPV1 receptors.
They believe the TRPV1 receptors, in particular, may represent a primary mechanism behind the pain-relieving effects of CBD.
These studies, along with many others, have all garnered results in support of CBD as an effective method of treatment for Neuropathic pain.
We now have a growing pile of evidence suggesting taking doses of CBD products like CBD oils, CBD gummies, and Tinctures can help significantly reduce certain types of neuropathic pain while improving the overall quality of life for many individuals.
While much more research is needed to say anything for sure, the early results have been shown to be well worth trying.
CBD for Arthritis
Arthritis is a condition that over 350 million people in the world deal with. It is caused by an inflammation of one or more joints in the body, characterized by pain and stiffness.
There are a variety of different types of arthritis, but the symptoms and treatments tend to be the same.
The most common types are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage between your joints weakens or depletes. Rheumatoid arthritis is caused by an autoimmune disorder that targets the lining of joints.
No matter which type of arthritis an individual has, it will be characterized by pain and swelling.
Arthritis also gets worse with extended joint use and age.
It can be especially painful in weight-bearing joints, like knees, hips, or spine.
There is no known cure for arthritis, but it is a widespread condition.
In fact, it’s the leading cause of disability among adults in the U.S. Many sufferers are desperate to find relief from their arthritis pain.
As it is such a common condition, affecting so many around the globe, there has been a fair amount of research put into CBD benefits as a potential to cure arthritis pain.
CBD for Arthritis Research
One study out of the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases in the U.K. found that a CBD-based drug offered significant relief of pain during movement and rest, as well as improving the quality of sleep.
What’s more, they found that after the treatment was complete, the progression of the disease had slowed significantly.
A 2011 study called The abnormal cannabidiol analog 0-1602 reduces nociception in the rat model of acute arthritis via the putative cannabinoid receptor GPR55 was conducted at the University of Calgary’s Department of Physiology & Pharmacology.
Their findings showed that CBD bonded to more receptors than they had previously thought and that there is clear evidence that they are involved in joint nociception, meaning that CBD tincture has a great potential to be effective in the treatment of joint inflammation-related pain.
In 2000 the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology released a study that sought to understand how CBD interacts with joint inflammation and pain.
The researchers concluded CBD gummies could “effectively block the progression of arthritis.” Additionally, they found that there were improvements in joints that had suffered severe damage, which warranted further research.
More studies continue to be released, most of which are in great support of CBD as an effective treatment to fight arthritis pain and the condition’s progression.
The known anti-inflammatory benefits of CBD provide a massive relief for many, while research is continually being conducted to determine how else it could help. Be sure to talk to your doctor if you have any questions about starting a regimen of CBD to treat arthritis.
CBD for Seizures
Neurodegenerative diseases are a varied series of conditions that cause a reduction in one's ability to control their body.
This encompasses such varied conditions as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Epilepsy, and Multiple Sclerosis.
The effects of these conditions can range from affecting your balance and locomotion, all the way to changing your heart's ability to pump blood.
Many of these diseases are genetic, while others can be caused by substance abuse or exposure to toxins or certain viruses.
Regardless, the primary symptom of most neurodegenerative disorders is an abnormality of nervous or muscle system function.
The range of severity and speed of its progression varies from disease to disease. That said, many are life-threatening, and all of them greatly impact your day-to-day experience.
Making matters worse, none of the major neurodegenerative conditions have any known cure.
Given the severity of these conditions, it's vital to understand the best treatment options available.
One paper called Cannabidiol: A promising drug for neurodegenerative disorders? was conducted by researchers at the University of Naples Federico II.
The team found that CBD has immense promise as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of neurodegeneration.
They believe this is due to the known anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective benefits of CBD, especially considering its lack of psychotropic effect.
CBD for Seizures Research
A study on CBD oil and neurodegeneration was researched at the University of Madrid back in 2013.
They also identified anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties as primary mechanisms behind the value of CBD benefits for these disorders.
They found that CBD works beyond just the endocannabinoid system, causing direct and indirect activation of more metabotropic receptors, proving once again the great promise CBD oil has for treating neurodegenerative disorders.
A report out of the Pontifical Catholic University analyzed another critical aspect of neurodegenerative disorders, memory.
They found promising results citing that their tests found that continual CBD treatment improves recognition memory, meaning that CBD could have the potential to help slow the cognitive decline associated with various neurodegenerative diseases.
Finally, a 2013 report out of the University of Kentucky looked into the transdermal delivery of CBD as a treatment for neurodegeneration.
The alcohol-induced degeneration was reduced by 48% in rat models after a 5% CBD gel was applied.
These findings provide promise for alternative routes of CBD benefits by your chosen delivery.
Seizures and Neurodegeneration, in general, are severe conditions.
Not only are many neurodegenerative disorders terminal, but even when they aren't, they will significantly impact your quality of life.
As such, it's fantastic to see so much research looking into the potential of CBD oil to improve your quality of life, or even possibly slow the progression of these debilitating conditions.
More research is undoubtedly needed, but the early data has been nothing if not promising.
CBD For Acne
Acne is a condition that causes red, bumpy, and blotchy skin. Most people think of acne as being a condition for adolescents, but really it can affect people of any age, and yes one of the CBD benefits is to help you smooth and regenerate skin cells.
Acne occurs when hair follicles become clogged with oil and dirt, leading to the development of pimples, whiteheads, and blackheads.
These can all flare up if bacteria builds up, causing inflammatory acne, which can be extremely uncomfortable and painful.
All of this can lead to permanent scarring of the skin.
There are treatment plans for acne, but currently no known cures.
In truth, we don’t understand what precisely causes acne, just factors that increase the likelihood.
For instance, while a large portion of the nearly 90% of people who have acne at some point in their lives experience it in adolescence, 40-55% of adults ages 20-40 experience acne as well.
As such, we must identify all the most viable options we have to treat this condition without harsh chemicals.
CBD For Acne Research
A 2014 study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation titled Cannabidiol exerts sebostatic and antiinflammatory effects on human sebocytes suggests CBD tincture can correct sebaceous glands.
These important glands are responsible for producing oil in our skin and can cause issues when dysregulated.
Its ability to correct oil production, along with CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties, shows it has promising potential as a therapy for acne and other skin conditions.
Another report highlighting the delicate balance needed for healthy skin and CBD’s impact on that balance was conducted in 2009 by researchers at the University of Debrecen.
They found that CBD not only helps protect you from various conditions but can even impact the overall needs of your skin.
Endocannabinoid signaling and epidermal differentiation, a report out of the University of Teramo, takes things to the next level.
They found CBD can play a role in correcting the regulation of skin cell growth and death, which contributes to many skin conditions.
While a lot more data is needed, the early findings had the researchers quite optimistic.
Other studies focused more on CBD’s effect on inflammation, an aspect that plays a significant role in acne.
Tongji University’s School of Medicine conducted a survey that found that CBD had substantial anti-inflammatory effects, even decreasing the release of many inflammation-related chemicals by the body.
With the rapid expansion of the CBD industry, things like acne have been increasingly studied by researchers.
Thanks to their work, we now understand some of the crucial ways cannabidiol can impact the hair follicles and sebaceous glands of the skin.
What’s even more promising is just how well tolerated CBD has proven to be for a wide range of people.
CBD For Diabetes
Diabetes is a condition where one's body either doesn't create enough insulin or can't use its own insulin.
There are two main types, with type one being hereditary, and type two usually the result of factors which include things such as increased weight and environment.
This often has a significant impact on energy levels, and it can also result in increased thirst and urination, extreme hunger and weight loss, blurry vision, and even sores that take a long time to heal.
Insulin is necessary for our body's cells to accept sugar, and when it is not produced or used effectively, the sugars meant for cells build up in your bloodstream.
Over time, this can lead to a plethora of other conditions, including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and a loss of circulation to the extremities.
It's an all too common issue around the developed world, particularly in America, where it's the seventh leading cause of death each year.
Despite how common disease and cause of death diabetes is, there is not a lot of research directly concerning CBD oil benefits and diabetes.
What few there are paint a fairly promising picture regarding its impact on things such as inflammation and pain.
CBD for Diabetes Research
One very promising study conducted at the Hadassah University Hospital in Jerusalem called Cannabidiol lowers the incidence of diabetes in non-obese diabetic mice found that their test mice had a substantially lower risk of developing diabetes after treatment with CBD.
Another study published in the American Journal of Physiology: Heart and Circulatory Physiology called Cannabidiol attenuates high glucose-induced endothelial cell inflammatory response barrier disruption revealed findings that the application of CBD had quite positive effects on inflammation caused by increased glucose levels among the most important CBD benefits.
This study was further supported by a report titled Cannabinoids suppress inflammatory and neuropathic pain by targeting glycine receptors conducted by researchers at the Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
In addition to finding CBD's ability to suppress inflammation, they also found that it had a marked ability to suppress pain in their clinical subjects.
While we don't currently have as much evidence about CBD benefits and diabetes as with many other conditions, what we do have is very exciting.
More and more research is being conducted all the time to keep up with the demand for effective and tolerable treatments.
CBD is a powerful anti-inflammatory, and it seems these benefits have a positive role to play in the manifestation of diabetes symptoms.
More research is needed, but what we have will surely pave the way for much more data.
CBD For The Heart
The term heart disease refers to a variety of conditions that affect the heart. These conditions can include coronary artery disease, arrhythmia, and congenital heart defects.
Symptoms vary from one type of heart disease to another, and even the same disease can manifest differently for men and women.
The most common symptoms for heart diseases include chest pain or pressure, shortness of breath, and pains in the neck, jaw, or back.
It is essential to be aware of your symptoms and discuss them with your doctor as most people don’t discover they’re even living with heart disease until they suffer from a stroke or heart attack.
Heart disease is one of the most common diseases in the world and is a leading killer among both men and women.
While the major factors that contribute to heart disease are age and genetics, you still have the power to impact it with things like diet and exercise.
Your chances of developing heart disease are also closely correlated with your stress levels.
We already know how well tolerated cannabidiol is and how it can protect the cardiovascular system in several important ways.
While the research has been promising so far, there is still a lot more to learn before we have all the answers.
CBD For The Heart Research
A 2013 report conducted at the University of Nottingham, found that CBD was helpful in animal models with impaired endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation, showing promise that this could be applicable to people as well.
The team also showed evidence CBD oil could be beneficial for the peripheral and cerebral vasculature along with the heart itself.
Robert Gordon University conducted a study back in 2010 looking into the impact of CBD on heart disease.
Their goal was to find out how CBD impacts the cardiovascular system, and they ultimately found CBD treatment reduced the number of arrhythmias experienced along with average infarct size.
They also found evidence that the protective benefits of CBD might be dose-dependent.
Another study, called Endocannabinoids acting at cannabinoid-1 receptors regulate cardiovascular function in hypertension, was conducted by the National Institutes of Health.
The researchers concluded that the CB1 receptor was activated by CBD, while decreasing blood pressure and vascular resistance, relieving some hypertension.
Further study into the impact of CBD tincture on the cardiovascular system has identified some of the possible mechanisms behind the noted benefits.
For instance, a 2015 study called The effect of cannabidiol on ischemia/reperfusion-induced ventricular arrhythmias: the role of adenosine A1 receptors noted the activation of adenosine A1 receptors as key to the process.
Their findings confirm that CBD reduces the length and frequency of arrhythmias via the A1 receptor.
These studies only scratch the surface on the plethora of cardiovascular diseases that fall under the heart disease umbrella.
That’s why it’s so important for us to continue research into the benefits of CBD.
How to Take CBD
The market is flooded with different products and mediums by which to take your CBD.
Some of the most common options you will find are vaping, tinctures, edibles, and topical ointments.
Obviously, assessing your needs is the first step in deciding how to take treatment. This means thinking about what your wants and needs are and deciding which forms of CBD fit that best.
Conditions like heart disease and neurodegenerative disorders, where you need the CBD to be working inside your body, require an oral dosage like a tincture or an edible.
Other conditions like stress benefits from a more immediate dosage like vaping.
Alternatively, if you are looking to treat cure or prevent a skin condition like acne, you should be looking for a topical ointment or cream to apply to the affected area.
There is also a lot of crossovers where some conditions might require multiple treatment options.
For instance, with arthritis, you can take an oral dosage to alleviate pain through the day, but for more direct treatment of a specific joint, you might choose a topical application.
The biggest thing is to keep track of your dosages and pay attention to your body.
Ultimately each individual’s body and their needs from CBD will dictate what sort of dosage is required.
So the longer you experiment with different regimens, the more closely you’ll zero in on your ideal treatment plan.
How Much CBD Should I Take?
This a question that completely depends on what you’re trying to treat with the CBD oil.
It’s not as simple as just providing a number for everyone and calling it a day.
Finding the right dosage for you is going to require some good old fashioned experimentation on your part.
You can’t simply type your weight into a calculator and get the right answer.
Although we can’t provide an ideal dosage for each condition, we strongly suggest talking with your doctor to determine a stable starting place, as well as keeping a journal to track your progress.
That said, advice regarding any diagnoses treats cure, is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, any ailments.
This simple trick has made a big difference for many in their journey to determine what the right amount of THC free CBD is for them.
After just 30 days of tracking your dose and subsequent daily reaction, most people are able to say with confidence if, and how well CBD is working for them, along with any side effects.
As such, it’s essential to remain honest with yourself when tracking your progress.
You’re only cheating yourself if you embellish, or forget to accurately track your dosages.
There is a lot to gain by following these few simple tips, but it’s up to you to make sure it’s worth it by eventually finding the perfect balance for you and your life.