What Is CBD Oil?
It’s no surprise that CBD oil has become a popular alternative remedy. CBD is one of at least 104 chemical compounds with the common name “cannabinoids.” As its name suggests, it comes from the marijuana or cannabis plant, the Cannabis sativa.
However, most people are reluctant to use it because it’s a product of cannabis. CBD is not psychoactive, and will not cause the sensation of getting “high.” Another cannabinoid is responsible for that, called Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. And unlike CBD, THC is very psychoactive. Read more about the differences between CBD and THC.
That lack of negative effects is the main reason why CBD has become so appealing to people who are looking for some stress or pain relief. With CBD oil, you can get all of the benefits of a stress-reliever. Naturally, you won’t be subjected to mind-altering side effects of marijuana or other medication with similar results.
Unlike most natural medicine, CBD oil actually has noticeable benefits. Furthermore, numerous scientific studies concluded that cannabidiol could help with many disorders. These include anxiety and chronic pain, to name but a few.
These are the most common health benefits of CBD usage. Keep in mind that this list contains benefits largely proven by the scientists.
Best CBD Oil
1. CBD Oil For Pain
After extensive research, scientists discovered that cannabis has components which help with pain relief. CBD is the main component.
Our body contains an endocannabinoid system or ECS. It has an effect on sleep, appetite, pain, and immune system responses. Our body produces many endocannabinoids that act as neurotransmitters. In other words, they link to cannabinoid receptors that exist in our nervous systems.
People often have painful responses during surgery when a surgeon makes an incision. CBD injection could help by reducing this pain. If you take CBD oil orally, you can lower sciatic nerve pain and inflammation. Scientists came to both of these conclusions after two studies involving lab rats.
There were other interesting results during studies with human test subjects. For example, if you combine CBD and THC, you can use it well to treat arthritis and multiple sclerosis, or MS.
Multiple Sclerosis Study
Sativex, an oral spray containing both CBD and THC, can treat MS-induced pain. During one study, researchers gave Sativex to 47 participants with MS. Results were largely positive. Patients who used this spray felt notably better. Their muscle and walking spasms decreased, and they felt pain relief. Thanks to studies such as this one, several countries approved using Sativex in MS treatment.
CBD oil also helps with rheumatoid arthritis. A separate study involving 58 participants showed that they all experienced improvements. Most of their resting and movement pain was lowered. Furthermore, their quality of sleep also improved.CBD is a natural alternative to the common prescription drug people use to relieve pain and stiffness. Also, research shows that CBD can reduce chronic inflammation and pain, as well.
2. CBD Oil For Anxiety
Depression and anxiety are serious mental health disorders. Even with treatment, depression remains the biggest contributor to disability in the world. Anxiety disorders follow this number closely, ranking sixth.
Of course, there are many different treatments for both anxiety and depression. However, they have a lot of side effects. These include agitation, drowsiness, insomnia, headaches, and sexual dysfunction. In addition, certain prescription drugs can be very addictive, like BZDs. In fact, they can be more addictive than hard drugs such as crack cocaine or heroin.
However, cannabidiol as an anxiety reducer has almost none of these issues. One study had participants who took either 600 mg of CBD or a placebo drug. In a speaking test that followed, the group which underwent CBD oil treatment showed less anxiety. They also had a smaller degree of cognitive impairment and felt less discomfort overall as they spoke. In other words, their results were better than those of the placebo group.
Insomnia & Anxiety Treatment Study
Cannabidiol has shown great results in treating insomnia and anxiety. More specifically, it helped reduce stress in children with PTSD. A few animal studies followed this. The researchers discovered that CBD oil could have similar effects to an antidepressant on the patient.
CBD has most of these qualities thanks to its ability to act on serotonin receptors in our brains. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that maintains our mood. It is responsible for how our body regulates social behavior.Cannabis is something that doctors tend to rule out for people with chronic anxiety. That’s because THC can easilygger anxiousness and paranoia. Unlike THC, CBD can actually help reduce the levels of anxiety in people who suffer from conditions such as panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, OCD and similar.
3. Cancer Prevention – CBD For Cancer
Without a doubt, cancer is one of the worst diseases. There are various treatments for it, and all of them vary in how effective they are. CBD oil, on the other hand, shows promise when it comes to reducing cancer symptoms. Not only that, but proper use of CBD oil can help with cancer treatment side effects, such as vomiting, nausea, and excessive pain.
During one study, 177 participants who experienced cancer pain, but felt no relief from pain meds, took CBD and THC. The participants that only got THC felt some pain reduction. On the other hand, participants that took a mix of CBD and THC felt significant pain reduction.
Then there’s the issue of vomiting and nausea after chemotherapy. Most people that underwent chemo know that there is proper medication for these side effects. However, these meds often don’t achieve the desired effect. It’s no wonder that people are looking for alternatives like CBD. During one study, 16 participants that had chemo treatment used a CBD-THC combination. This combo was administered through a spray. Nearly all participants agreed that this helped lower vomiting and nausea.
Cancer Prevention
Naturally, scientists wanted to see if CBD oil had any anticancer properties. As a result, they performed several animal studies using it. However, it should be noted that the findings don’t fully apply to humans. In fact, they merely suggest what possible effects CBD might have when it comes to dealing with cancer. With that in mind, additional human studies would help conclude if CBD oil has an effect on cancer cells in humans.
One study suggested that a dose of concentrated CBD oil might cause cell death in breast cancer cells. One more study involving mice dealt with this particular cancer as well. Researchers concluded that CBD might inhibit aggressive breast cancer cells from spreading.CBD oil can be used to prevent cancer from spreading. Some scientific studies show that the CBD compound can help suppress the growth of cancer cells and promote their destruction.
4. Acne Treatment – CBD Oil For Acne
Almost ten percent of people worldwide deal with acne. It’s a pretty common skin condition, even among adults. A few major factors can cause acne. Those are usually genetic makeup, bacterial infection, underlying skin inflammation, and sebum overproduction. Sebum is an oily secretion that lubricates our skin. It forms inside of sebaceous glands, which are under our skin.
Multiple studies showed that CBD has properties that reduce inflammation. As such, it can be used to decrease sebum production. In other words, CBD oil might be good for your acne problem. One test-tube study showed that CBD had a noticeable effect on the sebaceous cells. When they came into contact with CBD oil, these cells stopped secreting any excess sebum. On top of that, CBD also lowered inflammation and stopped the so-called inflammatory cytokinesis before it manifested.
5. Seizures – CBD Effects For Seizures
Epilepsy – CBD Oil For Epilepsy
CBD has noted effects on many systems the brain uses to send signals to your body. One of these is the endocannabinoid system. When used, CBD can have beneficial effects on people who suffer neurological disorders. The research in this area is still new. However, there were many studies where CBD oil effects were tested on treating multiple sclerosis and epilepsy.
MS – CBD Oil For Multiple Sclerosis
A full spectrum CBD oil reduces multiple sclerosis induced muscle spasms in a safe, successful way. Scientists used the CBD oil during a study with 276 people. It managed to reduce spasms in 75% of all participants. This study focused on muscle spasticity which prescribed medication couldn’t lower.
Seizures – CBD And Seizures
Two additional studies in this area were done using CBD oil. In the first one, 214 participants would take 0.9 to 2.3 grams of oil per 1 pound of body weight. CBD successfully reduced seizures by a median of 36.5%. The second study focused on children who suffered from Dravet syndrome. Dravet syndrome is a type of epilepsy that happens in early infancy. Normally high temperatures and fevers trigger it. The results of the second study showed that CBD oil reduced seizures significantly.
Parkinson’s – CBD Oil For Parkinson’s Disease
People suffering from other neurological disorders might also benefit from using CBD oil as part of their treatment. Several studies involving Parkinson’s disease showed that participants slept better after treatment. Furthermore, their overall quality of life increased.
Alzheimer’s – CBD Oil For Alzheimer’s Disease
Amazingly, CBD also showed positive benefits in treating or preventing Alzheimer’s disease. As CBD lowers inflammation, it helps prevent nerves from degenerating. During one study, scientists used mice with the genetic predisposition for Alzheimer’s disease. They found that CBD helped by preventing the mice’s cognitive decline.CBD can have beneficial effects on people who suffer neurological disorders such as epilepsy and multiple sclerosis. Amazingly, CBD showed positive benefits in treating or preventing Alzheimer’s disease. As CBD lowers inflammation, it helps prevent nerves from degenerating.
6. Heart Benefits – CBD Benefits For Heart
High Blood Pressure – CBD Oil For High Blood Pressure
CBD is good for more than just your neurological issues. In fact, it can do wonders with your heart and your circulatory system. Naturally, this includes helping to lower your blood pressure. Most doctors agree that heart pressure can cause many other serious heart conditions, such as heart attacks, strokes, and the metabolic syndrome. Therefore, the most natural way to treat your blood pressure might be CBD oil.
Stress Relief – CBD Oil For Stress
During one study, 10 healthy male participants took just one 600 mg dose of CBD oil. Their resting blood pressure went down successfully. These same men were then put on stress tests. These tests were specifically designed to raise blood pressure. After taking the same dose of CBD, the men yielded positive results. Their blood pressure was lower than it normally would be in these stressful situations. Most scientists agreed that CBD lowers blood pressure because of its ability to help reduce anxiety and stress.
While testing cannabidiol, scientists discovered that it could help prevent heart disease. During several animal studies, CBD successfully lowered inflammation, as well as cell death. In one particular study, researchers used CBD treatment on diabetic mice. They discovered that it helped decrease oxidative stress, which could lead to heart damage.
7. Other CBD Oil Benefits
Scientists have tested CBD to see how it reacts to many diseases and conditions. As you’ve seen, most of the testing was done on heart disease, cancer, anxiety, depression, multiple sclerosis, and acne. But CBD had positive results with other, “minor” diseases as well.
Schizophrenia Study – CBD Oil For Schizophrenia
For example, CBD oil could help reduce certain psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia. Several studies concluded that using CBD has positive effects on people who have schizophrenia and similar disorders.
Addiction Prevention
A couple of studies dealt with drug and substance abuse. From them, we’ve learned that if you use CBD, you can decrease your drug-seeking behavior and be less dependent. CBD oil has a notable effect on the brain circuits responsible for addiction. Once it alters your circuitry, you’ll have less desire to depend on any substance.
One more area where CBD had positive results in tumor research. A few studies were done involving animals to check for anti-tumor properties of CBD. The results were promising. CBD might help prevent the spreading of various cancers. These include breast, brain, colon, prostate, and lung cancer.
One more condition CBD oil can help with is diabetes. During an animal study, scientists gave diabetic mice CBD treatments. These treatments lowered the animals’ diabetes incidence by as much as 56%. More than half! Not to mention that CBD oil also lowered diabetic inflammation.
CBD Tinctures And Isolates
One of the most popular CBD products is the CBD tincture. A tincture is a powerful liquid form of CBD that allows people to avoid smoking or ingesting cannabinoid molecules in the form of edibles. Tinctures have a somewhat harsh taste due to the manufacturing process. CBD tincture is made by steeping cannabis flowers in alcohol that’s simmered until most of it is boiled off, leaving behind a denser liquid infused with active CBD compounds.
Another popular form of CBD ingestion is taking a CBD isolate. In a powdered form, the CBD isolate is much easier to ingest, which is especially important for people with severe dietary issues or restrictions, such as cancer patients or patients with Crohn’s disease.
CBD Edibles
We can take CBD in many forms, the most popular of which are the CBD edibles. Lately, the fan-favorite edible products are the CBD gummies – gummy candies infused with CBD. This product is available in different flavors and dosages, which makes it an ideal and practical choice. They are a perfect combination of medicating and treating yourself.
The best CBD gummies are 100% natural and with no THC in them, which means they aren’t psychoactive. You can use them for a wide variety of issues – depression and anxiety, arthritis, cancer, etc. Moreover, CBD gummies are ideal for chemo-induced nausea because they are small and compact, unlike other edibles like cake pops or chocolate bars.
However, CBD edibles also come in other forms, acceptable for non-human use. For example, CBD for dogs and CBD for cats has become a widespread way of providing our furry friends with comfort and pain relief. We can give CBD oil for dogs to our canine friends in the form of CBD dog treats. Furthermore, CBD oil for cats comes in a similar form, and we can use it to treat various diseases and conditions, like the Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Crohn’s disease, but also for treatment of pain, anxiety, nausea, cancer, and any inflammatory diseases.
CBD Beverages
Sometimes edibles aren’t the best course of action for various reasons. Due to a plethora of symptoms, some patients can’t digest solid food. That is why products like CBD water are ideal for them. Beverages like CBD water, CBD tea, and even CBD coffee have significant advantages.
Water can completely bypass the digestive system. Again, this is an excellent choice for patients with digestive issues. The CBD molecules from these beverages are immediately transported and absorbed into the body. This makes the effects quicker and more potent.
Smokeables And CBD Vape Products
The first thing that comes to mind when we think of CBD products are the smokables such as vape products. CBD vape oil and CBD oil vape juice are very popular among patients because their effects are almost instantaneous. What’s more, they are ideal for a wide variety of issues – from pain to panic attacks. To consume them, you need a CBD vape pen and smokeable products like e-liquids.
Like regular vape oils, CBD vape juice comes in different flavors. The flavors vary from simple mint, refreshing fruity tones to more potent and exotic tropical flavors of cocktails.
Pills And CBD Capsules
Other great products that are easily digested are the CBD capsules. An ongoing debate about whether CBD oil capsules are better than regular oil speaks volumes about how far we’ve come in the CBD business. Capsules and CBD pills often have a wider range of active molecules. Phytocannabinoids in capsules work together with other compounds to alleviate symptoms such as pain, nausea, anxiety, etc.
There is a significant delay in effect when it comes to CBD capsules. However, as if to compensate for that, the capsules also have a more durable effect than the vaping CBD products and edibles.
Topical CBD Products
Of course, some patients don’t like or can’t ingest any form of CBD. However, that still leaves them with a wide range of products that will help them with their ailments. For example, a CBD cream or a CBD lotion is great for Lupus and arthritis patients. We can apply them directly to aching joints and other spots. Therefore, the necessary effects will be quicker.
However, that’s not the only benefit of these types of CBD products. Creams and lotions aren’t ingested. Thus, there are no other effects, physical or mental, which means that the patients can target their symptoms more effectively.
As a great form of combining pain relief and relaxation, CBD bath bombs have made a real boom on the market. These allow the patients to absorb CBD through the skin. They have a soothing effect when it comes to pain. However, like the creams and lotions, they don’t have any unwanted effects that edibles and smokables do.
Common CBD Side Effects
Of course, like any other medication, CBD oil has its own side effects. Based on research, CBD won’t harm most people. Mainly because, on average, we have a high tolerance for it. However, there might still be some side effects with some users.
There are two types of side effects with CBD oil use: physical and psychological. Physical side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, mouth dryness, drowsiness, and vertigo. Psychological side effects include anxiety, depression, psychosis, appetite changes and mood swings.
You should also keep in mind that CBD oil might cause a reaction if you use it with certain medications. Consult your doctor before you start using CBD oil if you’re already on other meds.
