Claims that CBD oil can help with conditions like insomnia, depression, and anxiety1, among other health benefits, have made it an increasingly popular natural supplement today.
To make CBD oil, mix cannabis extracts with hemp seed oil or coconut oil. Hemp simply refers to any cannabis product that has up to 0.3% THC and not more.
Three distinct categories of CBD oil include:
Full spectrum CBD oil: This kind of CBD oil contains all active ingredients in a cannabis plant in addition to CBD. In this case, the ingredients include flavonoids, terpenes, THC, and all other cannabinoids.
Broad spectrum CBD oil: This category has all properties similar to full spectrum CBD, except that they don’t have THC. Also, they contain other cannabinoids like CBN and CBG.
CBD isolate: CBD is the only active ingredient in CBD isolate. So, you enjoy CBD in its purest form, free from other cannabinoids.
CBD oil is an ingredient in many cannabis products, including vape cartridges, sublingual drops, lotions, gummies, brownies, and capsules. Thus, its uses and benefits are extensive in the human body, and we will look at these aspects in detail in this post.
1. May Relieve Pain
Cannabis’s ability to alleviate pain dates back to around 2900 BC in China2. Its effects are effective because CBD typically targets endocannabinoid receptors and interacts with neurotransmitters, reducing inflammations and pain, as studies show.
Ideally, endocannabinoid receptors regulate pain sensation, so when CBD oil gets into the system, the effects of mitigating rheumatic diseases and pain become more effective.
2. May Alleviate Depression and Anxiety
CBD is emerging as an efficient mood enhancer and an agent for mitigating stress and depression. A recent publication in neuropsychopharmacology involving a human study showed that CBD can alleviate anxiety associated with public speaking.
During the research, the participants presented in a public speaking event before and after taking CBD. There was discomfort and anxiety when presenting under no influence of CBD, a mystery thing when they presented after using CBD.
The conclusion was that CBD helps prevent negative self-evaluation3, reducing the chances of anxiety and discomfort when in public set-ups.
Currently, more research is underway on the effectiveness of CBD oil to fight depression, but the possibilities are immense.
3. Can Prevent Skin Conditions and Inflammatory
Are you struggling to get glowing skin? Research shows that CBD oil can improve your skin condition and alleviate inflammation. Cannabinoids contain anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, anti-cancer, and itch properties,4 making improving your skin health possible when CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid receptors.
If you have a skin disease like acne, pain, itchiness, skin cancer, psoriasis, or atopic dermatitis, CBD oil might help.
4. May Promote Neuroprotection
Another benefit of CBD is promoting the neuro activity and may prevent neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, multiple sclerosis, and ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)5. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties are behind these effects.
5. Can Help Managing Addiction
Some researchers suggest that CBD oil may be effective in managing addiction and craving for drugs 6by reducing amygdala activation, a brain part associated with addiction.
An American study involving people with heroin disorder showed a cue-inducing addiction and craving effect upon using CBD.
6. Can Regulate Diabetes Complications
CBD oil can help regulate the effects of high glucose levels, as seen in human cell tests. In other words, CBD precedes the development of diabetes complications and plaque in the artery walls7.
This is backed up by a recent study involving type 2 diabetes patients who were not insulin-treated. The patients were given a placebo, and CBD instead of insulin treatment, and CBD was seen to increase glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptides and decrease resistance.
The glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide is a hormone that promotes insulin production, while resistin works by causing resistance in insulin release.
Ultimately, CBD was seen as a natural regulation supplement for diabetes and promoting insulin hormone levels.
7. May Inhibit ALS Symptoms
ALS, or Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a nerve cell disorder that affects the spine, brain, and muscles. 8There is not much research on the causes of ALS, but it is believed to be more of a hereditary disease. Similarly, there is no known cure for ALS, but there are a few FDA-approved medications to manage ALS.
Specifically, a combination of CBD and THC is shown to cause an encouraging effect on people with ALS, so long as it is mixed in the right doses according to preferences and needs.
Conclusion
CBD oil has extensive uses and health benefits to users. From alleviating pain, depression, and anxiety, preventing skin disease, promoting neuro activity, managing addiction, and regulating diabetes complications to inhibiting ALS symptoms, the list is endless.
All the same, because CBD oil contains several side effects, including diarrhea, a change in appetite, fatigue, and impaired cognition,9 it’s crucial to use CBD oil regularly. That means taking the right doses and seeking professional help.
- Kuhathasan, N., Minuzzi, L., MacKillop, J., & Frey, B. N. (2022). An investigation of cannabis use for insomnia in depression and anxiety in a naturalistic sample. BMC psychiatry, 22(1), 1-8. ↩︎
- Verma, R., Hoda, F., Arshad, M., Iqubal, A., Siddiqui, A. N., Khan, M. A., … & Najmi, A. K. (2021). Cannabis, a miracle drug with polyvalent therapeutic utility: preclinical and clinical-based evidence. Medical cannabis and cannabinoids, 4(1), 43-60. ↩︎
- Bergamaschi, M. M., Queiroz, R. H. C., Chagas, M. H. N., De Oliveira, D. C. G., De Martinis, B. S., Kapczinski, F., … & Crippa, J. A. S. (2011). Cannabidiol reduces the anxiety induced by simulated public speaking in treatment-naive social phobia patients. Neuropsychopharmacology, 36(6), 1219-1226. ↩︎
- Filipiuc, S. I., Neagu, A. N., Uritu, C. M., Tamba, B. I., Filipiuc, L. E., Tudorancea, I. M., … & Bild, W. (2023). The Skin and Natural Cannabinoids–Topical and Transdermal Applications. Pharmaceuticals, 16(7), 1049. ↩︎
- Singh, K., Bhushan, B., Chanchal, D. K., Sharma, S. K., Rani, K., Yadav, M. K., … & Noman, A. A. (2023). Emerging Therapeutic Potential of Cannabidiol (CBD) in Neurological Disorders: A Comprehensive Review. Behavioural Neurology, 2023. ↩︎
- Mongeau‐Pérusse, V., Brissette, S., Bruneau, J., Conrod, P., Dubreucq, S., Gazil, G., … & Jutras‐Aswad, D. (2021). Cannabidiol as a treatment for craving and relapse in individuals with cocaine use disorder: a randomized placebo‐controlled trial. Addiction, 116(9), 2431-2442. ↩︎
- Guo, Y., Wei, R., Deng, J., & Guo, W. (2024). Research progress in the management of vascular disease with cannabidiol: a review. Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery, 19(1), 6. ↩︎
- Dhasmana, S., Dhasmana, A., Narula, A. S., Jaggi, M., Yallapu, M. M., & Chauhan, S. C. (2022). The panoramic view of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A fatal intricate neurological disorder. Life Sciences, 288, 120156. ↩︎
- Stasiłowicz, A., Tomala, A., Podolak, I., & Cielecka-Piontek, J. (2021). Cannabis sativa L. as a natural drug meeting the criteria of a multitarget approach to treatment. International journal of molecular sciences, 22(2), 778. ↩︎
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