CBD products have quickly become a trend in health care, with products available both offline and online. Yet the FDA has only approved one CBD-based drug: Epidiolex for seizure disorders.
Researchers are still exploring how CBD may benefit other conditions. If you decide to give it a try, work closely with your physician and keep a symptom and dose diary.
Mood
CBD works on several brain receptors that impact mood, such as serotonin. Low levels of the feel-good chemical have been linked to depression; CBD may help boost serotonin to lift your spirits.
CBD has also been shown to aid anxiety. A double-blind clinical trial with participants suffering from schizophrenia who received 600 mg of CBD demonstrated improvement on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) compared with those receiving amisulpride.
Before CBD can be recommended for this use, much research must be conducted first. There are some potential cautions related to how it may interact with various medications; those taking other psychiatric drugs should only use CBD under medical supervision and should disclose everything about what and why you’re using it – being open with your physician about this can help them monitor your health more closely, potentially altering dosage or prescribing alternative treatments based on individual circumstances.
Pain
CBD oil can help relieve pain by modulating brain signals to suppress certain nerve signals and may reduce inflammation. Furthermore, CBD may have antifungal and antibiotic properties which could protect open wounds or blisters from infections.
Studies suggest CBD might help ease multiple sclerosis spasms, though additional research needs to be completed on this matter. Furthermore, CBD may provide relief for arthritis pain and joint discomfort as well as anxiety levels, fibromyalgia pain and certain muscle spasms associated with Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS).
CBD products come in different forms that you can take by mouth: capsules; tinctures/sprays that you place under your tongue to be absorbed directly into your bloodstream; oils/lotions/creams that you apply directly on aching spots on the skin; edibles (gummies/cookies) are also an option, though experts advise against them due to less accurate dosing mechanisms and higher sugar contents – both which could compromise health in other ways.
Inflammation
Inflammation is your body’s natural response to injury or infection, but when chronic inflammation takes hold it can lead to conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis.
CBD can assist with inflammation by blocking COX-2 enzymes that contribute to the production of leukotrienes and prostaglandins – potent pro-inflammatory lipid mediators – thus decreasing pain by blocking their release and limiting inflammation-causing chemicals that trigger hypersensitivity reactions.
CBD works to stimulate immune cells’ adenosine A2A receptors and decreases inflammation by decreasing release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, decreasing cell viability, proliferation, viability and viability. Furthermore, CBD acts as an antioxidant, protecting them against oxidative stress by neutralizing free radicals that could otherwise damage them.
Sleep
Sleep is vitally important to mental and physical wellbeing. A restful night of restful slumber helps form memories, reduces stress and anxiety levels, prevent sicknesses and leaves us feeling rejuvenated when we awaken in the morning.
CBD is not a sleep aid and won’t directly help you fall asleep, but it can create an ideal sleeping environment by relieving anxiety and stress while increasing dopamine levels and instilling calmness to improve overall restfulness.
Studies conducted with patients suffering from primary insomnia showed that one dose of CBD significantly enhanced both their subjective sleep experience and objective measures such as melatonin levels.17 It’s therefore crucial that future research examines how effectively CBD-only treatment affects populations suffering from insomnia with both validated subjective and objective measurements.
