Unlike all the other ingredients found in the cannabis plant, CBD or cannabidiol doesn’t possess psychoactive effects. It doesn’t make users feel “high”; tetrahydrocannabinol in marijuana does that. Many people have already enjoyed the benefits of this miraculous compound since it was legalized in many states for medical use.
At present, it might seem like cannabidiol is being touted as a cure-for-all plant-based medicine. Click here to read about the different CBD-based products available in the market. The opinions about CBD, of course, are mixed among consumers. However, the claims around the compound are actually legitimate. They’re even backed up by substantial scientific research. More research is being carried out every day. Add to it experts of all kinds, such as scientists and medical doctors, singing the praises of hemp’s prized, non-psychoactive phytocannabinoid.
Read on below for the different benefits of CBD proven by science.
1. Anti-inflammatory
CBD can reduce inflammation in the digestive tract, muscular system, and brain. It can even reduce skin inflammation when applied topically. CBD, like turmeric and ibuprofen, is one major anti-inflammatory agent. Could cannabidiol replace Advil or other stronger anti-inflammatory drugs? It’s best to talk to a trusted physician before trying it for yourself.
2. Chronic Pain Relief
Studies show that cannabidiol reacts with the receptors in your immune system and brain, thus, providing relief from chronic pain. In fact, CBD has gained tremendous popularity across the globe, mainly because of its chronic pain relief benefit.
CBD consumption can trigger anti-inflammatory effects. What happens is that receptors in the brain receive signals from various body organs and systems, and help cells in responding to these signals. That’s basically how cannabidiol helps with the brain’s tolerance to pain, as well as the whole pain management process.
3. Promotes Better Brain Health
Cannabinoids have neuroprotective properties, making CBD effective when it comes to maintaining brain health. As you probably already know, your brain degenerates as you age, which may result in brain health problems, such as Alzheimer’s. Removal of damaged cells, protection of brain cells from damage, and improvement of mitochondria efficiency are the common results from the interaction of CBD and the receptors in your brain when taking cannabidiol medication.
4. Anxiolytic
CBD can assist with disorders in your moods, like agoraphobia, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. It’s even dubbed as “Mother Nature’s liquid Xanax” because of its anti-anxiety properties.
Studies have shown that there is preclinical evidence conclusively demonstrating that CBD is effective in reducing anxiety behaviors, especially those relevant to multiple disorders. CBD was even found to have similar anxiolytic properties to the anti-anxiety disorder medication Valium, minus the sedation effect, according to a study in 1993. A new study in the United States is currently in progress. It’s an eight-week clinical trial of cannabidiol that’s double-blind and placebo-controlled.
5. Lowers Diabetes And Heart Disease Risk
Because of the anti-inflammatory properties of cannabidiol, some scientists also believe in the compound’s potential to help in treating cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. A result of a clinical trial in mice has shown that cannabidiol appears to lower diabetes incidence.
6. Sleep Aid
A study reported a steady improvement in a patient’s quantity and quality of sleep after taking CBD oil. In another study, subjects used CBD to attain a very good or at least good sleep, and 40 to 50 percent of them were successful. Cannabidiol, indeed, has been proven to effectively improve sleep. If you need help snoozing, it could be what you need.
7. Treats Symptoms Of Severe Epilepsy Disorder
There are also a lot of anecdotal pieces of evidence that fuel cannabidiol’s purported uses. If there’s one area, however, that CBD has really proved worthy, it’s in patients suffering from epilepsy disorders. In fact, Epidiolex, an FDA-approved CBD-based drug, is an oral solution that treats Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut-associated seizures, especially in children.
8. Heart Health
Cannabidiol is also found to be effective when it comes to reducing blood pressure. Such an effect, of course, stems from the compound’s anti-anxiety and anti-stress properties. As you probably already know, your heart is one of the most abused parts of the body. Heart diseases can develop even simply from continued stress. A person becomes at risk of not only severe, but also life-threatening conditions when blood pressure rises. The more your body feels relaxed, the lower your blood pressure becomes.
Final Thoughts
Even chronic use of CBD at high doses has been found to be well-tolerated by the human body. Therefore, it’s safe to say that cannabidiol is generally safe. Like any other medications, however, mild side effects may come out, including potential interaction with your other medicines. It’s essential to talk to your physician before using CBD-based products alongside any prescription medicines.
