Much has been written about where CBD comes from, the legality, the science, and so forth. But now it’s time for the fun part! Is CBD oil good for you? Can it help you with various ailments? Yes, it most certainly can. We’re going to highlight some of the best uses for CBD, and some things that it can improve that might surprise you. By the end, you might be very much ready to give it a try. CBD has an anti-anxiety, antipsychotic, and anti-epileptic effect.
1. Cigarette Addiction
Tobacco is a major killer across the globe, and quitting can be incredibly difficult for someone who has been smoking for a long time. In a double-blind study, smokers were chosen to either use CBD through an inhaler or take a placebo. Those who puffed on the CBD saw a 40% drop in their tobacco smoking. Those who took the placebo saw no change. As you can see here, that’s a major reduction in the amount of tobacco consumed! This could prove promising for the future of quitting smoking.
2. Diabetes
New findings show that CBD can also be quite helpful for those suffering from diabetes. In fact, it even showed the prevention of developing diabetes in mice. This means that CBD affects the glucose level in the body. This could be very promising for the millions of people that suffer from diabetes around the globe.
3. Acne
New studies show that CBD can also be effective in the treatment of acne in teens and adults. The compound has an effect on the oil glands of the skin, and also acts as an anti-inflammatory, calming the redness and irritation that goes with having acne. If CBD can calm the inflammation of acne, just imagine all the other skin disorders that it might be able to help as well!
4. Mad Cow Disease
Okay, not many of us are suffering from Mad Cow Disease, but it’s good to know that CBD can help with this as well! In a recent study, CBD was shown to increase survival time by one week for those who were inflicted.
5. PTSD
We’re all familiar with PTSD. It’s most common among the troops that return from war. But PTSD can be experienced by anyone, and for a whole host of reasons. CBD, in studies, was shown to help with this, as well. It helps to calm the anxiety and stress, giving the sufferer a sense of well-being and a much needed break from the anxiety and pain. Marijuana is good for this as well, but CBD specifically can combat some of the most traumatic elements of PTSD.
6. Fibromyalgia
Most commonly, people treat fibromyalgia with anti-inflammatory drugs. They also use corticosteroids and opioid pain medications. A study conducted in 2011 shows that CBD produced promising results for those suffering from fibromyalgia. Those using cannabis to treat their symptoms were shown to have a reduction in pain and discomfort, while those who only used traditional methods did not show the same kind of improvement.
7. Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s disease is a terrible disorder that affects the bowel. Some scientists have shown that CBD can have a positive effect on those that suffer. CBD helps to control gut function. The anti-inflammatory effects of CBD calm the body and help to bring relief to those who suffer from Crohn’s, giving them more peace of mind and a better outlook on life.
8. Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a difficult disorder to treat, and is usually done so with harsh medication. A German study found that those with schizophrenia that tried CBD showed improvement, thanks to its potent antipsychotic effect.
9. Multiple Sclerosis
MS has shown to also benefit from the anti-inflammatory effects of CBD. It not only improved motor skills, it also seemed to slow the progression of the disease, studies have shown.
10. Insomnia
People all around the world suffer from insomnia, and no one seems to find a cure! That being said, there is a harsh cocktail of drugs out there that people use to try to get a little shuteye. However, one of the positive effects of CBD is that it helps you sleep! CBD is non-habit forming, and naturally makes you a little sleepy, making it the perfect alternative to harsh drugs. Sleep medication makes you feel groggy the next day, but CBD does not.
So, Is There Proof That CBD Oil Works?
There is a lot of anecdotal evidence that CBD can help for all the above ailments, but the truth is that there’s scientific evidence to back it up as well. CBD works for a wide range of illnesses, such as anxiety, cancer, schizophrenia, and heart disease. Researchers have only tested some of these conditions using CBD, but the results are wonderful.
Several studies in the last decade provide evidence that CBD is useful for severe epilepsy, and CBD for seizures is nearly ready to be approved for those that suffer. The Washington Post did an in-depth report of the effects of CBD oil. What they found is quite helpful.
A young boy named Jackson Leyden had trouble with seizures most of his life. He went to countless doctors and tried many different kinds of medicine. He finally received medical marijuana treatment in 2014. Then, they found a doctor who could prescribe them CBD oil. The seizures finally went away, and he hardly ever had one again. Later, the boy was able to stop all other medication. The CBD was helping, and the child never became ‘high’ from it, as the mother initially feared. That’s because the cannabis oil had high levels of CBD and low levels of THC.
The Washington Post reported on this story, and also delved deeper into CBD research. At that point, mostly research on THC had been executed, since it was the best known compound in cannabis. THC had already proved to be effective for nausea and pain associated with cancer, and reduced the loss of appetite. But researchers were just starting to find that CBD had similar properties.
Since CBD has shown in studies to provide a number of the same benefits of THC, and without the high, people are turning more and more to CBD oil extracted from hemp plants. But the difficulty lies in the fact that CBD is still mistakenly being called “medical marijuana”, which creates a lot of confusion in the industry. The press has definitely contributed in misnaming the medicinal oil. Although research is incredibly promising, more research is avoided because of this misconception.
The Washington Post was able to set the record straight about all this, bringing to light what CBD really is and the benefits that it potentially has.
Reporters from the paper interviewed Mikhail Kogan, the medical director at George Washington University. The doctor said that CBD is a very powerful compound that has worked wonders for his patients. He also noted that he regularly prescribes it for anxiety, insomnia, autism, autoimmune disorders, epilepsy, and so much more. In conclusion, Dr. Kogan said that he was very sure that hemp oil works, and that the evidence is not anecdotal.
How does CBD Work From a Biological Perspective?
Cannabidiol acts on the cannabinoid receptors that are part of our endoconnabinoid system. We are naturally receptive to it. That’s why CBD and hemp oil are so therapeutic.
We have already learned that there are several applications for CBD, and each of these applications is met with various levels of evidence. There are still ongoing clinical trials that evaluate its ability to help with various human disorders. From these clinical trials we are able to evaluate the potential safety implications and the overall effectiveness of CBD as a treatment. Animal studies have been the predominant means of testing its usefulness, but more human study is still necessary.
So, why does CBD have so much therapeutic potential? The answer lies in our own bodies. We already know that it helps children with epilepsy, but CBD is also neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and helps with motivational disorders. This is because it has a strong influence on our brains and nervous systems.
Not only that, but CBD has a rather “promiscuous pharmacology”, meaning that it acts upon a number of nerve receptors in the brain and body, and this includes our cannabinoid receptors. The brain has a number of highly specialized cells called neurons. These neurons connect to the other synapses in the brain. At these sites, the neurons communicate to one another and release chemical messages that we call neurotransmitters. The neuron will be sensitive to a neurotransmitter that fits into that transmitter. This is like an electrical outlet with a plug in it.
When the plug fits, as it were, then the neuron can respond directly to that transmitter. Otherwise, it can’t respond at all. Neurons have many neurotransmitter receptors, which means that they can respond to many neurotransmitters, but not to all of them.
Some neurotransmitters are produced within the body, while others are created outside the body, such as from plants. Plant cannabinoids like CBD and THC are a case in point. When you consume edible CBD, you’re allowing compounds to enter your body, then your bloodstream, and finally into your brain. Once they’re there, the plant-based compounds can influence your neurons. They can’t interact with all neurons, but they do with those that have the right receptors.
CBD is so powerful because it influences many receptors in your system. CBD is non-psychoactive because it influences your receptors indirectly, as opposed to directly. The receptors that it influences are CB1 and CB2. It also can increase your body’s natural level of endocannabinoids by inhibiting the enzyme that breaks them down.
It’s also worth noting that CBD influences the non-cannabinoid receptors as well. It can interact with a number of receptors sensitive to a variety of drugs and neurotransmitters. The list includes opioid receptors, which help with pain regulation. These are the very receptors that are the target of the drug industry, and can lead to abuse of heroin, morphine, and so much more. CBD interacts with these receptors and can help regulate cognition and behavior.
Knowing all this, CBD seems like the perfect candidate for dampening drug cravings and helping those who suffer from drug addiction. It’s unsure at this point whether or not this is the case, because more research needs to be done. But what we know for sure is that CBD has potential for helping dopamine and serotonin receptors. Animal studies have already demonstrated this. And, this explains why CBD helps with anxiety, which has been proven in both human and animal studies.
It’s where CBD interacts with the serotonin system that so much potential lies. It can target the 1A serotonin receptor, which is associated with countless therapeutic possibilities.
A pharmacologist from the University of Aberdeen named Professor Roger Pertwee has this to say about CBD biology:
“It’s apparent ability to enhance the activation of serotonin 1A receptors supports the possibility that it could be used to ameliorate disorders that include: opioid dependence, neuropathic pain, depression and anxiety disorders, nausea and vomiting (e.g. from chemotherapy), and negative symptoms of schizophrenia,” he said. “One big unanswered question is what the human clinical relevance and importance of each of these potential therapeutic uses of CBD, identified solely by examining data from non-human preclinical research, actually is.”
Understanding the neurological effects of CBD is rather complicated. This is because there are so many receptors that it interacts with. But the complexity itself might be the very reason why it’s so powerful as a therapeutic agent. Addiction and anxiety are known as motivational disorders. They are terribly complex because they involve multiple receptor systems and neural networks throughout the brain. But, because CBD is complex, and shows multi-target effects, it might therefore be the perfect agent for aiding in treatment of these disorders. More research is needed to truly mine the potential of CBD.
So, as you can see, CBD works biologically with our bodies to produce the marvelous effects that it does. This interaction with the compound is safe, effective, and could be life-changing for many individuals. The more we learn about CBD, the more that we’re going to discover. And time can only tell just how many receptors, and how much potential, there is with the compound. There is one thing that is for certain: there’s a good chance that big Pharma isn’t going to be pleased with what the discoveries will be.
CBD Oil vs Standard Pain Medication
Not only does CBD reduce the cravings for opioids, thus aiding with withdrawal symptoms, but it also is a natural pain reliever in and of itself. Doctors prescribe opioids for the management of chronic and severe pain on a regular basis. These opioids bind to the opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord. Although opioids are very effective for this reason, they’re also terribly addictive and every day in America 78 people die from overdose.
Animal studies have proven that CBD can aid with withdrawal symptoms. Not only that, but CBD also reduces the rewarding properties of opioids, reducing cravings even more.
“If you look at both drugs and where their receptors are, opioids are much more dangerous in part because of the potential for overdose. The opioid receptors are very abundant in the brainstem area that regulates our respiration so they shut down the breathing center if opioid doses are high,” one doctor involved in the animal studies claims. “Cannabinoids do not do that. They have a much wider window of therapeutic benefit without causing an overdose in adults.”
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, sales of opioids has quadrupled from 1999 to 2014. The opioid epidemic is only set to get worse. CBD, on the other hand, is non-addictive and does not cause overdose. Researchers are urging doctors to prescribe CBD to their patients rather than opioids. Reducing pain and reducing opioid cravings? What’s not to like?
Even with recent medical marijuana legislation, cannabis is still being neglected as an option for pain management due to a lack of clinical trials. Cannabis needs be tested more on humans, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Unfortunately, clinical trials are hard to get, due to cannabis’ Schedule I classification under the Controlled Substances Act.
Not only is CBD a great alternative to opioids, but think of all the medications being used for anxiety, epilepsy, inflammation, and so much more. These days, doctors throw pills at anything, because there’s a lot of money involved and there are few other effective alternatives. CBD represents a natural alternative that is truly effective, non-addictive, and incredibly safe. The hurdles that stand in CBD’s way can be surmounted, but it will take much time and effort, for both doctors and consumers.
If you think you’d like to give CBD oil a try, just be sure to start with a low dose and gradually increase it to see how it affects you. And of course always buy a high quality product from a reputable dealer like CBD Pure.
