Cannabidiol (CBD) is an active cannabinoid and found in the flowers of hemp. It’s known for having no psychoactive effect. It basically means that it doesn’t cause dizziness and won’t affect one’s nervous system, in comparison to THC that affects the central nervous system.
For the past several years, CBD has become useful due to its anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and sedative properties. This is the reason why many people try different CBD products, like CBD patches.
But, can CBD really improve one’s health? Well, the studies that surround CBD are still very limited, yet it has been used as alternative treatments to various medical conditions.
If you’re planning to use CBD to give your health a boost, below are some of the ways on how beneficial CBD is for one’s overall health condition:
Promotes Better Sleep
Oftentimes, sleep issues, like insomnia, are due to anxiety disorders. In a study, CBD can improve one’s sleep quality, especially those who suffer from the pediatric post-traumatic stress disorder. In this study, a dosage of 12 to 25 mg of CBD can let an individual experience better quality sleep while reducing anxiety.
RBD, or also known as REM, sleep behavior disorder can be dangerous once left untreated as it can lead to Lewy body dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and other known neurodegenerative diseases. A healthy REM sleep makes muscle atonia sets in, which paralyzes the body muscles so you’ll not act out on your dreams physically.
If you’re suffering from RBD, muscle atonia isn’t present. Because of this, your body moves violently while sleeping and may put yourself at risk. According to a study, CBD can quickly control RBD’s physical symptoms without causing any serious side effects.
Reduces Aging Symptoms
Although you can’t stop yourself from aging, CBD can help you manage your aging symptoms. The reason behind it is that it contains neuroprotective properties, which prevent loss of memory and can be a component in treating aging-related diseases, like Alzheimer’s disease.
In addition to that, CBD is an antioxidant, which promotes longevity. CBD can help your body cope with aging by providing you relief from symptoms and pain that usually affect elderly people.
Better Skin Health Condition
In a study, it was found that due to the anti-inflammatory properties of CBD, it can treat some skin conditions, like psoriasis and acne. Other than genetics and some factors, one of the major causes of acne is because of oil sebum’s overproduction, which results in inflamed sebaceous glands. According to studies, CBD can help treat acne as it slows down or inhibits human sebocytes’ production effectively.
Psoriasis is one of the known skin disorders that affect many people. Due to rapid skin cell buildup, it leads to redness, scaling, and inflammation of the skin. Since it’s an autoimmune illness, research shows that the anti-inflammatory properties of CBD can help ease the symptoms of psoriasis.
Calm One’s Nerves and Eases Anxiety Disorders
In a case study, CBD shows to be beneficial in terms of calming anxiety disorders. The people behind the study stated that the majority of participants, which have anxiety, reduce their symptoms during the first month and continue to decrease during the 3-month duration of the study. The participants in this study ingested 25 to 175 mg of CBD daily.
The researchers added that CBD works through mediating one’s neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is a brain chemical that occurs naturally. Its role is directing the neurons to stop firing or slow down. As a result, CBD induces sleep, calms the nervous system, relaxes muscles, and decreases anxiety.
In another study of people who suffer from public speaking phobia and social anxiety disorder, participants from the first group ingested 600 mg of CBD, while the second group got a placebo. They were given 1 and a half hours before participating in a public speaking test that is simulated. Those who ingested CBD have experienced a significant reduction with their anxiety disorders while being able to speak comfortably in public without any cognitive impairment.
The Bottom Line
In spite of the proven health benefits of CBD, it’s still advised to exercise caution and remain cautious when using any kind of CBD products. The reason behind it is that the studies about CBD are still not enough.
Aside from that, there are numerous safety concerns regarding the different drug interactions and manufacturing processes of CBD products.
However, if you want to try CBD or any products that contain CBD, it’s best to consult your doctor first for you to understand more about it.