The growing popularity of CBD use is more than evident, with a growing number of studies suggesting its benefits. Some benefits are supported by more researches than others, and if you are excited to see more studies coming up in the future, you’re not alone. Even though it’s not completely clear how CBD acts, it is believed to trigger the “feel-good” hormone serotonin and helps ease the pain. These are only some of the problems that CBD is believed to help with:
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Depression
- High blood pressure
- Drug addiction
- Epilepsy
- Chronic pain
- Muscle spasm
- Anorexia
- Acne
- Glaucoma
- Seizures
Precaution: Use this text as a beginner’s guide and don’t replace your medications with CBD oil. If you’re thinking about using CBD for treating health problems, always consult your doctor to make sure it’s the right solution for your condition. Some CBD oils can contain THC, so be careful when you’re eyeing a new brand or simply trying CBD for the first time. To be absolutely confident that you’re getting the best product that’s not psychoactive, check out Urban Active products. Our CBD-infused products contain 0 THC and they’re perfectly legal.
In the following text, we’ll briefly explain a few benefits of taking CBD and potential side effects.
Benefits of Taking CBD
Anxiety-relieving effects
The first benefit of CBD comes from the fact that it showed anxiolytic effects and the possibility of treating anxiety disorders. While animal studies showed promise in CBD treating mood disorders, human trials also showed promising results. In 2011, Neuropsychopharmacology published an article “Cannabidiol Reduces the Anxiety Induced by Simulated Public Speaking in Treatment-Naïve Social Phobia Patients” , explaining that participants who took a CBD before a public-speaking event felt more relaxed and less anxious. Measuring heart rate, blood pressure, etc., researchers were able to also test the effects on people who were given a placebo, and interestingly enough, men getting 300 mg of CBD showed less anxiety than placebo-group participants. Researchers suggested that CBD could be efficient in relieving anxiety before a stressful event.
Chronic Pain
People with treatment-resistant pain are often prescribed marijuana, and that includes people with terminal cancer as well. Some animal studies are suggesting that CBD is helpful with neuropathic pain, while human studies suggest the same. However, evaluating the use of CBD in treating pain is still an ongoing subject because most studies included THC, and that makes it difficult to isolate the effects of CBD only.
Substance abuse
Even though this area requires further research, some studies suggest that CBD may benefit people with drug addiction. Effects were different depending on the substance – with opioid addiction, CBD showed less effect compared to people addicted to cocaine, methamphetamine, and other psychostimulant substances. Animal and human studies were conducted, and both showed promise in treating substance abuse and withdrawal symptoms.
Blood pressure and heart rate
In 2017, JCI Insight published an article ”A single dose of cannabidiol reduces blood pressure in healthy volunteers in a randomized crossover study”, giving a dose of CBD or placebo to nine male volunteers. Studies showed that CBD may affect blood pressure in some people and reduce the risk of heart disease. People who were given a CBD dose had lower blood pressure and lower heart rate when exposed to stress in this research. The heart was also pumping more efficiently, as seen based on the stroke volume. This study suggests that CBD may be beneficial to people who suffer from high blood pressure followed by stress and anxiety. While treating hypertension (high blood pressure) with CBD is not seen directly, this research shows that it can be a suitable complementary therapy that would help deal with stress caused by hypertension.
Seizures
This is another area that requires further research but shows promising results. A CBD oral solution – Epidiolex, was approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) a couple of years ago, and it’s used for treating rare forms of epilepsy in 2-year-old children or younger. Children with one of these syndromes experience huge seizures beginning in the first year of life, and while Epidiolex is helpful in these cases, it is not quite certain if CBD or other substance in it is responsible for that.
Possible Side Effects
As with any medication, CBD oil can also have some side effects. Different people may experience different effects at different intensities. Some of the common side effects of CBD include:
- Nausea
- Dry mouth
- Drowsiness
- Dizziness
- Anxiety
- Changes in appetite
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Mood changes
- Possible liver enzymes increase – it may affect these markers of inflammation, so people suffering from any liver disease should consult their doctor before using CBD
- Potential risk during pregnancy – American Academy of Pediatrics warned pregnant women and those who are breastfeeding to stay away from marijuana because it may affect a child’s development, although it’s not known in which way exactly CBD contributes to the potential risk
Potential interactions
Some drugs can interact with CBD and their effects may be affected by it. These are a few of those drugs:
- Duragesic or similar opioid painkillers
- Clarithromycin or other macrolide antibiotics
- Tegretol or other anticonvulsants
- Nizoral or similar antifungal drugs
- Remeron or other atypical antidepressants
- Klonopin and similar benzodiazepine sedatives
This is not an exhaustive list of drugs that CBD may interact with, so always reach out to your health provider to make sure you’re making the right choice. Even though interactions are usually mild, you still need to consult your doctor and check if your treatment needs adjustment (this is usually not necessary, but you should always take extra precautions when it comes to your health).
Now that you got familiar with the benefits of taking CBD, check out our selection of products. From drops to bath bombs, body balms, and sanitizers, you’ll find all-natural products in the Urban Activ shop. https://urbalactiv.com/products.html We also offer healthy snacks for your pets – browse our CBD products for pets.