Does CBD Really Work?

We all have come across products containing CBD or cannabidiol, a chemical compound derived from Cannabis sativa. From beauty products to smoking devices and edibles, CBD is found in a wide range of products these days. Though CBD has been added as a healthy ingredient in products for a long time, it has recently caught the attention of the media and the government with medical experts recommending it for a lot of purposes and more and more companies are adding it into their products. 

Though the use of CBD products has become quite prevalent these days, it is widely argued whether they actually work or not?

There is one question that has been asked the most by the people who use CBD: Does CBD really work?

Well, it entirely depends on what you are seeking it out for. Let’s take a look at what CBD works for and what it doesn’t work for. 

What does CBD work for?

CBD is gaining a lot of momentum in the world of medicine as more and more studies are presenting evidence that upholds the health benefits that CBD is known to provide. People taking CBD may feel like it’s not working because of the lack of noticeable results in the short-term. However, it is always doing its job in the background to help your body function at an optimized level. Here are some of the scientifically-proven health benefits that CBD provides.

• Reduces Inflammation

CBD is known for its amazing anti-inflammatory properties. It helps reduce acute and chronic inflammation by interfering with the activity of the body’s endocannabinoid receptors. Topical CBD products like tinctures and oils are often used to treat inflammation. CBD oil is very widely used to treat acne as it helps control sebum production. It basically prevents sebaceous glands from excessive secretion of sebum and also prevents the activation of inflammatory cytokines, known as pro-acne agents. 

• Alleviates Pain 

Recently, a lot of scientific evidence has turned up corroborating the pain-relieving effects of CBD. CBD helps alleviate pain by impacting our body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS) that regulates many of our body functions including pain. CBD interferes with the endocannabinoid receptors’ activity by interacting with neurotransmitters, thereby reducing chronic pain. Many studies have also concluded that CBD when used in the right combination with THC can treat pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.

• Helps Improve Mental Health

Cannabidiol or CBD is mostly commonly used to treat mental conditions like anxiety and depression. According to a study conducted in 2014, CBD can reduce depression significantly by balancing serotonin levels in the brain, making you feel less anxious and happier. Though it is scientifically proven that CBD helps in reducing depression, the role it plays is not adequate to call it a treatment for depression. 

• Helps with Sleep, Energy, and Focus

Though CBD is not purely psychoactive, it has a profound ability to affect our brain activity. CBD helps in the treatment of insomnia by controlling our cortisol levels at night. People who have insomnia have high cortisol levels at night which results in racing thoughts that render the person unable to sleep. According to medical experts, CBD can very successfully treat insomnia when used in combination with Melatonin, a hormone released by pineal gland at night which is also given as a dietary supplement to insomnia patients for short-term treatment. By balancing the sleep-wake cycle, CBD allows the body and the mind to have more energy during the day as balanced cortisol levels facilitate the release of dopamine and serotonin. Therefore, CBD also contributes in improving mood, giving mental clarity, and increasing focus. Quality CBD oil can effectively cater to these needs. 

• Potential Improvements in Heart Health

Recent studies have shown that CBD offers a wide range of benefits for the circulatory system and can play a major role in improving heart health. CBD has the ability to treat hypertension and therefore can considerably reduce the risk of many heart conditions like metabolic syndrome, myocardial infarction, stroke etc. Recently, a study was conducted in which a 600 mg dose of CBD oil was given to nine healthy men who were later given stress tests. It turns out that due to CBD, the men did not experience the raise in blood pressure that normally comes in response to stress tests. Moreover, many studies have shown that the stress-reducing and antioxidant properties of CBD might be helpful in reducing cell death linked with heart diseases. 

• Boost Your Immune System 

CBD plays a major role in fighting off viruses. It boosts our immune system and helps fight off illnesses by influencing transient receptor potential (TRP) channels that support our body immunity. CBD contributes in making our immune system healthy by activating a protein called TRPV2 that facilitates the communication between the cells and their extracellular environment. 

• Could Help Treat Neurological Disorders 

Since CBD directly acts on our endocannabinoid system and other signaling systems in the brain, it can help treat many neurological disorders like multiple sclerosis, Dravet syndrome, and Alzheimer’s disease. Though CBD cannot treat neurological disorders on its own, its neuroprotective properties might aid in the treatment by alleviating symptoms like muscle spasticity that is common in people with multiple sclerosis. According to one research, CBD oil reduces seizures by a median of nearly 37% in patients with severe epilepsy. Of course, while that is a significant improvement, nothing is perfect. Some training in first aid for seizures is still recommended for those who spend a lot of time around those with seizure disorders.

What CBD does not work for? 

If you are taking CBD to get high, it won’t work. CBD has become a controversial subject in the field of medicine as people confuse it with its psychoactive cannabinoid cousin, THC which is the principal constituent of cannabis responsible for producing a high. CBD does not cause a high like its cousin, As a matter of fact, CBD is very much non-intoxicating. However if you are using a CBD product with a small concentration of THC in it or taking high concentrations of CBD, you might face an uplifting effect. That uplifting effect is not equivalent to the high that THC produces. Under the law, CBD products cannot contain more than 0.3% of THC.