Are you someone who’s already a CBD aficionado? Or are you someone who’s interested in trying CBD as an alternative to pharmaceuticals but don’t really know where to start?
Since its discovery in 1940, you’ll find that more and more information about CBD is readily available online nowadays. But how do you determine if you’re getting accurate and reliable information in this journey to understanding CBD?
There are already many studies about CBD because of its popularity and interest from a lot of growing communities. To ensure that you’re getting accurate and reliable information on CBD, do proper research from references of trustworthy sources, such as scientific journals and newsletters.
What’s CBD?
First, CBD (Cannabidiol) is a nutraceutical product that’s quickly becoming the most sought-after product in the U.S. market and across the globe. It’s a chemical compound that’s naturally found in the flowers of the cannabis plant, also known as hemp. The industrial hemp is among the first plants spun into fiber and developed into derived products. This has a long history of being used as hemp fiber, hemp oil, and hemp seeds.
In the 2018 Hemp Farming Act, a law proposed to make hemp an ordinary agricultural commodity, industrial hemp in the U.S. market contains not more than 0.3% THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol).
Why is CBD popular?
After the Hemp Farming Act of 2018, CBD hemp-derived products became widely available in the U.S., and this is one of the major driving forces in its growth spurt in the industry today. CBD products in the market are continuously expanding at an explosive rate because of its wide availability. It stimulates curiosity and it’s also quickly rising into popularity since its legalization. For both recreational and medical cannabis, this is now considered legal at the state level at least.
The Brightfield Group, a leading research firm focused on the legal CBD and cannabis industries, projected the U.S. CBD market to grow 700% through 2019, a seven-fold increase, further boosting the hemp-driven CBD industry. Bethany Gomez, Brightfield Managing Director, explains further that a huge chunk of the growth comes from large retailers entering the market. These retailers provide the availability to consumers. Moreover, the research firm estimated the market to grow $23.7 billion through 2025, which bodes well for the future of the industry.
So, there seems to be no slowing down for CBD anytime soon.
How does CBD work?
Now that we’ve briefly talked about CBD and why it’s popular, let’s take a moment to discuss a little bit about THC. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is identified in the cannabis plant from at least one of its 113 cannabinoids or phytocannabinoids.
CBD and THC interact through cannabinoids to our Endocannabinoid system (ECS), intermingling with every other system in the body to help bring balance back.
For example, if something doesn’t add up healthwise, natural cannabinoids will be released from the Endocannabinoid system. CBD helps stimulate the ECS, essentially triggering the body to produce its own cannabinoids more.
Health benefits linked to CBD
Because CBD helps stimulate the ECS, prompting it to produce more of its own cannabinoids, cannabis therapies are believed to be effective in reducing pain and inflammation, as well as, anxiety.
There are also many other Top 9 CBD Oil Benefits that can be linked to CBD, such as: and they are as follows:
Anti-inflammatory properties
CBD is believed to have properties that help reduce the immune system’s inflammatory response. What is an inflammatory response? This reacts when inflammation occurs as an indication of a possible infection. Basically, it’s the body’s way of isolating the infected areas and functions as a protective barrier from any harmful toxins.
There are some conditions where a person’s immune response becomes abnormal, causing recurring inflammation. These are referred to as autoimmune disease and the causes for such conditions are generally unknown.
Helps suppress cytokines
Cytokine is a type of protein called immunoregulatory proteins that our cells fundamentally secrete. These proteins help regulate white blood cell production, inflammation, and immunity by sending a signal to the molecules.
Suppression of T-cell function and its production
CBD also works as an immunosuppressant. This is a good thing because if the T-cell function stops, the body will lose the capability to destroy antigens. If the body loses this capability, the body loses its trigger to its immune response and fight off infection.
Our immune system has the ability to remember foreign invaders in our body and CBD helps in suppressing them.
Stimulation of apoptosis
This is also called a cellular suicide or a programmed cellular death. This is a very organized garbage collection process typically done by our immune cells.
Apoptosis on average occurs for an adult person and they lose somewhere between 50 to 70 billion cells per day. With a child, it loses somewhere between 20 to 30 billion cells in a day.
Help with autoimmune disease management
Autoimmune disease is a condition where your immune system, whose basic function is to protect against viruses and bacteria or any foreign invaders in your body, mistakenly attacks it.
CBD is making a positive impact in the management of autoimmune diseases, such as:
- Parkinson’s disease
- MS (Multiple Sclerosis)
- ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)
- ulcerative colitis
- rheumatoid arthritis
- rheumatoid arthritis
- Crohn’s Disease
- Fibromyalgia
- Huntington disease
Immune system modulating therapies
This type of therapy helps change the way that our immune system works. With CBD, it serves as a regulating system. So, if you have an overreacting or underreacting immune system, it can help bring the balance back.
Immune response suppression, with a portion of it or perhaps all of it, will provide better support in the management and prevention of any permanent damage brought about by a chronic condition.
Can CBD improve overall health against viruses?
A virus or a pathogen is defined as a submicroscopic infectious agent whose origins may sometimes be unknown or unclear. But, they’re typically the root cause of some of the world’s known infectious diseases.
Viruses can only replicate and produce inside a living host, such as human beings, microorganisms, plants, animals, and single-cell organisms, like bacteria and archaea. Furthermore, when a person gets infected, the host cell is forced to produce and replicate thousands of copies of the virus at a rapid pace. Unlike other simpler forms of pathogens, since they contain genes, a virus has the ability to mutate and evolve.
In light of the COVID-19 or coronavirus pandemic that’s affecting people’s lives around the globe, nations are tirelessly working to find a vaccine in order to stop further infections. While a lot of people stay indoors during this time of quarantine, an influx of information and online discussions about CBD has been rising to popularity. The question everyone is most curious about is, can CBD be a viable option to eradicate the coronavirus? Or can CBD be a good alternative to a vaccine or be able to stop this contagion?
Unfortunately, there’s very little information about COVID-19 or coronavirus. While there’s a lot of accessible information out there about CBD, believing solely on what’s being said in the forums and discussions online that it can kill the coronavirus is a false assumption that holds no scientific research or study to back it up.
Nevertheless, CBD and the cannabis plant have its amazing benefits, but it’s not yet a viable means to fight against COVID-19 or coronavirus.
How do I take CBD?
CBD may not yet be a viable option in fighting against COVID-19 or coronavirus, but it’s showing a positive impact on its ability to address the management of autoimmune diseases. CBD also gained international attention because it works as a remedy to many different physical difficulties and other diseases.
Should you decide to choose CBD as an alternative to pharmaceuticals, here are some options you have on how you can take CBD:
Oils and tinctures
For CBD oils and tinctures, for better absorption into the bloodstream, you can easily administer it yourself by placing the dropper under your tongue.
These types of CBD are labeled as a concentrated and processed formula.
CBD eye drops
Because CBD has anti-inflammatory properties, CBD eye drops are used to remedy a wide variety of complaints stemming from eye disorders.
This can also be an alternative for those suffering from:
- Eye pain
- Migraines
- Blurred vision
- Strain
Edibles
CBD edibles can take effect anywhere from 20 minutes to four hours. It also has a wide selection of products to choose from, such as:
- Gummies
- Chocolates
- Roasted nuts
- CBD granola
- CBD smoothie
- Protein powders
- Fruit and hemp chews
Pills and capsules
These contain CBD oil and CBD isolates or crystals. They also look fairly similar to regular medications or vitamins that drugstores sell.
Topicals
These types of CBD products are used mainly for treating localized pain so it can be used on specific areas on the skin, nails, or hair. These are packaged as CBD-infused oils, lotions, and creams.
Vapes and patches
CBD vape and patches are used in the same way you would when using regular vapes and nicotine patches. But, CBD doesn’t contain any nicotine.
How you take CBD products will mostly rest on your condition, preference, and doctor’s advice. Regardless of your product preference and condition, these available remedies ensure that the CBD you’re consuming is right for you in order to get the most benefit from them. Nonetheless, it should still provide that much needed CBD therapeutic effects.
What are the risks of taking CBD?
Using the same precautionary measures as normally advised when taking a regular type of medication, take CBD as prescribed by your physician. But, make sure to consult with your doctor before even starting CBD because it may have some reaction to other medications you’re taking.
So, before trying CBD, please be aware of the risks that may come with it.
Side effects
Commonly reported side effects of CBD usage are:
- Lightheadedness
- Drowsiness
- Dry mouth
- low blood pressure
Pre-natal and post-natal risks
Avoid using CBD before, during, or after pregnancy because there’s not enough information on the side effects it may have, yet.
Regulation and quality control
There isn’t any regulatory standard in place yet for CBD testing, CBD production, and CBD product labeling. It would be fair to consider that quality control may not be as strictly monitored as pharmaceutical companies.
Also, CBD should be under the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but this governing body in charge of monitoring the early rise of the CBD industry hasn’t figured out how to regulate CBD, yet. Meanwhile, CBD is thriving well in both the local markets and the international markets.
So, if you are someone interested in trying CBD, take the experts’ recommendation. Make your purchases from companies located in Indiana and Utah because companies in those states require cannabis products to be tested for purity and potency.
Drug interactions
While CBD products are gaining popularity and rapidly growing, it’s still a relatively young industry. So, it’s reasonable to think that information on its side effects and benefits may still be limited at the moment.
With that said, make sure to consult your doctor before trying CBD to ensure that it doesn’t interfere with whatever existing prescription medications you’re currently on. Consuming CBD with other medications may result in unwanted side effects.