Posted on Leave a comment

CBD Oil Benefits, CBD Oil Side Effects, and Exciting Research

You may have seen CBD oil products in the aisles of your local health food shops and mainstream boutiques. CBD oil has made headlines for its healing and soothing properties. 

This article will define and go into some of the possible uses and benefits of CBD oil and clear up some common misconceptions around it.

What Is CBD Oil?

CBD stands for cannabidiol. It’s one of the components of marijuana, but it does not contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the compound that gives you a high.

CBD oil is an extract of CBD only, usually mixed in with a neutral carrier oil. It has been used to treat certain kinds of seizures and may help treat a wide range of somatic and psychiatric disorders. Its other applications are rapidly being explored in many areas, but more research is needed to know its exact benefits.

Here are a few of its benefits supported by early research.

Benefits of CBD Oil to the Human Body

More research needs to be done on the exact benefits of CBD oil, but early research shows it may help ease pain, anxiety, and more.

CBD Oil Reduces Pain

According to Healthline, “the human body contains a specialized system called the endocannabinoid system, which helps regulate a variety of functions, including sleep, appetite, pain sensation, and immune system response.” The body produces neurotransmitters called endocannabinoids that bind to cannabinoid receptors in your nervous system. 

Theories suggest that some kinds of chronic pain result from this system not working properly. CBD may aid in reducing this chronic pain by connecting to endocannabinoid receptors, but more research is needed to show the extent to which it may help. 

A lot of disease and pain in the body result from inflammation. CBD oil is a powerful anti-inflammatory and is soothing. It can be consumed orally (with the carrier oil as in the example above) or applied directly to the skin or painful arthritic joints. 

One study from the European Journal of Pain, cited by the Harvard School of Health, suggests that “CBD could help lower pain and inflammation due to arthritis when applied to skin.” At the same time, other research shows that CBD “may inhibit inflammatory and neuropathic pain.”

CBD Oil May Reduce Anxiety

Evidence from human studies, as noted in the journal Neurotherapeutics, “strongly supports the potential for CBD as a treatment for anxiety disorders.”  The study reported evidence of CBD reducing anxiety created in people during the experiment with proper dosing. It added that evidence shows it may reduce “anxiety in patients with SAD (seasonal affective disorder).”

With various stripes of anxiety (including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, social anxiety, and generalized anxiety) common before the stress-inducing advent and continuation of the pandemic, CBD oil may provide an excellent balm to many people’s symptoms of anxiety.

However, more research is needed to know the exact benefits of CBD oil on anxiety.

CBD Oil May Help Heart Health

Some studies suggest that CBD oil may help combat arrhythmia. Studies on marijuana show that it can be harmful to the heart thanks to its THC component. However, the American Heart Foundation reports that studies on CBD suggest links to: 

  • Reduced heart rate
  • Potentially reduced inflammation
  • Lower blood pressure
  • Heightened ability of the arteries to open

Inflammation is linked to heart disease and the narrowing of arteries, so these are potentially exciting uses for CBD. 

CBD Oil May Help With Insomnia

Quality, restful sleep is an important part of human wellbeing. Without it, both physical and mental health can suffer. Many are denied a good night’s sleep because of insomnia, however. Studies show CBD oil can help with insomnia, staying asleep, and potentially hold promise for REM sleep behavior disorder and excessive daytime sleepiness.

CBD Oil May Help With Addiction

Addiction involves compulsive, chronic relapsing, and reliance on harmful substances. While more research is ongoing in this area, studies have shown the potential positive impacts of CBD with dependence on tobacco and cannabis.

The author of that study also notes that “CBD has several therapeutic properties on its own that could indirectly be useful in the treatment of addiction disorders, such as its protective effect on stress vulnerability and neurotoxicity.” Animal studies are promising for other addictions, like opioids and psychostimulants, but more research is needed to know the true effects. 

CBD Oil May Help People With Cancer Pain

As CBD oil is helpful with pain and inflammation, many people with cancer use it to help combat the side effects of cancer and treatments, which can commonly include nausea and neuropathy. Some studies show CBD oil helping to alleviate chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, a common and unpleasant side effect of many chemotherapeutic treatments without many current effective therapies.

Early studies suggest that CBD oil has shown promise as an aid in treating cancer in combination with other cancer treatments, specifically chemotherapy. Animal models and in vitro and in vivo studies show that CBD oil helps in combination with specific chemotherapy in treating pancreatic cancer and potentially in treating experimental models of cancers, including gliomas. Again, more research is needed in this area, however.

For now, CBD’s research-supported applications in this area are primarily about alleviating pain and side effects of cancer and the anxiety that a cancer diagnosis causes — which are still no small thing.

Potential CBD Oil Side Effects

According to the Mayo Clinic, CBD oil can have side effects including:

  • Dry mouth
  • Diarrhea
  • Reduced appetite
  • Drowsiness and fatigue

Interactions with medications are also possible, so consult your doctor before starting taking CBD oil. CBD oil side effects can depend on the individual and the quality and purity of the CBD extract.

CBD Oil New Research and Future Promise

In addition to ongoing research in the above areas — like solidifying CBD oil’s efficacy for pain relief — CBD oil is being researched for a number of other conditions like migraines, which are not only common and debilitating but also lack safe and effective treatment. CBD studies also show promise in helping treat serious conditions like Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis. 

If you go looking to buy CBD, you’re likely to find shelves crowded with CBD oils and extracts. The hard (but important) part right now is finding a quality, standardized, affordable extract.

CBD Oil Conclusion

CBD oil shows promise in treating conditions that impair the ability of millions of people to enjoy life fully. CBD Direct Club is devoted to making quality, affordable CBD oil accessible. CBD Direct Club offers the lowest price on high-quality CBD anywhere on the internet. If you’re suffering from pain, anxiety, or insomnia, check out the reviews on the site and try it today. Popular products include topicals for pain relief, CBD tinctures, capsules, and gummies

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *