By Kimberly Dawson
Medicinal use of cannabis has been part of traditional healing for a long time. People who know about Cannabis are also aware of its psychological effects. It imparts a “high” feeling, sometimes triggering anxiety or fear. For this reason, the benefits it offers are often overshadowed by its side-effects, and people are skeptical about using it in their everyday life. However, one of its derivatives, CBD, has emerged as a hero because it offers many health benefits at no risk of addiction or the feeling of being high.
CBD oil derived from Cannabis or a hemp plant has been getting all the attention and for the right reasons. Apart from helping people manage many health conditions, it offers astounding benefits. So much so that it got a stature of being legal at the state and federal level in some countries. Markets are flooding with CBD products, from vaping oils to CBD edibles. Companies are deploying world-class methods to deliver organic products such as CBD gummies to meet the current market needs.
Here are some amazing health benefits of CBD that have contributed to it’s growing popularity.
1. Skin Care
CBD-infused creams and face washes cannot go unnoticed in the market as this ingredient is almost a breakthrough in the skincare industry. Marketed as an anti-aging element, CBD is rich in skin-friendly nutrients such as fatty acids and vitamin E. The anti-inflammatory properties in CBD can help control skin inflammation conditions related to eczema. Also, it controls the production of sebum in the sebaceous gland, which makes it beneficial in the treatment of acne conditions. The moisture-locking quality in CBD even makes it an amazing hydrating ingredient to add to different lotions and shampoos. There are plenty of skin benefits associated with CBD.
2. Treats Stress and Anxiety
Our body and mind have to work round the clock to manage activities both internal and external which may frequently lead us to stress conditions. We can resort to allopathic medicines, but we all are aware of their side-effects. CBD is a natural way to cure stress, stressors, and anxiety situations. CBD binds with the cannabinoid receptors in our nervous system and, thus can help in homeostasis and management in the body’s ability to respond to external stress stimuli.
3. Reduces Pain and Inflammation
Researches suggest the benefits of the use of CBD in managing severe pain conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, muscle spasticity, and chronic inflammation. Oral administration of the CBD can come handily in reducing everyday pain and inflammation in our system. As the chances of side-effects are minimum, it is one of the safest methods to combat minor headaches. Moreso, the topical application of CBD in the affected area leads to its quick absorption by the surrounding receptors to provide immediate relief in the pain.
4. Treats Insomnia
CBD works comprehensively to relax the mind and the body. It brings the mind to rest by reducing anxiety thoughts and at the same time, it can relax the muscles to induce sleep. Apart from imparting a calming effect, CBD can also lead to deep sleep cycles by reducing the events of dreaming during REM sleep. Which in turn, helps to wake up fresh and reduce daytime grogginess.
5. Helps with Digestive Issues
There are multiple ways of how CBD can support our digestive system. First, it reduces inflammation and allows better movement of food from our intestine to the stomach. It also reduces bloatedness and helps with better absorption of the nutrients. So, CBD is amazing for our stomach.
6. Reduces the Chance of Diabetes
Chronic illness like diabetes arises from the body’s incapability to utilize sugar. Diabetes exposes a person to severe organ damage and vision loss. Certain diabetic patients suffer from intense pain due to a condition called diabetic neuropathy. CBD helps in reducing diabetes-related pain and not only combats diabetic symptoms but can reduce the chances of Diabetes in non-diabetic people, according to this study.
7. Treats Psychological Disorders
Treating psychological disorders remains a big challenge due to the unpredictability in its results. As different people react differently to medications, there are no fixed timelines as to when a person will heal. Supporting such treatments with alternative medicines like CBD has shown positive outcomes in managing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and depression.
The Bottom Line
The use of CBD for managing health conditions still requires a lot of validation. Having said that, many users claim the use of CBD to be beneficial and many practitioners use CBD in the form of alternative medicine to supplement their routine treatments.
Kimberly Dawson is a content specialist who frequently writes about Cannabis, CBD, and other alternative pain relievers.
Photo by CRYSTALWEED cannabis on Unsplash