These days CBD is one of the hottest topics in the realm of natural health. Unlike its psychoactive cousin tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD) does not cause any mind-altering effects.
This makes CBD ideal for people looking to reap the health benefits of cannabinoids without feeling the intoxicating high. The benefits of CBD are many.
Indeed, CBD has quickly grown into one of the most popular natural supplements for supporting overall health and well-being.
It is safe and appears to have an incredibly wide range of potential health benefits, including improvement of anxiety, stress, insomnia, depression, pain, inflammation, arthritis, exercise recovery, seizures, migraines, diabetes, skin health, and digestive and cardiovascular concerns.
It could even potentially help with such difficult health issues as obesity and drug addiction. Given this wide range of research-backed and potential health benefits, it’s no surprise interest in CBD has skyrocketed over the past several years.
What Are The Benefits of CBD On Your Health?
CBD & Anxiety, Depression, & Stress
Without a doubt, CBD’s most popular benefit is its ability to reduce anxiety, stress, and depression. These everyday mental issues often go hand-in-hand, with one worsening the other, and can affect anyone.
Clinical research shows that CBD can reduce anxiety induced by public speaking and has the potential to be used for everything from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
In addition, studies show that CBD helps support areas of the brain associated with stress responses, and multiple studies in animals report a consistent reduction in depression.
CBD & Sleep
In addition to promoting relaxation, many people take CBD to help with insomnia and other sleep issues. CBD does not enhance sleep directly; instead, it helps improve sleep as a byproduct of reducing the anxious thoughts and stress that keep us awake.
CBD & Neuroprotection
Given its ability to support optimal brain function, it’s not surprising that CBD can also protect neurons from damage – a benefit called neuroprotection.
This benefit is backed by animal studies showing that CBD can protect the brain from neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s disease.
CBD & Seizures
One amazing health benefit that’s been helping CBD make the news is its ability to alleviate seizures.
Multiple studies have shown that CBD has a remarkable ability to help with seizures and epilepsy in children, particularly in cases that are resistant to common forms of therapy.
In fact, CBD is so effective at reducing seizures that many U.S. states have passed special legislation to allow for its use.
CBD & Inflammation & Pain
Inflammation and pain are two processes are that often directly linked and controlled by related biological receptors and systems.
Like THC, CBD possesses potent anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties that have been demonstrated by multiple clinical studies.
Because of this, people use CBD for a wide range of chronic conditions that involve pain and inflammation, such as herniated disks, arthritis, and even multiple sclerosis and cancer.
In addition, a growing number of athletes are using CBD to help them recover from intense workouts.
CBD & Cardiovascular Health
Think CBD does nothing for your heart and blood vessels? Think again. Studies show that CBD can help reduce blood pressure, protect against atherosclerosis, and other cardiovascular conditions.
CBD & Skin Health
One area where CBD can help that most people don’t know about is your skin. Early studies indicate that CBD can help with acne, psoriasis, and other skin concerns through its anti-inflammatory and other beneficial properties.
CBD & Drug Addiction
You may have recently heard of the U.S. opioid crisis – the increasing number of deaths caused by addiction to prescription and illicit opioids. As it turns out, CBD can help here as well.
Early research suggests that CBD can reduce cravings for not just opioids, but a wide range of addictive substances including cocaine, psychostimulants, and even alcohol and tobacco.
CBD & Migraines
As the gift that just keeps on giving, CBD also appears to help some people with migraine headaches. However, more research is needed to conclusively back this benefit of CBD.
CBD & Obesity & Diabetes
Last but not least, CBD has even shown potential as a way to help people maintain healthy weight and alleviate diabetes.
Although research in this area is still in its early stages, studies report that high CBD doses cause weight loss as a side effect, and one Korean study reported that CBD can promote the “browning” of fat, turning it into heat and energy-burning brown fat cells.
In addition, studies in animals show that CBD can alleviate the complications of diabetes, such as eye problems.
CBD Holds Amazing Potential
CBD is a safe, non-psychoactive, and easily-accessible natural substance that can be used by both patients and healthy individuals to improve health and overall well-being.
As you can see, CBD has the potential to benefit your health in a myriad of ways. And although many of its benefits remain anecdotal, others are backed by a growing volume of medical research.
We hope our article helped shed a light on CBD’s benefits and the evidence behind them.
