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How does CBD Impact Wellness?
Of course, more research is needed to fully understand the ways cannabis and CBD (cannabidiol) impacts wellness, but the results and anecdotal reports currently being revealed about these substances continues to amaze.
Consumers repeatedly report that CBD affects health in a variety of ways, including sleep, anxiety, and exercise recovery. Below, we examine some of these ways CBD impacts wellness along with the research surrounding these topics.
As always, patients should consult their licensed healthcare provider before adding a new supplement to their healthcare routine.
1. Sleep
The way CBD impacts sleep varies from person-to-person. Results from research examining the effects of CBD, also varies. Nonetheless, consumers continue to report that CBD makes them feel sleepy with many consumers adding that CBD helps them to remain asleep all night.
Research tells us that endocannabinoid signaling does impact sleeping and sleep patterns but how this manifests in each consumer still needs to be examined.
A 2019 study examined 72 adults reporting poor sleep and using cannabidiol. The study found, “Sleep scores improved within the first month in 48 patients (66.7%) but fluctuated over time.”
Cannabis experts suspect these differences may be related to use of different cultivars, as different cultivars of cannabis can produce different physiological results.
2. Energy
Just as many consumers report that CBD may enhance sleep, others report that CBD actually causes stimulation instead. Many users report that using CBD increases their energy levels and leaves them feeling energized after consuming it.
Again this could be related to the cultivars of the cannabis being used to produce the CBD. It may also be related to the dose, as different dosages of CBD can produce different physiological effects.
Some researchers believe this may be related to the effects of CBD on circadian rhythm, others speculate that it may be a result of the impact of CBD on mitochondria within our cells.
Today many consumers are using CBD as a way to increase their energy and thus increase their productivity. Still, we need a great deal of research to understand exactly how and why CBD causes specific consumer experiences.
3. Anxiety
Research has shown that CBD may improve anxiety in some consumers. The same study we referenced above also examined the anxiety levels of the study participants. Their results showed, “Anxiety scores decreased within the first month in 57 patients (79.2%) and remained decreased during the study duration.”
Another study, published in the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, examined the use of CBD for anxiety induced by the prospect of public speaking. The study looked at anxious individuals who were administered 600 mgs of CBD, or a placebo, prior to speaking publicly.
Results showed that participants who had received the 600 mgs of CBD, were able to speak publicly with “significantly reduced anxiety, cognitive impairment and discomfort in their speech performance.”
Consumers should also keep in mind that some consumers report that taking too high of a dose of CBD can actually trigger anxiety instead of relieving it.
4. Pain Relief
One of the biggest reasons consumers choose medical marijuana is to attain relief from chronic pain. Many CBD consumers report using a high quality CBD product can help relieve pain. Research supports this suggestion.
While we do need more research, numerous studies have demonstrated that CBD does impact both inflammatory and neuropathic pain. This is thought to occur for a variety of reasons.
Consumers are choosing to use CBD to address pain caused by a variety of ailments and issues. Research surrounding the cannabis-derived pharmaceutical, Sativex, shows a combination of plant-derived THC and CBD can have significant effects on muscle spasticity, as well as neuropathic pain. CBD is also being examined as a way to address painful conditions like arthritis and fibromyalgia.
5. Exercise Recovery
One of the most popular new ways to utilize CBD products is for exercise recovery. This is because CBD has been shown to behave as a potent anti-inflammatory.
When we exercise, we cause microscopic damage to our muscles and other biological tissues. The stress we place on our tissues during exercise, causes physiological stress and produces excess free radicals. CBD may act as an antioxidant, essentially helping to eliminate free radicals and thus enhancing exercise recovery.
In mice, CBD has demonstrated the ability to lower urea nitrogen and blood creatinine levels. This is also believed to enhance exercise recovery. Some hope that this means CBD may one day help prevent exercise-induced nephrotoxicity, but more research is needed for that to be determined. Of course, more research is needed to examine the true extent of CBD on muscle recovery in humans.
Conclusion
CBD may impact wellness in a variety of ways. Anxiety, exercise recovery, and sleep are just some of the areas consumers report CBD impacting. We need more research to examine all the ways CBD truly impacts health & wellness.
Like all substances, cannabis and CBD have side effects, additionally, CBD may interact with some medications. Consumers should always speak with their licensed healthcare provider before adding a new substance to their health routine.
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