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Lately, it seems as if CBD products are everywhere and are quite the craze. There are many different companies citing the miraculous healing effects of their various oils, gummies, creams, and even lip balms!

Finally, this claimed health conscious craze has caught my attention.

Could CBD oil actually be a natural remedy to help with various health troubles?

Before trying natural health remedies, I like to research into them to see if they actually work and what it is about them that makes them work.

So no, Mary from Wisconsin, who no longer has arthritis pain anymore due to the CBD oil she is now promoting from an MLM company is not going to convince me.

I needed to know more before I put something that seemed uncomfortably close to weed into my body…

Note: This is not a sponsored post, just my own thoughts and research!

What Is CBD Oil?

CBD is a term that stands for cannabidiol.

Surprisingly, there are more than 120 compounds called cannabinoids that are also found in many plants. CBD is one of these and is derived from a marijuana plant or hemp plant.

Unlike marijuana, pure CBD oil does not contain THC and will not have an effect of making you high. Some full spectrum CBD oils can contain small levels of THC, but not enough to make you high.

Can CBD Oil Have Health Benefits?

Note: I am not a doctor and this post contains just my opinions and research. Not to be taken as medical advice, ask your doctor before tying any new supplements.

So, how does it work?

Well, our bodies naturally produce endocannabinoids, which are actually cannabinoids. The endocannabinoid system built into our body receives and translates signals from cannabinoids. This system helps regulate important bodily functions including pain responses, sleep, and immune-system responses.

This is where CBD oil comes in to play, as it can influence the body to use its endocannabinoids more effectively.

Generally, CBD does this by either activating or inhibiting certain compounds in your body’s endocannabinoid system.

Source: Medical News Today

Pain Management

One of the ways that CBD oil can inhibit a compound in your body’s system is with anandamide (a compound that regulates pain). CBD stops anandamide from being absorbed, increasing the amount of this compound in the bloodstream, which can reduce the amount of pain felt.

In a study done in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, cannabinoids were found to be able to suppress chronic neuropathic pain and persistent inflammatory pain. The researchers concluded: “Collectively, we have provided evidence to suggest that glycinergic cannabinoids are ideal therapeutic agents in the treatment of inflammatory and neuropathic pain. They can effectively attenuate pathological pain without significantly causing major psychoactive side effects and analgesic tolerance.”

Basically, CBD can be useful in treating certain kinds of pain, which is promising as it does not cause psychoactive side effects or addictions.

Arthritis

In a study published in the European Journal of Pain, it was found that CBD has the potential for reducing Arthritis related inflammation and pain.

The researchers applied topical CBD gel to rats with arthritis for 4 days. The rats given the CBD gel indicated less pain and showed significantly reduced joint swelling and inflammation.

The researchers concluded, “These data indicate that topical CBD application has therapeutic potential for relief of arthritis pain-related behaviors and inflammation without evident side effects.”

Now, obviously more studies need to be conducted with humans for us to truly know if CBD oil is an effective remedy for arthritis pain management. However, the initial research appears promising, and the potential side effects minimal. So perhaps it’s worth giving a try?

 Headaches

One of the studies conducted on pain management and CBD concluded that, “There is accumulating evidence for various therapeutic benefits of cannabis, cannabinoids, especially in the treatment of pain which may also apply to the treatment of migraine and headaches.”

Fights Inflammation

CBD oil is often praised for its ability to fight inflammation in the body.

CBD oil has been found helpful in fighting chronic inflammation and that the terpenoids can also fight acute inflammation effectively.

Inflammation can also be a contribute to some brain health problems such as depression, anxiety, autism, and ADD. This is why, CBD is sometimes used to help treat these conditions as well.

Eases Anxiety

An estimated 30 percent of Adults in America struggle with some type of anxiety disorder. If this is something you struggle with, it may be helpful to look into CBD oil.

A study was conducted on people with social anxiety disorder (SAD) in which some students were given 600 mg of CBD oil and others a placebo. A stressful public speaking simulation was then conducted on them. The patients given CBD showed significantly reduced anxiety, cognitive impairment and discomfort. Its interesting that the study also showed patients given the CBD didn’t show much negative self-evaluation during public speaking.

While more research is needed on a larger scale, this preliminary research is promising for anxiety treatment. The researchers concluded that, “CBD potently reduces experimentally induced anxiety or fear.”

Some studies also point to CBD as a natural anxiety calmer or anxiolytic.

Another study, while also calling for more research said, “current evidence indicates CBD has considerable potential as a treatment for multiple anxiety disorders.”

As CBD oil can be helpful in treating anxiety, it can also be used for sleepiness, which is often caused by anxiety or stress when trying to sleep.

Helps Digestive Issues

CBD oil can be useful in managing the effects of IBS and in dealing with nausea. It can also help reduce digestive pain and inflammation in the body to help calm digestive issues. Additionally, CBD oil can be helpful in managing nausea, and people will sometimes use it to help overcome the nausea that comes as a side effect of chemotherapy.

CBD oil can be helpful for those struggling with autoimmune diseases such as Hashimotos and Celiac disease as it can help calm inflammation from a flare-up.

Other Possible Uses

There is strong evidence that CBD can be beneficial for children experiencing epilepsy. Other possible uses for CBD could be for treating Alzheimer’s, diabetes, drug withdrawl, and even heart disease. However, more in-depth research and human studies are needed.

If it is not being prescribed by Doctors, Is it Safe?

In humans, CBD exhibits no effects indicative of any abuse or dependence potential… To date, there is no evidence of public health related problems associated with the use of pure CBD.

World Health Organization

CBD oil is non-psychoactive in the sense that it will not give you a high, is not addictive, and you do not build up a tolerance to it. Besides this, there is generally no or very little side effects.

So, why won’t doctors prescribe it?

Well, one of the theorized reasons is that the pain management effects of CBD oil present a threat to big pharmaceutical companies. These companies make tons of money from opioids used for pain treatment, but they are not without their side effects.

In fact, the pharmaceutical industry makes somewhere between $2-5 billion from drugs used to treat the side effects of their own opioid products! (Washington Post). Even worse, it is estimated that daily, opioids cause 115 Americans’ deaths (Mercola).

CBD also carries with it a stigma as the product can come from marijuana, a drug that, until recently, was illegal in every state.

On the other hand, the research on CBD in humans is rather limited. The preliminary research and animal testing are promising so far, though. Which begs the question, why is more human research not being pushed for?

Recently, the FDA has actually released its first approved cannabis derived medication, Epidiolex, used for treating epilepsy in children. Hopefully, this will prompt more scientific research and more FDA approved products.

Unlike many dangerous opioids and drugs that are FDA approved, CBD oil shows very few possible side effects. Some possible side effects could include irritability, diarrhea, and fatigue. You should also use caution if taking other medications, as CBD oil may cause certain levels of medication in the blood to raise.

Precautions on Buying

Not all CBD oil is equal and you should be intentional about making sure to consume a high quality one. Since the FDA is not regulating it, there are a lot of various companies selling it and some of these oils are low quality and contain high levels of THC. Look for an oil that is third-party tested in order to confirm the purity of the oil.

Also, be sure to look for a CBD oil that is organic to avoid any unhealthy pesticides.

There are a couple of different kinds of CBD oil to choose from. Isolate CBD oil is considered the purest form and does not contain THC. However, it may not be as effective.

Full spectrum CBD oil contains terpenes and essential oils that enable the oil to work more effectively in the body. However, this type of CBD oil can contain small levels of THC.

Another alternative is broad spectrum which still contains some of the natural compounds of the plant but all the THC has been removed.

My Thoughts

After way too much research, I think I will give CBD oil a try. While there is not a large amount of definitive human studies, the early research and animal studies are promising. Besides, the product is relatively safe with few potential side effects.

CBD oil appears to be a safe natural remedy and perhaps even an alternative to some potentially more harmful drugs.

Now I just have to do my homework on what brand to buy…

What about you, have you thought about using CBD oil? Or have you tried it before?

Let me know in the comments!

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Other Sources:

• Forbes
• Harvard Health
• Dr. Axe