Websites across the internet are littered with ads exclaiming absurd statements like “CBD oil brought this dead 97 year old back to life AND THEN HELPED THEM RUN A MARATHON” and “The Thing Doctors Don’t Want You To Know About CBD Oil”. These grandiose claims, while hilarious, do little to help people understand whether they might benefit from introducing CBD oil supplementation into their daily routine. In fact, such grand statements are likely off-putting for the vast majority of people.
CBD v THC
CBD oil undoubtedly suffers from its association with the psychoactive compound THC, which is also found in the hemp plant. Years of stigma around smoking cannabis have contributed to the slow uptake of CBD. Where THC is psychoactive and makes the user feel “high”, cannabidiol is a non-psychoactive compound which means that it doesn’t produce the same mental effects.
Benefits of CBD Oil
So, now we’ve made the distinction between THC & CBD Oil, let’s take a look at the reason so many people are supplementing with CBD oil. CBD Oil has been shown to have significant positive effects on several different conditions, particularly around mental health and sleep disorders.
Sleep
Initial studies appear to show a positive relationship between CBD oil and serotonin receptors. Serotonin is a hormone which the body uses to synthesize melatonin. Melatonin is another hormone which is released into the bloodstream and make you feel tired. As melatonin levels increase, you will begin to feel more and more tired.
Depression
Serotonin is also essential for mood and emotional wellbeing. An imbalance in serotonin has been linked with depression. This has been postulated to be due to disruption to the regeneration of brain cells. This is a process that is believed to be supported by serotonin. CBD has also been shown to have antidepressant-like effects in animal studies.
Neuro deterioration
Inflammation of the brain has been shown to significantly contribute to the declination in cognitive function as well as the onset of various neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s. CBD oil has shown some promise in treating inflammation which means it could benefit those suffering from these conditions. These potentially anti-inflammatory properties have also been shown in some studies to contribute towards pain relief.
Is CBD The Real Deal?
While it is still early days in the use of CBD oil as a treatment for various conditions, studies do appear to show some benefits. Anecdotally, some people have spoken of CBD as life-changing. While anecdote only goes so far, this indicates that it does have some positive effects when used.
