Chapter
HOW YOU CAN BENEFIT
FROM TAKING CBD
CBD offers many benefits to anyone looking to support their health and can be taken with the intention not just to eliminate stressors, but to holistically support and uplift one’s state of mind and body.
As we’ve learned, CBD helps the body address negative stimuli and restore a calm and balanced homeostasis by supporting the endocannabinoid system. In this chapter, we’ll learn more about the ways CBD accomplishes these tasks.
When any of the systems or functions of the body get misaligned or overworked, CBD works to get them functioning properly.
Benefits of CBD
- Balances the endocannabinoid System
- Increases comfort and ease in the body
- Reduces pain
- Supports a healthy gut and digestion
- Improves the condition of the skin
- Balances mood and mental health
- Aids in increasing your ability to focus
- Decreases nausea symptoms
- Increases quality of sleep
- Helps muscles and joint recovery
CBD BALANCES THE ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM
If you think of your endocannabinoid system like a car, CBD is not the fuel that propels the car, but rather the motor oil that helps keep the system operating smoothly and efficiently. When systems get out of balance, illness and disorders begin; the motor begins to knock and can eventually break.
As we saw in chapter two, the endocannabinoid system plays an essential role throughout the body. Every system of your body needs to be in balance for you to experience optimal health.
By taking CBD, you’re giving your endocannabinoid system a boost and the highest chance to function at its best.
CBD SUPPORTS A HEALTHY MENTAL STATE
CBD holds the potential to promote an optimal state of mental health and reduce many of the feelings of stress that come along with normal, everyday life.
How does CBD work in the body to support mental functioning?
CBD acts as a 5-HT1A agonist. An agonist is a substance that initiates a response when it interacts with a receptor.1
5-HT1A is a serotonin receptor in the body. This protein exists on the surface of a cell or in a neuron.
When a chemical binds to it, they cause a change of to occur by opening a channel or firing a chemical. The 5-HT1A receptor and serotonin appear to modulate mood, social behavior, appetite, memory, and sexual desire.
Everyone experiences some periods in their life where they may not be feeling their best. Sometimes our serotonin levels get out of balance.
By balancing your endocannabinoid system, you can experience some relief from the struggles and stresses that we all experience in our day to day lives.
CBD FOR GLOWING SKIN
CBD shows promise in helping maintain glowing skin.2
Skin blemishes are caused when the skin begins producing too much of a lipid known as sebum. Hair follicles and the glands on the skin both have endocannabinoid receptors. In a study carried out at the University of Debrecen, scientists applied CBD to skin cells and discovered that CBD supported a healthy level of sebum production.3
CBD also does not appear to harm the cells that are producing the lipids responsible for damaging skin. Many acne medications work by injuring the cells that are overproducing lipids, which results in dry and damaged skin.4 CBD promotes the healthy production of lipids, rather than killing the cells that are overproducing.
SUPPORTS A BETTER FUNCTIONING GUT
As we mentioned in Chapter Two, the endocannabinoid system acts in coordination with the microbiome in your digestive system.
WHEN THE ECS IS BOOSTED WITH ENDOCANNABINOIDS, IT FUNCTIONS BETTER AND THE MICROBIOME ALSO EXHIBITS SIGNS OF IMPROVED FUNCTION.
Studies indicate that the endocannabinoid system and the gut microbiome are intertwined. By taking probiotics, rats saw an increase in the number of endocannabinoids present in their gut.5
The endocannabinoid system and CBD also support a healthy gut-barrier function.6 Healthy gut barrier function leads to a stable metabolism, a healthy mental state, and healthy digestion.
CBD FOR NAUSEA
CBD SHOWS AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF PROMISE FOR HELPING WITH THE OCCASIONAL BOUTS OF NAUSEA WE ALL EXPERIENCE FROM TIME TO TIME.7
There have been a few studies that examined the ways in which endocannabinoids impact motion sickness.
One study found that both anandamide and 2-AG, the body’s two primary endocannabinoids, levels in the body were changed after people went through various types of extreme flight maneuvers.
For those that experienced motion sickness during and after the flight, the activity of their endocannabinoid receptors was reduced while those that did not experience motion sickness saw no change in the activity of their endocannabinoid receptors.8
CBD for Sleep
CBD SUPPORTS A BETTER NIGHTS SLEEP AND CAN HELP YOU FALL ASLEEP QUICKER AND EASIER.
One study found that people who had received CBD slept much longer throughout the night.9 It echoed the former thought that CBD could reduce the amount of daytime sleepiness people felt as well.
The strange thing about CBD is that it generally does not make you sleepy, but can help you sleep better once you’re ready to go to sleep. Many studies show it works as a wakefulness agent during the day and can increase alertness.
Though some anecdotal reports have associated CBD’s comforting and calming effects to “wanting to take a nap,” this is usually distinguished from actual drowsiness.
Ever have trouble sleeping because you’re stressed out about a big project at work? Have too many tasks on your plate and stay up wondering if you’ll be able to finish them all? Because CBD can act to support the stress response in your body, it also can help people who have trouble sleeping because they are stressed out.
CBD FOR MUSCLE RECOVERY
CBD COULD MAKE YOU MORE ACTIVE BY REDUCING SORENESS AND OPENING UP TIGHT MUSCLES
Those who work out sporadically know the pain of hitting the gym after a long hiatus. CBD could make getting into shape a much smoother process. CBD can ensure that post-workout soreness is minimised to a healthy level.
As if these benefits weren't enough, CBD also supports better sleep, which is an important part of the body's healing process after straining muscles.
If the idea of achy joints and muscles are holding you back from living an active life, CBD could be the key to getting yourself on track.
CBD CAN HELP YOU GET OUT OF A “FUNK”
TO PROMOTE GOOD HEALTH CBD OPERATES ON MANY RESTORATIVE FUNCTIONS AT ONCE.
It is for this reason that we often speak of it as a holistic supplement, almost akin to vitamins in the many utilizations it can play within the body. Just as vitamins can help our bodies build many different necessary things, CBD can help it maintain many different things. In this way, it is able to often help with more abstracted or overarching imbalances.
Things like sleep quality and mood may not be evident in our moment to moment experiences, but culminate to create our general quality of life.
If you’ve been feeling a little bit off lately, or just not quite yourself, the stasis that CBD provides can help you feel more aligned with your body and mind, and return to a more familiar, comfortable self-image.
Whether you’ve been feeling overworked on the job, or just don’t feel like you are connecting with your family and friends like you once did, CBD may be the thing that gets you back in the swing of things by offering your body balance and resources.
The effects of CBD are subtle but profound. They seem to rest in the background, like a protective coating softly draped over your nervous system, the body’s own force field. Unlike alcohol or other drugs, you won’t notice a massive displacement, but you will notice a shift in your mindset and a sense of more wellbeing. It’s a sort of passive bolstering, a feeling of being more solid and resilient as one moves through the world.
CBD INCREASES COMFORT AND EASE IN YOUR LIFE
MANY PEOPLE WHO START TAKING CBD FIND THAT THEIR NEGATIVE EMOTIONAL REACTIONS TO LIFE GET LESS SEVERE AND THEIR EMOTIONAL STATE REBOUNDS MUCH QUICKER WHEN OVERSTIMULATED.
Things that used to be difficult or frustrating can be met head-on. Problems transform into challenges. They become puzzles to solve, not burdens to overcome. That may include completing tasks at work or home, enjoying exercise, or just getting out of bed eager to enjoy the day. CBD is the perfect way to bring about a new sense of ease and comfort in your life.
Conclusion
- CBD holds numerous benefits even if you already feel like you’re healthy.
- We all suffer from the occasional sleepless night, stressfull day, and periods where we just don’t quite feel like ourselves. CBD is perfect for these time.
- Remember, CBD is not the fuel that propels your body, it’s the motor oil that keeps it running smoothly.
- CBD is for you if you want to feel a little bit calmer, clearer, and more focused.
- In Chapter 6, we delve into the many ways of consuming CBD.
Summary
- CBD balances the endocannabinoid system and brings it to a state of optimal health.
- CBD supports a better functioning gut and digestive system.
- CBD promotes healthy, glowing skin.
- CBD encourages a positive mental state and quality sleep.
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10
REFERENCES
- Ethan B. Russo, Andrea Burnett, Brian Hall, Keith K. Parker, Agonist Properties of Cannabidiol at 5-HT1A Receptors, Neurochemical Research, 2005 Aug,
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11064-005-6978-1 - Biro T, Toth BI, Hasko G, Paus R, Pacher P, The endocannabinoid system of the skin in health and disease: novel perspectives and therapeutic opportunities, Trends Pharmacol Sci, 2009 Aug,
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19608284 - Fred Garner, Cannabidiol As A Treatment for Acne?, O’Shaugnessy’s, 2013
http://www.beyondthc.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/CBD-for-Acne.pdf - Fred Garner, Cannabidiol As A Treatment for Acne?, O’Shaugnessy’s, 2013
http://www.beyondthc.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/CBD-for-Acne.pdf - Rousseaux C, Thuru X, Gelot A, Barnich N, Neut C, Dubuqouy L, Merour E, Geboes K, Chamaillard M, Ouwehand A, Leyer G, Carcano D, Colombel JF, Ardid D, Desreumax P, Lactobacillus Acidophilus Modulates Intestinal Pain and Induces Opiod and Cannabinoid Receptors, Nat Med., 2007 Jan,
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17159985 - Patrice D. Cani, Hubert Plovier, Matthias Van Hul, Nathalie M. Delzenne, Celine Druart, Amandine Everard, Endocannabinoids — at the crossroads between the gut microbiota and host metabolism, Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 2015 Dec,
https://www.nature.com/articles/nrendo.2015.211 - Parker LA, Rock EM, Limebeer CL, Regulation of Nausea and Vomiting by Cannabinoids, British Journal Of Pharmacology, 2011 Aug,
http://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/21175589 - Keith A Sharkey, Nissar A. Darmani, Linda A. Parker, Regulation of Nausea and Vomiting by Cannabinoids and The Endocannabinoid System, European Journal Of Pharmacology, 2015 Jan,
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3883513/ - Carlini EA, Cunha JM, Hypnotic and Antiepileptic Effects of Cannabidiol, Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 1981
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