CBD: All You Need to Know
CBD – it’s a product which has taken the health food and supplement market by storm in recent times, but you may not actually know much about it. Indeed, a lot of people have heard about CBD and know vaguely that it can offer health benefits, but they are not aware of what CBD actually is and how it can be effective. As such, we have made it our goal today to teach you all you need to know about CBD.
What is CBD?
Before we attempt to tackle this topic, it is imperative that you actually know what CBD is. At its most basic, CBD is a compound which is naturally found in cannabis plants in varying quantities. Called a cannabidiol compound, it is commonly considered to be a “good” cannabidiol compound, whereas THC – another cannabidiol compound derived from cannabis plants – is often regarded as being a bad compound for its psychedelic effects.
CBD is extracted from cannabis plants and used for a number of different reasons, however it is most commonly extracted from specially grown hemp plants. Hemp is one of many different strains of cannabis but, unlike the vast majority of strains which are grown predominantly for the psychedelic effects that they produce (and thus have a high THC content) hemp plants actually have very low THC content.
This trait, which hemp strains have been selected for, helps to improve the yield of CBD from the individual plants and also means that the CBD which is extracted is more pure and less likely to be contaminated with other impurities (such as THC). On that score, though, the vast majority of reputable CBD brands will utilise some form of purification technology during their manufacturing process to ensure that there are no impurities, or next to no impurities, in the final product which could impact on the efficacy of the CBD supplements and products.
What is CBD Used For?
CBD has a huge number of different benefits and this means that it can be used in numerous ways. One of the key benefits associated with using CBD is due to the fact that it does not have psychedelic properties like THC has; therefore, it can be safely consumed without fear of getting high or suffering from other such THC-induced side effects. However, the benefits of CBD themselves are always hugely important reasons to consider trying this powerful and highly beneficial supplement.
#1 CBD for Pain Relief
CBD is most commonly used as a means to control pain. The nature of CBD means that it is highly effective for reducing the symptoms of pain in an individual, and this makes CBD supplements popular choices for people who suffer from long term pain but who don’t want to become overly reliant upon chemical pain control medications. For other people, medicinal pain control products can cause addiction if used excessively over a long period of time, or could even stop working entirely!
For these individuals, CBD for pain control can be a great alternative option to find pain relief. This isn’t a new discovery, either – ancient civilizations as far back as 2900BC have been using CBD supplements to control pain and the like, which means that this could be a good option for you to consider if you are struggling with persistent ain.
#2 CBD for Anxiety and Depression
But that’s not all. Another highly common reason for people to try CBD supplements is for the control of anxiety and depression. And, with depression being the single largest contributor towards disabilities in the world (according to the World Health Organization) it is clear to see how this benefit could be of use for a huge number of people!
CBD can be used to reduce the symptoms of depression and anxiety and this has been observed in clinical trials as well as among real CBD users, which makes this a highly notable benefit that should be considered carefully.
#3 CBD for Cancer Treatment Side Effects
There is no doubting that treatment for cancer, especially chemotherapy, can cause a huge number of complications for patients undergoing the treatment course. Some such symptoms can include nausea, vomiting and pain for the chemotherapy recipient – but CBD supplementation with high quality, pure CBD could be useful for helping to treat these conditions and lessen their severity or prevent them entirely. This is notable when the drugs which are commonly prescribed to treat these symptoms have a high rate of failure or poor results, and so this could be notable.
There is even the potential that CBD could be useful for helping people to recover from Cancer. Test tube studies that were conducted into this question actually concluded that CBD could be effective at targeting and killing Cancerous cells, which potentially could revolutionize the ways in which we cure Cancer in the future too. Further studies have also shown it to be effective quite reliably for preventing the spread of Cancerous tumors, further backing up this benefit as one which is notable.
#4 CBD for Heart Health
CBD could be used effectively as a means for promoting good heart health, especially among individuals who are at risk for poor heart health anyway. CBD has shown to be effective for reducing high blood pressure and this, in turn, could also be useful for helping to reduce the effects of other heart health conditions which are related to high blood pressure; these can include strokes, heart attacks and metabolic syndromes.
Does CBD Really Do Anything?
Okay, so we’ve had a brief look at some of the many benefits that CBD can offer for our overall health, but surely this is a little bit exaggerated? After all, one simple, naturally derived compound can’t have that many potential benefits can it?
Well, actually, yes it can! CBD is a compound that offers a huge number of potential benefits, all of which have been backed up in scientific studies and so these benefits are based on research which is likely to prove its efficacy! Best of all, the fact that CBD doesn’t cause the same psychedelic symptoms as other cannabidiol compounds such as THC means that you won’t need to worry about getting high while taking it – if the CBD that you are taking is pure CBD and has not been contaminated, of course.
Is CBD Safe to Use?
We’ve been going on about the benefits that CBD can offer, and as we have already pointed out, these benefits have been backed up by scientific research. However, not every CBD product is created equal and this means that you need to be so careful when choosing which product you want to buy!
Occasionally, you might see a few side effects of CBD supplementation, especially if you are new to taking the supplement while your body adjusts to the new compound. However, on the whole, most people won’t experience any nasty symptoms as a result of CBD supplementation – although you should make sure that you check any concerns you have with your pharmacist, anyway. However, there can absolutely be dangers and side effects if you choose CBD products which are not pure!
Impure CBD supplements could easily contain traces of other chemical compounds which could interfere with their efficacy or, if the product is created with THC content in reasonable doses still, could even result in you getting high after taking the supplement. As a result of this, it is vital that you do your research carefully before choosing where to buy your CBD supplements from; in doing so, you can check that the CBD brand use top extraction methods and testing methods to ensure the purity of their products is unrivalled and unchanging.
Are There Any Side Effects of CBD?
The side effects associated with impure CBD could be numerous, but let’s just assume that you have purchased a CBD product which is pure and made by a brand which takes the purity of its products seriously. Are there any side effects of these sort of supplements?
Pure CBD itself is a very safe compound to take as part of your supplemental regime, and usually, only a small dose is needed in order to see beneficial effects. However, there are a few potentially frustrating side effects that have been reported occasionally by CBD users, especially after just making the change to CBD supplements. These can include diarrhea, changes in appetite and weight loss or weight gain, and fatigue. Certain medicinal drugs could also be impacted by CBD supplementation, due to the fact that CBD can interfere with the enzymes in our bodies responsible for the metabolization of drugs.
Usually, these side effects will lessen and disappear over time, however, if they do not go after a while using the supplements, you may want to switch to a lower potency supplement or otherwise cut CBD supplements from your diet entirely – if this is the case for you then you should make sure that you approach your physician to check the matter with him and get professional advice about whether or not CBD is the right supplemental product for you to be taking.
How Long Does it Take for CBD to Work?
So, you’ve started taking CBD supplements but have yet to see an improvement in your life? Well, don’t fret – CBD is actually a great supplement as it will usually begin to provide an improvement within a very short time period. Indeed, most people will report that they are experiencing an improvement in their symptoms within as little as 6 to 8 hours.
However, the time that it takes for you to experience an improvement in your symptoms will vary based on numerous factors; these factors could include any of, or a combination of, the following:
- Weight and BMI
- Basal metabolic rate
- CBD potency in the supplement
- Method of supplementation (e.g. vaping, gummies, tablets)
Before the CBD can be effective, it first needs to be absorbed into your bloodstream. This is important as it will have a huge impact on how long it takes for the CBD to have an effect. Furthermore, if you have taken a very low dose of CBD, you may not even see a noticeable improvement at all.
Is CBD Legal?
CBD is a derivative of hemp, which is a cannabis plant – and so it is easy to understand why you might have concerns regarding the legality of CBD supplements. On this score, the general advice would be that CBD is often legalized for use up to a specific potency or limit, whereas owning cannabis or hemp plants often is not allowed; however, you should always check the rules for your country before making a purchase of CBD supplements, as they can vary considerably from country to country.
In some countries, such as Germany, CBD is only available as part of a prescription drug; in other countries such as the United States and United Kingdom, CBD is legal provided that there is no THC content and the products are completely pure; and some other countries, such as Denmark and Russia, still treat CBD as an illegal compound that cannot be used as a supplement, regardless of purity. Below is a map denoting the legality of CBD throughout the world.
However, these rules are always rapidly evolving and changing in line with new research and knowledge. Therefore, it is important that you check this before making any CBD supplement purchase!
Final Thoughts
CBD is a derivative of cannabis plants, and is primarily sourced from the Hemp plant for commercial purposes and supplement creation. It is a highly powerful compound which can offer numerous health benefits for those individuals who try the supplement; however, it is important that you source a high-quality supplement brand that has been extracted with the highest standard modern processes and has been tested for purity. This is vital if you are to make sure that you are buying a premium product that will provide you with the effects that you need, without risking other unwanted side effects such as getting high as a result of contamination from THC.