By Katie Sotack
Health trends constantly evolve through branding by popular celebrities. Cannabidiol, or CBD for short, is growing in popularity as a chemical compound found in marijuana because it doesn’t cause a high. According to RealSimple.com, the compound is said to cure PMS, anxiety, insomnia, and hangovers.
With CBD available from drugstores to cafes, is this cure-all craze worth the hype?
CBD is available as powders, oils, vapes, and more, but is it really beneficial to aches and pains? The cannabis compound that’s a gray area in the eyes of the law and in science. Here are the health tips you need to know before purchasing CBD:
1. Proven treatments: When it comes down to it, the only FDA approved use for CBD is to treat two rare forms of epilepsy. Not to mention that only one form of CBD is approved for such use. Still, studies have shown benefits for patients with multiple sclerosis and arthritis. If it’s legal in your state and your experiencing muscle aches or spasms, rubbing on some CBD on the affected area could be beneficial.
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2. Anxiety and Depression: There’s not enough research to back this up. The bulk of the testing has been done on animals with no definitive proof that CBD has any effect on humans aside from epilepsy. However, some report that the use of CBD relieves their social anxiety and in one study with mice the oil has been shown to have antidepressant effects. A disclaimer to using CBD with mental illness is that marijuana has been known to trigger psychosis and specifically schizophrenia in patients with a family history of mental illness. If you have concerns speak with your doctor before testing out CBD.
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3. Relieves cancer-related symptoms:Â Like marijuana, CBD can alleviate nausea, vomiting, and pain often related to cancer treatments. However, unlike marijuana, CBD will not get the user high because it lacks THC. Some animal tests have shown the CBD has preventative properties in mice as well. Further studies are needed to conclude if this remains true for people.
4. Dosage: Even if CBD is a cure-all, you’d need more of it than what’s sold in an average vape pen. For the effects to take place the user would need to ingest hundreds of milligrams. Most over the counter products like vapes, oils, and edibles are sold at around 5 milligrams. Again, speaking to your doctor could be beneficial. They may prescribe something entirely different for your issue or increase your dosage of CBD.
5. Neuroprotective properties: As mentioned above CBD has shown neuroprotective properties for issues like multiple sclerosis and epilepsy. This area is also one of the most studied for a relationship between CBD and human health. An oral spray of CBD and THC has been shown to reduced muscle spasms in patients with MS. Ingesting CBD in a way that works for you might ease MS and epilepsy-related symptoms.
What’s been your experience with CBD? Share in the comments below!
