What is CBD Oil?
Before we can discuss how CBD oil affects the brain, we need to understand what CBD oil is.
CBD oil’s very effective therapeutic effects make it one of the most popular health supplements in the market right now. If market prediction stays true, the CBD industry could become a $19 billion dollar industry in 2025.
This cannabinoid offers numerous health benefits, particularly to the brain. Some of the CBD effects on the brain include neuron protection against inflammation and neurotransmitter imbalance.
These CBD brain health benefits help control many symptoms — from mental health problems like anxiety disorder and depression to motor problems like seizures and Parkinson’s disease.
CBD helps promote a healthy central nervous system, but is CBD good for the brain?
CBD vs THC
There are two main types of cannabinoids, THC and CBD, that have very different effect on the brain.
THC is the major psychoactive cannabinoid, and consuming it gets you high. It produces mind-altering effects when it attaches to the cannabinoid receptor type 1 of the brain cells. It also highly stimulates the brain’s reward and pleasure centers, increasing dependence and addiction risks.
What is CBD?
CBD, on the other hand, is non-psychoactive. It doesn’t bind well to the cannabinoid receptor type 1, so it won’t produce mind-altering effects. Because of this property, CBD easily became one of the favorite health supplements in the market.
Of note, both cannabinoids relieve pain and inflammation. They also have anti-seizure, anti-depressive, anti-cancer, and anti-bacterial effects.
How Does CBD Work?
You’ll find endocannabinoid systems (ECS) on our cells, especially in the central nervous system and the immune system. This is composed of two receptors that are activated by endocannabinoids or endogenous cannabinoids produced by our own cells.
Cannabinoid receptor type 2 regulates immune response, while cannabinoid receptor type 1 regulates other physiological responses such as pain, memory, fear, appetite, sleep, motor and sensory functions, among others.
Endocannabinoids work well in regulating the ECS. But illnesses, chronic diseases, and infections also cause the ECS to fail, resulting in worsening symptoms.
CBD takes the place of the endocannabinoids when their levels are low. It also activates the endocannabinoid system, helping it to function better in controlling symptoms.
CBD functions as a pain reliever and sleep promoter. It also acts as a brain cell booster and an antioxidant that protects healthy brain cells. CBD also functions as a mood-stabilizer agent by reducing anxiety, stress, and depression. In addition to all these, CBD is also a cancer-fighter agent that prevents cancer growth and metastasis.
Does CBD lower blood pressure?
Yes, it can also lower blood pressure. It acts as a vasodilator and relaxes the blood vessel walls. This improves blood flow and reduces the pressure of the blood against the wall.
What are the Medical Uses of CBD?
CBD affects the brain in many ways.
Some people use CBD oil for brain fog. They find that, by easing anxiety and relaxing the mind, CBD helps improve their focus. We have studies suggest that CBD also helps improve memory. THC, on the other hand, impairs memory.
CBD has neuroprotective effects that protect healthy brains from diseases, free radicals, and neuroinflammation. This effect also helps reduce seizures.
This cannabinoid has powerful pain-killing effects. The vanilloid receptors and CBD work together in reducing pain perception. The nuclear receptors and CBD also work in controlling inflammation, which worsens pain. These effects help with treatment-resistant pain as well as cancer pain. By reducing pain, CBD also helps with insomnia and allows you to sleep better and longer.
CBD also has anti-cancer effects when the orphan receptors and CBD work together. It stops cancer cells from spreading by preventing its growth and development.
CBD produces potent anti-anxiety effects. One study showed that CBD helped people suffering from generalized anxiety disorder. It showed that CBD and the serotonin system work together in relieving stress, anxiety, and depression.
How long does CBD affect the brain?
This depends on many factors, of course, such as your age, metabolism, chronic health problems, severity of your symptoms, and other medications you’re taking. But generally, CBD effects can last anywhere from two to six hours.
What are the Side Effects of CBD?
Like all drugs and medications, CBD also has some side effects:
- Dry mouth
- Nausea
- Drowsiness
- Reduced appetite
- Fatigue
- Gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea
But the positive CBD effects on the brain still far outweigh the negative side effects though.
Moreover, some people only develop these side effects because of misuse or abuse. If you use CBD correctly and follow its general recommendations, the risk of developing these side effects is reduced.
Is CBD psychoactive and get you high?
Again, CBD won’t get you high. It’s a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that doesn’t bind well to the cannabinoid receptor type 1.
The Benefits of CBD Oil
CBD’s activation of the cannabinoid and non-cannabinoid receptors produces many health benefits.
One of the CBD brain benefits includes the protection of healthy brain cells from neurotransmitter imbalance and inflammation. These CBD brain health benefits help people with anxiety and depression and epilepsy syndromes. A study also showed that CBD can reduce PTSD symptoms.
CBD also helps to:
- Reduce PTSD symptoms
- Alleviate ALS symptoms such as muscle cramps and twitches
- Relieve unmanageable pain
- Protect against neurological diseases such as brain tumors and cancers, seizures and epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, among others
CBD also acts to:
- Promote heart health
- Ease diabetic complications
- Inhibit arthritis symptoms
- Reduce inflammation
- Improve skin conditions
How Does CBD Oil Affect Hormones Like Estrogen and Testosterone?
We lack studies that primarily focus on CBD oil and hormones. However, some experts believe that CBD oil helps improve hormonal imbalance, especially in women suffering from menopausal symptoms. It can help with mood problems, acne, anxiety, and sleep issues.
Again, we don’t have specific CBD oil and estrogen or testosterone and CBD oil studies to prove this claim. So, if you want to try this for your hormonal imbalance, we recommend discussing CBD use with your primary care physician first.
Can CBD Oil Go Bad?
CBD oil can also go bad, so be sure to store it in a dry, cool, and dark place. Remember that exposure to heat, light, and air speeds up CBD’s degradation process and affects its potency and quality.
Is CBD oil safe?
According to the World Health Organization, this cannabinoid is safe, non-toxic, non-intoxicating, non-psychoactive, and non-addictive. There may be some CBD side effects like fatigue, and nausea. But these disappear after a while.
Know though that CBD interacts with blood thinners and affects their level of blood thinning effects. So, if you’re using blood thinners and want to try CBD oil, consult with your physician first.
Conclusion — CBD Benefits Brain Health
We benefit from CBD’s therapeutic effects. This cannabinoid not only helps control many symptoms but also supports a healthy brain.
If you’re looking for a good place to buy CBD oil in Canada for your brain health, then drop us a line.
We use organically grown, hemp-derived CBD oil for all our products, all of which have undergone rigid testing by a verified third-party laboratory. Rest assured that our CBD oils contain their stated potency and are safe and free from toxic residues and pathogenic microorganisms.
For any questions regarding our company and CBD products, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’d love to talk with you about our ICARIA CBD oils and how they can help you.
