You’ve probably heard or read a lot about CBD oil, but whether you know exactly what it is or many of the benefits with which it has been credited could be very much its own question. You can take CBD oil in various ways, including as a tincture, capsules and even e-liquid… but what is it?
It’s an oil made by extracting cannabidiol (CBD), a chemical compound, from the cannabis plant before mixing that compound with a carrier oil like hemp seed or coconut. Unlike cannabis more generally, CBD oil won’t make you high, but could benefit you through the following means…
Relieving pain
Many studies have demonstrated CBD oil’s ability to alleviate pain by reducing inflammation and interacting with neurotransmitters.
For example, people suffering from pain and stiffness caused by joint inflammation can rejoice that CBD is highly antioxidant, while the compound’s analgesic effect can reduce the strength of pain perceived by the brain.
Reducing anxiety
Research also backs the theory that CBD oil could help people who are prone to anxiety. In interacting with the body’s endocannabinoid system, CBD can lead other brain chemicals to more effectively promote relaxation as well as lower anxiety and stress.
According to a 2011 study detailed in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, people with generalised social anxiety disorder (SAD) were much less anxious and uncomfortable with public speaking when, beforehand, they took 600mg of CBD oil instead of a placebo.
Reducing depression
The evidence for CBD oil’s antidepressant effects is more anecdotal than that for its anti-anxiety effects. However, Dr Dani Gordon told NetDoctor that she uses “high CBD prescription cannabis medicine products” to treat the mental health of patients suffering from anxiety and depression.
She added: “The antidepressant effects of CBD have been shown in animal models, but we now need large, depression-specific studies in humans as the next step.”
Alleviating cancer-related symptoms
It’s important to emphasise that, contrary to hyperbolic claims you might have seen from some CBD manufacturers, the substance is not a “cure-all for cancer”. In an article for Harvard Medical School’s Harvard Health Publishing arm, Dr Peter Grinspoon has stamped down on this particular theory.
Nonetheless, research mentioned by Healthline suggests that CBD could help reduce cancer-related systems and side effects of cancer treatment. For example, CBD may help to rein in nausea and vomiting, two of the most common side effects of chemotherapy.
Reducing acne
The skin condition of acne has been said to affect over 9% of the global population and is thought to result from numerous factors, such as genetics, bacteria and excessive sebum, an oily secretion produced by the skin’s sebaceous glands.
Reassuringly, however, research has found that CBD oil can prevent sebaceous gland cells from overproducing sebum and “pro-acne” agents such as inflammatory cytokines from activating.
While we still need human studies exploring how CBD affects acne, the evidence so far could be a sufficiently strong incentive for you to invest in CBD products. Aspiring CBD vapers, for example, could order a CBD vape pen kit from VSAVI.
