Last Updated on November 22, 2022
It seems as if everywhere you turn, cannabidiol (CBD) is being hailed as a cure for just about anything that may ail you. At last look, you can find this chemical in hundreds of products that are meant to relieve all sorts of anxiety and pain, and even in lifestyle-enhancing products such as sports recovery balms, sleeping aids, personal lubricants, and energy boosters that can potentially keep you up all night. Take your pick.
What Is CBD?
CBD is a compound that’s non-psychoactive and can be found in cannabis plants. These are two varieties of the same species of plants. The plants are typically grown in an effort to cultivate tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
That is the part of marijuana that’s responsible for the high people get when they ingest or smoke it.
Hemp plants, on the other hand, have largely had the THC bred out of them. They’re grown in order to produce a variety of products, including things like CBD concentrates, textiles, insulation, paper, skin care items, food, and even supplements.
Here’s a quick look at some of the things that CBD can be used for.
Dry Hair
Every single strand of our hair is made from protein, and that means that CBD oil can be incredibly effective when it comes to fighting dry hair. That is because it contains a whopping 21 amino acids, which are the actual building blocks of proteins. Because of this, using a shampoo that contains CBD can assist with strengthening your hair while also reducing dryness. The oil also happens to be rich in antioxidants, like Vitamins A, C, and E.
Pain
When CBD reaches a particular family of receptors (cells that receive various stimuli) that are known as vanilloid receptors, their interaction results in lower pain perception and inflammation.
A study in the European Journal of Pain published findings that it can assist people with arthritis in terms of managing their pain. It looked at whether using CBD gel on the skin could reduce signs of pain and inflammation. The researchers concluded that it did, in fact, offer relief while there was no evidence of any side effects.
Depression and Anxiety
Many studies have taken a look at how CBD might be utilized to treat a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders. One of them, published in 2015 in Neurotherapeutics, found that the topical form has quite a bit of potential as a treatment for many anxiety disorders. Including seasonal affective disorder, OCD, generalized anxiety disorders, and PTSD.
Epilepsy
There are anecdotal reports regarding CBD and epilepsy for decades. They say the compound might be able to reduce the number of seizures for people who suffer from a particular type of epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS).
In 2018, the FDA actually approved a formulation of oral CBD for both this type of epilepsy as well as another one known as Dravet Syndrome.
Cancer Treatment-Related Symptoms
Most of the focus on this chemical and cancer treatment has surrounded its use for the reduction of nausea and vomiting, which tend to go hand in hand with radiation and chemotherapy treatments. There have actually been two CBD drugs approved by the FDA in order to combat these. One of them is Marinol, and the other is Cesamet.
If you happen to suffer from any of the conditions on this list and are a bit curious as to whether CBD can help you, you need to know about some of the side effects that people might experience with it. Some of them include things like fatigue, mood changes, and dry mouth. As with anything else, check with your physician before using it.
