CBD stands for Cannabidiol. It’s a compound extracted from Cannabis plants. In a typical Cannabis sativa plant, there are more than 80 chemicals that can be identified as Cannabinoids. Over the years, the scientific community has conducted several studies to ascertain the effects CBD has on stress disorders.
CBD to Cure Post Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD)
From a study conducted amongst civilians with PTSD, the scientists inferred that CBD could act as a promising cure to PTSD. Scientifically regulated use of CBD has the potential to reduce abnormal increases in heart rate and blood pressure. Increased heart rate and blood pressure are two abnormalities caused by restraint stress in the human body. CBD also delays the anxiogenic effects of stress. Systemic use of CBD also proved effective in dealing with the long term effects of stress.
Stress disorders induced by trauma also give birth to sleep disorders, anxiety, and insomnia. According to the results of a scientific study published in The Permanente Journal, CBD oil was found to be effective in reducing anxiety and insomnia. The anxiolytic effect caused by CBD on the human brain has the capability to reduce alterations in sleep patterns.
How CBD Works on Stress?
To reduce stress, CBD interacts with the neurological receptors of our body. Serotonin receptors control the flow of hormones, such as cortisol and oxytocin, in our body. Cortisol has its effect on our body’s reactions to stress, and oxytocin has its impact on our social behaviour. The serotonin receptor in our body is called 1A receptor. The enhanced activation of these receptors makes our body resistant to the effects of stress. CBD serves this purpose.
Apart from interacting with the Serotonin receptor, CBD also interacts with the Vanilloid receptors and Orphan receptors in our body. However, one has to keep in mind that the actions of CBD are never mind-altering.
Apart from having the capacity to interact with our nervous system, CBD also manages to reduce stress by regulating the blood flow, reducing oxidative damage, and lowering the degree of excitation in brain cells. It also has antipsychotic properties.
CBD Dosage
Although CBD-induced treatments have been found to be safe, one always needs to be careful about the appropriate dosage. A systematic review of several scientific studies concluded in
2017 that the appropriate dosage of CBD for humans can vary widely. Anywhere between 20 and 1,500 milligrams per day.
Within this wide range, the exact requirements for a specific human body depend on many factors. These basic factors are our body weight, the condition that is being treated, the inherent chemical structure of the body, and the concentration of CBD used in the medicine. The last factor comes into the picture because CBD can be consumed in diverse forms, such as pills, capsules, drops, or gummies.
In case the dosage is not prescribed by the physician, it is advisable to start with a low dosage. This can be anywhere between 20 to 40 milligrams a day. One can then gradually increase this dosage by 5 milligrams per week up till the point the user starts feeling the positive impact. It is always effective to keep a track of how much CBD is consumed on a daily basis.
Side Effects
Correctly administered use of CBD has no side effects. Yet, like any other medication, unregulated use of CBD can harm our body. Multiple research studies have tried to determine the dosage of CBD that could be harmful.
A review was done in 2011 to check the tolerance level. The review concluded that high consumption of CBD, even at the range of 1,500 milligrams of CBD per day, does not have any negative effect on our body. However, a 2019 animal study indicated the possibility of liver damage as a result of excessive consumption.
Wrongly administered use of CBD can result in several unwanted complications such as fatigue, changes in appetite and weight, diarrhoea, etc.
The Presence of THC
THC stands for Tetrahydrocannabinol. Both CBD and THC are present in Cannabis. Both of them have the same molecular structures and both of them interact with the endocannabinoids in our body. These interactions obviously have their impacts on our brain’s neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are responsible for relaying messages to our brain in general, and obviously in case of stress.
Despite having similar structures, the impacts of THC and CBD on our neurotransmitters are entirely different. Acting on the CB1 receptors spread all over our brain, the Tetrahydrocannabinol produces a strong sense of excitement or euphoria in our brain. This is not an impact to be encouraged. Owing to this ability to create high levels of sensation, the volume of THC has been restricted to 0.3% or less in CBD products.
CBD Products
The way CBD products act to reduce stress is safe. It does not have negative impacts. Not even when consumed at a level of 1500 mg per day. Due to its nature and efficacy, the market of CBD has been growing in size at a constant pace. According to market research estimates, the current size is US$9.3 billion. And, it is expected to reach US$23.6 billion in 2025.
The CBD products are available as oil tinctures of various sizes and various concentrations. There are CBD gummies. Recent innovations have also made CBD creams popular in the market. Additionally, there are CBD Vapes and CBD pills and capsules.
Companies like Calm by Wellness are doing great work in this space. Calm by Wellness offers a variety of product-types like CBD oil tinctures and hemp CBD gummies. Their chill oil tincture is a super-effective blend of organically grown hemp extracts and hops and other natural ingredients like orange, chamomile, stevia extracts, pine, etc. With a dosage of 17 mg of CBD per serving, the product is safe for everyone to use.
This side-effect free treatment to stress is expected to gain more momentum in the days to come. Only, one needs to be cautious about the exact conditions of use. Consumption of correct dosage, use of less than 0.3% THC products are some of the easy checks that one needs to perform to get the best results possible.
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