How Can CBD Use Benefit You?

Three common CBD benefits include less anxiety, more relaxation, and better sleep. Read this article for a brief introduction to the science behind CBD and how it interacts with your body’s natural system to alleviate stress.

Antioxidant and Neuroprotective Effects

CBD is short for cannabidiol, a type of cannabinoid compound found in cannabis plants such as hemp. Categorized under antioxidants and neuroprotectants, cannabinoids have garnered a lot of research attention as of late for potential health benefits. Research suggests the antioxidant and neuroprotective effects of CBD can decrease the likelihood of health issues, premature aging, and free radical damage to the body.

So what the heck are free radicals?

A free radical is an uncharged molecule with an unpaired electron. Free radicals are bad news for us humans because they will break down existing cells and neurons to find a match for that lonesome unpaired electron. The human body is exposed to free radicals in the environment through sources such as UV rays, pollution, cigarette smoke, emotional stressors and more. In other words, we’re exposed to free radicals on a daily basis, and by breaking down cells to make a match for the unpaired electron, free radicals create even more unpaired electrons causing damage. In a process known as oxidation, free radicals break down cells, neurons, and even your DNA. High thresholds of oxidative stress increase the risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as atherosclerosis, stroke, and heart disease.

The good news is that the antioxidant properties of CBD can help to reduce the harm and damage caused by oxidation. As a beneficial cannabinoid, CBD works with the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) to strengthen the body’s natural defenses. A great example is how CBD interacts with the ECS’s CB2 receptors to signal more protection for the brain’s neurons.

Okay, great. CBD has antioxidant powers. What else can it do for me?

Reduce and Alleviate Anxiety

Beyond having powerful antioxidant and neuroprotective effects, CBD can also substantially alleviate feelings of anxiety. As mentioned previously, the way CBD interacts with the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) to enhance the body’s natural processes also helps to reduce anxious symptoms. CBD influences the ECS receptors to inhibit the reuptake of anandamide–otherwise known as the “bliss molecule”–a neurotransmitter known for naturally enhancing one’s state of mind. In such a way, CBD interacts with the ECS to increase the body’s natural balance of hormones allowing for greater physical and mental wellbeing.

Further studies on the effects CBD has on serotonin receptors, also known as 5-HT receptors, are yet to be fully concluded but early research outcomes have resulted in positive correlations between concentrations of CBD and increased serotonin levels. Widely known as the “happy” chemical, serotonin serves many more complex and important functions to support the balance of your brain chemistry other than simply being responsible for feelings of happiness. That being said, serotonin is considered the “happy” chemical because of its important role in sustaining wellbeing and happiness. Where formal research has yet to be concluded, consumers from all around have already given testimonials to successful results of CBD and its ability to alleviate and relieve unwanted anxiety.

Heightened Relaxation and Calmness

Beyond its potential anxiety-reducing effects, CBD has also proven to have the potential ability to promote an overall and broad sense of calming relaxation within both the body and mind. The way CBD interacts with the ECS to increase hormones and support your brain’s chemistry balance can ultimately impact a general sense of calmness and optimal balance–a feeling that can be felt both physically through the body and emotionally in the mind. Whether your job, school, home, social life, or any other aspect of your living experience creates stress and difficulty in finding inner peace, CBD may have the potential to help. CBD may help you feel at ease and reach a calm state of being.

Better, High Quality Sleep

Do you want better sleep? Of course you do. Everyone wants better sleep and everyone benefits greatly from better sleep. Unfortunately, poor sleep is one of the biggest problems modern people are challenged with. Demanding work schedules, smartphones and computers emitting blue light, an active social life (or even lack of social activity), stress, family, school, poor diets, depression, and so much more are all potential contributors to poor sleep in the 21st century. More often than not, a nasty combination of all the aforementioned and even more factors is why there is a scary amount of people today who lack healthy sleep routines.

We say this amount is scary not just because of the sheer size but also because the consequences of poor sleep in and itself is a scary thing to consider. For example, driving sleep deprived is essentially like driving very drunk, a very dangerous activity. Furthermore, studies have widely shown that healthy sleep gives benefits to focus, productivity, mood, problem-solving ability, appetite, and so many more things. Sleep isn’t just for athletes. Top-performers in all areas rely on good sleep to reach peak states and produce the highest quality. 

One of the main jobs of the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) is to help balance the sleep-wake cycle. CBD, by interacting with the ECS to bolster the body’s natural processes, helps to establish a stronger circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is how your body keeps track of time through an internal 24-hour clock knowing when it is morning, day, and night, through the inner workings of your biology. People who suffer from sleep disorders or other complications may have poor circadian rhythms. Poor sleep creates poorer sleep and it often becomes a vicious cycle. Fortunately, CBD can help your circadian rhythm get back in good shape to make you feel more alert in the daytime and more relaxed, calm, and ready to sleep at night time.

Whether you’re a professional football player, a lawyer, or just a furniture salesman, whoever you are, you have a right to benefit from the positive effects of CBD if it fits your needs and body’s response. We hope you can find relief and healing in our CBD products, and we’re excited to see what further research reveals about the properties of CBD!