Introduction
CBD Oil has aroused interest among scientists, medical professionals, and public alike for the last several years as slowly we are discovering the several benefits associated with it. Growing or consuming CBD was illegal in most jurisdictions, including the UK until a few years ago. UK authorized use of CBD by registered medical practitioners in 2018 and doctors can now prescribe CBD oil for a variety of conditions after the changes1 announced by the Home Office.
At present, doctors in the UK can prescribe medical cannabis for Epilepsy, relieve the symptoms caused by chemotherapy, muscle stiffness and spasm associated with multiple sclerosis. CBD is known to have several benefits for our health and is already being used to treat several diseases or at least relieve the symptoms associated with these diseases. In this article, we will discuss the benefits of CBD oil in detail, and hopefully, by the end of this article, you will be able to see the potential uses and benefits of CBD oil for your health.
Depression and Anxiety
CBD can help reduce anxiety caused by several reasons, such as public speaking and is also helpful for reducing anxiety in depressed people. A study2 that involved public speakers found that CBD oil can reduce the anxiety that many of us experience before a public-speaking event.
Another study found that CBD can influence how your brain’s receptors interact with serotonin. Serotonin is a chemical that plays a significant role in our mental health as it works as a natural mood stabilizer. Optimum levels of serotonin are essential for reducing depression and regulating anxiety. So, CBD can help those suffering from depression and anxiety.
Pain
Doctors and medical practitioners have long been aware of the pain-reducing properties of CBD. A recent study3 also found that CBD oil is quite helpful for reducing chronic non-cancer pain in adults.
Inflammation
CBD is a proven anti-inflammatory substance that can help you reduce inflammation in your body. Due to this reason, CBD is used to treat a variety of conditions caused by inflammation such as joint pain, muscle pain, arthritis etc.
Epilepsy
CBD has been approved for treating Epilepsy in various jurisdictions such as the UK, US, and EU. Epidyolex is the first CBD based medicine that is now commonly used to treat Epilepsy. UK Home office recently changed4 the classification of Epidyolex from a schedule 2 drug to a schedule drug. This change will make Epidyolex easier to obtain and will allow doctors to prescribe it for treating patients with epileptic seizures.
Neuroprotection
CBD is known to react with our endocannabinoid system that, in turn, interacts with our nervous system and plays a crucial role in all neurological processes. CBD binds well with the CB2 receptor found in our endocannabinoid system. This property of CBD can help those suffering from degenerative neurological diseases.
As CBD is already an approved treatment for Epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis both of which are essential neurological ailments, there is a high chance that it can also help with other degenerative neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease. Researchers are already studying the effects of CBD oil on the progress of both these diseases, and hopefully, we will soon see evidence that CBD can prevent or at least slow these diseases.
Heart Health
Recent research suggests that CBD may be extremely beneficial for heart health. CBD does not interact with your heart directly, but it helps lower hypertension or high blood pressure5, which is often the leading cause6 of several heart conditions.
Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of CBD also help to improve your heart health as inflammation is also among the leading causes of heart diseases.
Cancer Symptoms
Researchers are currently studying the effects of CBD on cancer cells, and there is already some evidence that suggests that CBD can help relieve cancer symptoms and may also help treat cancer one day. A study7 conducted in 2009 looked at the effects of CBD and THC in people suffering from cancer-related pain who were unable to get rid of their pain with pain-relieving medication.
Researchers conducting this study found that people treated with a compound containing both THC and CBD experienced a greater reduction in pain than the ones who were treated with a solution containing only THC. CBD is also the foremost among the few approved treatments available for treating nausea and vomiting experienced by cancer patients who have undergone chemotherapy.
Another study8 found that CBD oil can induce cell death in breast cancer cells and may be able to kill other cancer cells also in a similar way. There is high hope among the scientific community that CBD will help us cure cancer someday, although more research is needed to confirm the exact effect of CBD oil on cancer cells.
Acne
Now you may not have expected to see Acne on our list as very few people know that CBD is an effective treatment for acne and several other skin conditions. Acne is caused by several reasons and may be a result of genetics, diet, age, bacteria, or underlying inflammation. In most of the cases, acne is often a direct result of inflammation and anti-inflammatory properties of CBD oil can help you reduce the inflammation and thus get rid of the acne.
Addiction and Substance Abuse
American Journal of Psychiatry published a study9 that discussed the effects of CBD oil on cue-inducing craving and anxiety among people with heroin use disorder. Researchers conducting this study found out that CBD can reduce the cravings and anxiety that is often experienced by people addicted to drugs.
Currently, the impact of CBD on cue-induced cravings that are often associated with different types of addictions is being studied. There is a high chance that in future CBD oil will also prove beneficial to people who are addicted to any substance.
Conclusion
We have tried to include the most significant benefits of CBD Oil in this article, but this is not a comprehensive list as there are several other benefits of CBD Oil that are being researched currently. Due to legal restrictions, CBD was rarely studied by scientists as only in the last few years; governments have started to relax the rules surrounding CBD usage. Hopefully, we will get to know more benefits of CBD oil on human health in future as the preliminary evidence suggests that CBD may be the missing piece of the puzzle in curing several diseases.
References
