Cannabidiol – otherwise commonly known as CBD – is harvested from the cannabis plant and has become more and more popular for medicinal and recreational use in recent years.
While the research is still ongoing and the direct positive impacts are still being discovered, there are already strong indications that CBD has a whole lot to offer the people who integrate it into their daily lives.
In fact, people use CBD for a variety of different medical conditions without experiencing any side effects. Perhaps most noticeably, CBD does not come with the classic “high” that THC – the other highly popular molecule that comes from the cannabis plant.
The reason for this is because, unlike THC, CBD does not readily bind to the cannabinoid receptors in the body and mind. With that being said, CBD does interact with other receptors in the body, such as the serotonin and opioid receptors, visit Wisdom Essentials to find out the right CBD products for you.
Whether you are already a regular user of CBD or have never used CBD before in your life, chances are good that you are interested in some of its most common uses. After all, why else would you be on this page!
However, before we break down its top uses, let’s quickly go over what broad-spectrum CBD truly is!
What is full-spectrum CBD
Full-spectrum CBD can be considered not totally pure CBD. What that means is that it comes with other compounds that are found in the cannabis plant. The three most common are Cannabinoids, Terpenes, and Flavonoids.
- There are more than 100 cannabinoids, including CBD and THC in the cannabis plant.
- These two are most well known for their therapeutic and psychoactive effects.
There are more than 150 terpenes in the cannabis effect and are most responsible for offering the famous musky and citrusy scent and cannabis has. - There are approximately 20 different flavonoids in the cannabis plant and are known to have many therapeutic effects including anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and neuroprotective properties.
What are the benefits of full-spectrum CBD?
Now that you know what is in full-spectrum CBD, let’s go over some of the most common uses that people depend on it for.
Prevents risk of cardiovascular diseases
One of the very best benefits of CBD that people depend on it for is that it can play a major role in reducing the risk that a person gets debilitating or deadly heart disease. The reason for this is the increased levels of HDL-C that people are found to have in their bodies of CBD use. HDL-C is healthy cholesterol that occurs naturally in the body and helps protect the body from suffering from coronary heart disease and high blood pressure.
People use it for epilepsy
Believe it or not, the very first CBD-based medication that was officially approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was Epidiolex. Epidolex is prescribed by doctors to patients who suffer from seizures due to the illnesses known as Lennox-Gastrault or Dravet Syndrome, which are both rare cases of epilepsy.
While it is still not known specifically how CBD helps control seizures, one commonly held theory is that CBD influences a receptor that is involved in seizure activity.
Encourages healthy and restorative sleep
Based on a recent study, people who take CBD before they go to sleep can help reduce anxiety and encourage healthy, easy and deep, restorative sleep. Of course, sleep is crucially important to maintain physical and mental health. What is best – arguably – about using CBD for sleep is that unlike many of the most popular sleep-aid drugs available on the market today, CBD is non-habit forming.
Fights pain and inflammation
Another really common use for CBD is to reduce pain and inflammation all over the body. CBD can be used for chronic pain or can be used by people who love working out and exercise and often experience pain and inflammation from overworked muscles and other parts of the body.
What is great about CBD is that it can either be ingested through an oil or capsule containing oil or can be used through a topical balm or cream that can be directly applied to the affected area. This offers both long-term and slow-acting relief and immediate relief all from CBD!
Depression and anxiety
One of the top reasons that people use CBD oil is that it helps reduce pain and swelling after injury or strenuous exercise. In fact, CBD oil and balm have become must-haves for gym rats who are looking to slim down, bulk up or just strengthen in general. The reason why reducing inflammation is so important for athletes is because it allows the body to heal so that you do not have to take long breaks in your training to recover.
Can treat skin issues
Another valuable benefit that comes with CBD use is that it can fight off skin irritations and acne. The reason for this is based on CBD’s anti-inflammatory nature as it can help keep the skin calm and avoid itchy rashes, pimple breakouts and much more. It will not only make your skin look good and feel good!
Fights cancer cells
If cancer runs in your family, you should already be doing things that you think can help you avoid the nasty illness. While you should always listen to your primary health care provider first and foremost when it comes to avoiding any serious illness, CBD is believed to help fight off cancer. Based on a 2012 medical study, animals treated with CBD were considerably less likely to develop colon cancer cells when compared to carcinogens compared to animals that were not given CBD.
It is also common for those who are fighting off cancer to use CBD and other forms of cannabis to fight off the pain and nausea that are known to come with chemotherapy and radiation.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are some incredible benefits that CBD offers the people who use it regularly. If you are suffering from any of the aforementioned issues and are curious about how CBD can help, consider talking to your primary health care professional and see what kinds of options related to CBD are available to you!