Contents
CBD supplementation is gaining popularity day by day. However, opinions on the substance itself are divided. On the one hand, you hear about the improvement of sleep quality, mood, and support for concentration. On the other hand, he is scared of addiction, a relationship with marijuana and balancing on the edge of the law. Where is the truth?
CBD, or cannabidiol, is an organic chemical compound obtained from hemp inflorescences. Although it belongs to the group of cannabinoids together with THC, it exhibits slightly different properties. It is a fully legal substance with a broad spectrum of activity and a high safety profile. Unlike THC, it has no intoxicating and psychoactive effects.
What exactly effects can be expected from CBD supplementation? Who can it be especially useful for? Let’s find out.
Properties of CBD
In fact, CBD exhibits at least some of the qualities that are beneficial to human health. These include, for example, pain relief, antipsychotic, antiemetic and neuroprotective properties, i.e. the protection of nerve cells against death.
And we are talking only about those discovered so far. It should be remembered that research on cannabidiol is becoming more and more common and provides further scientific evidence, thus increasing the likelihood of using CBD as a support for traditional treatment of many serious diseases, including oncology, neurology or psychiatry.
In addition to the potential therapeutic use of CBD, this substance is increasingly used as part of daily supplementation. Research confirms that the systematic consumption of CBD in relatively low doses (on the order of 10-50 mg per day):
- has a calming effect,
- facilitates coping with stress,
- improves the quality of sleep,
- affects the feeling of greater pleasure in life,
- supports concentration as well
- reduces the perceived anxiety and anxiety.
Sounds too good to be true? And yet. In addition, as you can see above, virtually everyone can benefit from CBD benefits: both patients suffering from serious diseases and average people who struggle with changing moods, sleep disorders or excessive stress on a daily basis.
The action of CBD oil
CBD affects the human body primarily through the endocannabinoid system (ECS). Its primary function is to maintain homeostasis, that is, the internal state of equilibrium.
The ECS consists of:
- endokannabinoidy,
- cannabinoid receptors as well
- enzymes that break down endocannabinoids.
The synthesis and secretion of endocannabinoids takes place “on demand”, ie when homeostasis is disturbed. For example, there are situations such as hemorrhage or fever. Endocannabinoid levels rise sharply then – the ECS rushes to the rescue.
Cannabinoid receptors are literally scattered throughout the human body, and their largest concentrations are within the nervous system. The attachment of the cannabinoid to the receptor causes a cascade of changes at the cellular level aimed at restoring the disturbed balance. It is worth noting that the cannabinoids synthesized in the body have the same effect as those supplied from outside, e.g. during supplementation with CBD oil.
The duration of action of endocannabinoids is extremely short, a maximum of a few minutes. After fulfilling their function, they go inside the cell and are degraded with the help of appropriate enzymes.
Dosage of CBD oil
The serving range of CBD used in the studies is from 100 mg to 3 g per day. Of course, these are high doses to assess the effect of CBD in the treatment of specific disease entities. Each attempt to use CBD as part of the therapy should be consulted with a doctor who will assess the legitimacy of such an action and analyze possible interactions with the medications taken.
The amount of CBD used to improve overall health is generally in the range of 10-50 mg per day. Already with this range, positive effects are observed, significantly increasing the quality of life.
Importantly, the dose of CBD should be determined individually, and this process requires careful observation of your well-being. It is best to start supplementation with the lowest possible dose. If you don’t see any tangible benefits after a week of taking CBD, it’s time to increase your dose by an additional 5-10 mg of CBD per day.
The optimal dose of CBD is one that shows clear changes in well-being. Usually they include improving the quality of sleep, increasing the level of concentration and, apparently, greater peace on a daily basis. It should be remembered that each of us may experience the effects of CBD supplementation completely differently – it is an individual matter, as in the case of determining the dosage.
How to use CBD oil
Taking CBD oil is child’s play:
- Take the right amount of essential oil with a pipette.
- Put the oil under your tongue.
- Wait 60 seconds and swallow.
Why is it better to apply the oil under the tongue and not swallow it right away? Well, this way of taking cannabidiol allows you to increase its absorption, and thus more effective action. CBD is absorbed from the mucous membranes under the tongue directly into the blood, so after just 15 – 20 minutes it can affect the receptors of the endocannabinoid system and support our body.
Of course, the swallowed oil is also absorbed and ends up in the bloodstream, but to a much lesser extent. Before it enters the bloodstream, it has to pass through the digestive system, which significantly reduces the level of CBD availability.
By applying the supplement under the tongue, we extend the contact time of the oil with the mucous membranes and more CBD has a chance to be absorbed in this way. In practice, this gives us two ways of absorbing CBD: directly into the blood from the mucous membranes under the tongue and through the digestive system.
CBD Side Effects
Based on the available studies, it is known that long-term use of doses of up to 300 mg of CBD per day is well tolerated by humans and does not cause side effects.
According to the WHO (World Health Organization) opinion, CBD is a completely safe substance, and possible side effects are very rare and are usually mild. These include:
- decrease in appetite,
- increased sleepiness,
- dizziness,
- dry mouth and
- concentration disorders.
It is worth noting that the occurrence of the above-mentioned side effects, in confirmed cases, was the result of taking too high a dose of CBD at one time, or the interaction of cannabidiol with medications.
Which CBD oil to choose?
The basis of success in effective CBD supplementation is the selection of a high-quality oil that actually contains CBD. There are also a few other considerations to consider before purchasing your first CBD bottle.
Laboratory tests
A necessary condition that a good CBD oil must meet. Thanks to the research, we can check whether the amount of CBD declared on the label is equal to that in the oil. Moving on, we have a guarantee that we do not expose ourselves to excessive levels of psychoactive THC. After reviewing the research, we can also be sure that a given oil is safe in terms of microbiology and the content of heavy metals or PAHs.
The cannabinoid spectrum
The hemp plant, in addition to CBD, contains a number of nutrients, such as other cannabinoids (CBC, CBG, CBN, CBDA, trace amounts of THC), terpenes and flavonoids. In order to benefit from the beneficial effects of all these compounds, it is better to direct your choice towards an oil of the type full spectrum.
Oils with a full spectrum of ingredients make it possible to use the so-called ambient effect. This means that all active substances contained in cannabis strengthen their effect. The benefits of supplementing such an oil are much greater than those of CBD isolates that only contain cannabidiol.
Extraction method
The gold standard for extracting CBD oil is extraction with CO2, which in this case is the solvent. This method makes it possible to obtain a natural product without the addition of any chemical solvents that may be harmful to health.
Price
An additional, important selection criterion may also be the price. The production of CBD oil is not the cheapest thing – you need extraction equipment and staff to handle the equipment. The costs of performing laboratory tests also add their three cents to the final settlement. So if you come across suspiciously cheap deals, be extra vigilant.
Of course, on the Polish market you can find high-quality CBD oils at an affordable price, such a compromise is quite achievable. An example is hemp oil – produced by supercritical CO2 extraction, it contains the full spectrum of active ingredients and detailed laboratory tests that can confirm this. And the price does not knock you off your feet – the average cost of monthly supplementation is about PLN 100. Considering the benefits of using CBD regularly, it’s definitely worth a try.
This may interest you:
- Opinions and prices of CBD oils
- Does CBD Oil Work For Sleep?