Treating Your Mind and Body: CBD's Holistic Health Benefits
Reading Time - 10 Minutes
Holistic health is a practical approach to maintaining your overall well-being. It’s not just about your physical health. The holistic approach to self-care involves satisfying your emotional, mental, and spiritual needs.
Holistic health tenets are born from the understanding that being unwell in one aspect will affect you in others. A good example is mental stress. While stress is primarily a cognitive response, it comes with many physical symptoms, including weight gain, muscle pain, and trouble sleeping.
Similarly, a long period of illness can cause depression and anxiety — which can lead to more significant emotional health problems. Holistic health understands the interconnection between various aspects of your health. And it tries to satisfy your needs in every regard.
The varied CBD oil health benefits can form a step in the right direction to ensuring holistic health. We’ll explore CBD oil, how safe it is, and its various physical benefits in this article.
What is CBD?
CBD is the short form of cannabidiol. It’s a therapeutic compound present in cannabis and hemp. Even though there are hundreds of compounds (cannabinoids) in cannabis, it’s easy to separate and extract CBD.
In the often confusing cannabis world, it’s easy to mistake CBDfor marijuana or hemp. While they belong to the same family, fundamental differences exist between the three entities.
Marijuana and hemp are plants belonging to the Cannabis Sativa family. The way to differentiate between these two is in their CBD and THC levels. Hemp is useful for its seeds and oils, while marijuana is popular for its psychoactive properties.
Manufacturers can extract CBD from either hemp or marijuana. However, hemp usually contains higher CBD levels.
Is CBD safe?
Yes, CBD is safe. A report from the World Health Organization states CBD is safe for human use. The report defined CBD as “well-tolerated” with zero possibility of addiction.
Currently, scientific research on the long-term side effects of CBD oil is limited. But, there are reports that large CBD doses can affect the liver. That’s why the Food Standards Agency has a maximum CBD dosage recommendation of 70mg/day. Whether you’re using CBD oil for sleep or pain, it’s best to keep within this recommendation.
Other questions about using CBD oil for pain and other health concerns revolve around product quality. The market is full of unapproved products with contaminants or unregulated CBD levels.
Because using CBD oil for stress or pain is a relatively new concept, caution is important. We recommend only using CBD products with positive quality assessment results. For example, our MEND CBD oil product undergoes third-party lab testing for purity and content.
What are the side effects of CBD oil?
While CBD oil can come with enormous benefits for multiple health goals, it’s not without potential side effects.CBD oil side effects vary from user to user and may include the following:
- Appetite changes
- Mood changes
- Dizziness
- Dry mouth
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
With the side effects above, it’s best to avoid CBD oil during breastfeeding and pregnancy. A 2018 American Academy of Pediatrics study warns about potential risks to healthy baby development. While the nature of these risks is unclear, CBD can move through the infamous placental barrier.
You should also speak to your healthcare provider before using CBD oil if you’re on any medication. CBD can interact with several medications, especially supplements that have a grapefruit warning.
Cytochromes are enzymes that contribute to effective drug metabolism. Both grapefruit and CBD and grapefruit will inhibit cytochrome action. And with CBD inhibition, drug metabolism will happen slowly and with less favorable results.
Does CBD oil get you high?
CBD oil comes from cannabidiol, one of over 500 compounds present in cannabis plants. Another documented compound is Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which has intoxicating properties.
THC is popular for its strong psychoactive properties, responsible for the “high” feeling marijuana provides. On the other hand, CBD has zero psychoactive properties. Therefore, CBD oil does not get you “high.”
THC and CBD are present in all cannabis plant strains. The only difference is that Hemp is higher in CBD content and typically used for CBD isolate and distillate products for this reason.
The good news is the chemical composition of CBD is the same regardless of whether it comes from hemp, Sativa, or any other cannabis plant. And by extension, the effects of CBD oil will remain the same. There is no high feeling or psychoactive experience associated with CBD oil.
Is CBD legal in the UK?
With many questions around CBD oil health benefits, its legality often goes under the radar. But is CBD legal in the UK? The answer is yes!
Although, it’s important to know that certain conditions guide legal CBD purchase and usage in the UK. The most important one is that CBD oil must have less than 0.2% THC concentration.
Remember that THC is responsible for psychoactive experiences. It’s also highly addictive. Therefore, anything over 0.2% and the product will be illegal under the Misuse of Drugs Act from 1971.
What are some CBD oil health benefits?
Below are the top advantages CBD oil offers your holistic health:
CBD oil for sleep
With work deadlines and daily life pressure, sleep can be an expensive commodity. It’s significantly harder to have a healthy sleep routine if you have anxiety or sleep-related disorders. The worst part is an over-the-counter medication for sleep problems isn’t always effective.
Scientific research indicates that CBD components can interact with nerve receptors which regulate your brain’s “sleep or wake” mechanism. According to the study, using CBD oil to aid sleep offered positive results in up to 65% of participants.
Here at Amphora, our ZZZ high-strength CBD oil drop can help you enjoy better sleep. It’ll help you relax and calm down in anticipation of a good night’s rest.
To enjoy the CBD oil health benefits for sleep, we recommend distillate or broad-spectrum products. Particularly, we use broad-spectrum CBD extracts that provide a comprehensive effect.
When broad-spectrum CBD is in action, it produces the entourage effect — a situation that enhances the impact and strength of the CBD oil product. The entourage effect can have relaxing effects for patients who can't sleep restfully.
CBD oil for pain
Cannabis has been in use since 2900 BC. The earliest instances of cannabis usage revolved around medicinal use, including pain relief. With this history, it’s only right that CBD oil offers benefits for pain.
The human body is home to the endocannabinoid system, responsible for functions like pain, appetite, and immune responses. The system works thanks to neurotransmitters which bind to receptors present in the body’s nervous system.
CBD can help reduce chronic pain feelings by interacting with these neurotransmitters. It inhibits their activity, reducing inflammation levels in the process. According to a comprehensive2018 review which included 47 scientific studies, there is moderate evidence that cannabinoids present in CBD minimize pain.
One of the studies involved rats. It found that CBD injections offered reduced pain response after surgical incisions. Another found that a regular CBD treatment can help mitigate pain and inflammation associated with the sciatic nerve.
There is little doubt that cannabinoids are responsible for the pain-reducing effects that cannabis offers. However, research is still ongoing to determine how CBD affects and reduces pain symptoms.
CBD oil for stress
The fast-paced nature of today’s world means it’s almost impossible to avoid stress. Stress can threaten the integrity of your physical, mental, emotional, and social life. And constant stress offers adverse outcomes for your holistic health.
Thankfully, using CBD oil for stress is a natural remedy that can help you rediscover your best self. Our PEACE CBD vape pen cartridge is an example of a CBD product that can help relieve stress.
A study from 2010 indicated that CBD oil can help reduce anxiety and stress feelings in people suffering from anxiety disorders. According to the study, CBD does more than reduce anxious feelings. Scans showed changes in blood flow patterns within the brain regions known for anxiety and stress. That means CBD can also change the way your brain reacts to anxiety.
Another study from 2011 revolved around stress related to public speaking. Results from the scientific study showed a reduction in stress and anxiety before a public speaking engagement.
A 2014 report discovered that CBD oil has anti-depressant effects. The study used animal participants leveraging experiments like Vogel Conflict Test, Elevated Plus Maze, and the Forced Swimming Test.
The latest research work supporting the use of CBD oil for stress came in 2015. The analysis indicated decent proof of CBD reducing symptoms of social anxiety and emotional stress. According to the final analysis, CBD is a future treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
CBD oil for energy and focus
The average person’s energy and focus are subject to many factors. Lack of sleep, a poor diet, stress, and chronic living conditions are all factors that can negatively affect your energy levels.
While we don’t quite understand the inner workings of how CBD oil is beneficial for improved focus and energy, there is scientific evidence to that fact. A 2014 research report discussed increased feelings of wakefulness in participants who used CBD.
But it’s not just about wakefulness. CBD’s knock-on effect on the body can improve other areas, affecting your natural ability to focus. It can also boost your energy.
This CBD for energy research discusses the impact of CBD on stress and anxiety symptoms. These symptoms can make it harder to concentrate and lead to fatigue. With the relief a CBD dosage provides, you can expect higher concentration levels.
As discussed above, CBD also offers advantages for patients dealing with PTSD and other social anxiety disorders. Since PTSD symptoms can make it harder to focus, CBD can be a lifesaver.
The primary cause of fatigue and poor focus is lack of sleep. Since CBD oil can help with sleep disorders, it means it can improve your energy levels and ability to focus! If you can’t sleep at night, you’ll likely feel tired and unable to concentrate the next day.
CBD for muscle recovery
Athletes and people with regular workout routines are no strangers to muscle inflammation. And while you can use an ice pack on the painful area after your workout, CBD may prove to be more helpful.
CBD for muscle recovery research shows the compound is helpful for enhanced muscle recovery in its different forms. Whether by ingestion, inhalation, or direct skin application, CBD can help reduce muscle inflammation. It does this by inhibiting inflammatory molecules and relieving tension in the affected tissue. By doing so, CBD shortens muscle recovery timelines — you’ll recover faster post-workout.
Muscle tension is a sign you may be dealing with some form of tissue injury. While many athletes turn to muscle relaxers for comfort, these drugs have side effects like confusion, sedation, dizziness, and trembling. These can be pretty painful to manage. On the other hand, CBD can help help manage muscle tension with minimum fuss.
Muscle recovery is one of the CBD oil health benefits, thanks to its unique action. CBD oil reduces muscle fatigue and pain through three mechanisms and can inhibit pain transmission between the spinal cord and the pain.
CBD oil can decrease inflammatory-related neuron activity. Finally, it also reduces muscle sensitivity to aches.
Wrap Up
The coreCBD benefits cut across all corners of holistic healthcare. For your psychological well-being, CBD oil offers benefits for sleep, anxiety, and related disorders. In one of the studies described above, it can even modify the brain’s response to anxiety.
CBD oil also offers benefits for your physical health. By helping you sleep, you’ll enjoy higher energy levels. It can also help reduce feelings of pain and manage muscle fatigue.
While it’s important to consider the side effects of CBD oil, the benefits tip the scale. If you like, you can also speak to a health professional before you start using any holistic CBD product. Good luck!
Written by | Infused Amphora Team
The Infused Amphora Team is dedicated to creating resources to educate and engage consumers on the growing evidence of CBD benefits and the extensive health and wellness properties of CBD Oil.
Contributor | Angus Taylor CEO
Infused Amphora “Learn” is intended for informational purposes only and is NOT a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.