CBD Oli Products
CBD Oil Products and Sports Recovery
CBD is making a name for itself in the world of sport, with many athletes advocating for its ability to alleviate exercise-induced pain and inflammation, improve sleep and reduce anxiety. With so many health benefits, it may just be the next big thing in sports medicine…
When the South African government announced the move to lockdown level 3, all athletes and fitness fanatics across the country celebrated being able to exercise freely again (well, for the most part). But, as anyone who’s had to take a break from training will know, getting back into your regular exercise regime can be an uphill battle. If you’re nursing a few niggles or are experiencing some post-workout pain, CBD might just give your training programme the boost it needs.
While cardiovascular fitness and strength training are key to building a strong body, proper rest and recovery are equally important. If you don’t pay attention to your post-workout plan, you risk injury, which will quickly derail your training. But what qualifies as good recovery? Some may suggest ice baths, deep tissue massage, foam rolling and plenty of supplements, but many athletes are now exploring the myriad benefits of CBD.
By working with the endocannabinoid system, which helps to regulate body function, CBD helps to reduce inflammation, alleviate pain, improve sleep and boost immunity – all of which promote quicker recovery. We take a deeper look at the science to understand why CBD is winning over the sports world…
CBD Oil products and inflammation
Whether you’re new to exercise or a professional athlete, picking up an injury is always a risk if you aren’t careful.
One way to prevent injury is to ensure you keep inflammation of the muscles and joints in check. When you exercise you cause microscopic damage to your muscle fibres which triggers your body’s inflammatory response to get to work repairing the damage and ultimately building an even stronger body. While inflammation is an important part of healthy immune function, too much inflammation for prolonged periods can cause muscle strains and sprains.
Many athletes turn to ibuprofen to reduce inflammation, but research suggests that regular use can result in damage to the kidneys – a study in a 2017 Emergency Medical Journal showed that ultra-marathon runners who used ibuprofen every four hours during a 80-kilometre race were 18 percent more likely to finish the race with kidney damage. Not surprising then that athletes are in the market for a less harmful alternative to ease exercise-induced inflammation.
Enter CBD. While research is limited, studies have shown that CBD interacts with cytokines – the molecules that signal cells in the body to respond to inflammation – elevating the anti-inflammatory cytokines while inhibiting the pro-inflammatory cytokines, making it a potent natural anti-inflammatory.
Pain relief and CBD Oil Products
We’ve all heard the saying ‘no pain, no gain’ right? Well, if you’ve set some big goals for yourself, be it running a marathon, tackling a triathlon or taking part in a big cycle race, you’re no doubt preparing by pushing your body to its limits with intense training sessions.
Whether you’ve been clocking longer distances or are lifting heavier weights, you’ll inevitably suffer from sore, tired muscles. While you can wear these like a badge of honour, you don’t want this post-workout pain to hold you back. Opioids, which are often prescribed for pain management, might offer instant relief, but at what cost?
Side-effects aside (and there are many), these medications can linger in your system, making you feel sluggish and tired, not to mention they are highly addictive. The beauty of CBD is that it boasts a strong analgesic effect with limited side-effects. In fact, pain relief is probably one of the most common reasons people turn to CBD Oil Products.
But how does it deliver such powerful medicinal benefits? The secret is in its ability to upregulate the endocannabinoid system, which influences many different functions in the body, including its pain response.
One study conducted in the Journal of Experimental Medicine in 2012 found that CBD could suppress neuropathic and inflammatory pain by targeting a3 glycine receptors while another more recent study of rats showed that by interacting with receptors in the brain, CBD helps to modulate the body’s pain response, stopping sensory neurons from detecting pain. As the research shows, CBD is an effective pain management treatment and, when applied topically, is particularly good at treating localised pain from a stress fracture or a pulled muscle.
CBD Oil producta and sleep
While you may associate sleep with switching off, it’s actually the time when your body really starts working.
During the sleep cycle the production of cortisol, which is responsible for muscle breakdown, is inhibited while levels of testosterone – the hormone that helps to build muscle – are elevated. Add to that other benefits like increased energy and improved mental focus and it’s no wonder a good night’s sleep is considered a key component of any training programme.
But, sleep doesn’t always come easy. Whether you struggle to fall asleep because of anxiety or an overactive mind – not unusual before a big race – or you suffer from interrupted sleep, CBD Oil Products can help you get better quality shut-eye. Unlike prescription sleep medications, CBD doesn’t sedate you but rather works to promote relaxation and calm, which in turn promotes better sleep.
CBD and your immune system
Strong immunity is key to keeping your training on track. And in the time of Covid-19, giving your immune system an added boost is even more important. While proper nutrition, particularly a diet rich in antioxidants, is a big part of building strong immunity, CBD is a smart addition to your daily routine because of its ability to help the endocannabinoid system function optimally, which in turn keeps all systems in your body, including immunity, in perfect balance.
So whether you’re training for a marathon, a triathlon or next year’s Argus cycle tour, CBD might just be the missing piece of your performance puzzle…
CBD Oil Products and anxiety: does it help?
If the current Covid-19 crisis and its devastating impact on your work, finances and even family life, have sent your anxiety levels through the roof, perhaps it’s time to explore the healing power of CBD?
Loadshedding, an ailing economy, state capture – life in South Africa is not without its fair share of stress. Throw a global pandemic into the mix and it’s inevitable anxiety levels will soar.
If allowed to go unchecked, anxiety can begin to negatively impact almost every aspect of your life, from your health to your job to your relationships. So how do you get it under control?
Despite there being a number of allopathic medications on the market, the most commonly prescribed being serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), more and more people are turning to cannabidiol (CBD) as a treatment option.
While research into the health benefits of CBD Oil Products are still in their infancy, there is some evidence that points to it as a promising alternative to mainstream medicine. One study conducted in 2019 observed the effects of CBD on 72 patients suffering from anxiety and sleep concerns. The results? After one month of using CBD, their anxiety scores had decreased. Similarly, another study of a group of people with Social Anxiety Disorder found that CBD given at a certain dosage helped to reduce their anxiety.
So what’s powering this plant-based therapy?
CBD works with the endocannabinoid system, which is believed to promote balance in the body by regulating everything from your immune system to your appetite and, importantly for those suffering from anxiety, your mood.
By activating receptors in the brain that are responsible for boosting the natural production of serotonin, the feel-good chemical, CBD can help to elevate your mood, in turn reducing your anxiety.
But low serotonin levels are only one of a number of factors linked to increased levels of anxiety. A lack of sleep, physical pain and excessive stress can all exacerbate the problem – and CBD can assist with these too. Growing anecdotal evidence shows CBD can help to promote relaxation, improve sleep patterns and reduce pain and inflammation in the body.
Fatiema Johnson, a graphic designer from Cape Town, battles with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and fibromyalgia, a condition that causes chronic pain. After six years of searching for a remedy she insists CBD has been her saving grace.
“Over the years I have been prescribed everything from Xanax and Alzam to Urbanol, but my issue with all of these medications is that they’re highly addictive, have major side effects and the withdrawals when you stop taking them are intense,” she says.
After a recommendation from a friend and intense research, Fatiema decided to try CBD oil, with amazing results.
“I started incorporating CBD into my daily routine one year ago and I have found that not only has my anxiety improved dramatically, but I have finally found some relief from the pain I experience as a result of my fibromyalgia.”
So whether you’re suffering from GAD, panic attacks or PTSD, cannabidiol might just be the perfect starting point in your journey to mental wellbeing.
Can CBD Oil Products help you quit smoking?
With its potential to affect the intensity of the connection between nicotine and its pleasure triggers in the brain, as well as promote relaxation to help combat stress, CBD Oil products is fast becoming a good solution to stamping out your smoking habit for good.
In the midst of a global pandemic, we have all become acutely aware of our health so perhaps now is as good a time as any to quit some of our less healthy habits. Smokers, we’re talking to you.
From nicotine patches and gum to e-cigarettes, there are myriad ways to kick the habit, but if you’ve tried them all with little success, you may be wondering what’s next? Enter CBD Oil products.
While studies are limited, existing research points to cannabidiol (CBD) as a promising solution to stamping out your smoking habit for good.
Nicotine, like many substances, affects brain chemistry by activating the pleasure-reward pathway. Every time you light up, receptors in the brain that release the feel-good chemicals serotonin and dopamine are activated. If you smoke often, your body eventually becomes dependent on nicotine to produce these chemicals. Unsurprising, the moment you stop, your serotonin levels drop – and so does your mood.
CBD Oil Products can help to counter this by working with the endocannabinoid system, which assists in restoring balance in the body. This includes restoring imbalances in brain chemistry that are responsible for mood disorders like anxiety and depression – and often addiction too.
Believed to boost the production of a natural cannabinoid called anandamide, which boasts mood-enhancing properties, CBD can help to support the serotonin-dopamine pathway in your brain. Some research even suggests that when taking it in high enough dosages, CBD can also activate the receptor in your brain which increases serotonin levels naturally. Add to that its benefits on sleep and stress, and it’s little wonder smokers are looking to CBD to support their bid to quit nicotine.
But your instinct to reach for that cigarette at the end of a long day isn’t born solely out of physical dependency – it’s a habit too. For smokers, half the battle when it comes to quitting is learning to manage the environmental triggers that spark their desire to smoke. These may be social events, your mid-morning coffee or evening cocktail, or possibly a place you associate strongly with smoking be it the office balcony or your back porch.
Again, CBD Oil Products to the rescue. In a study by the University College of London published in the journal Addiction, CBD was shown to affect the brain’s response to some of these triggers. The study observed a group of smokers, some of whom were given a CBD inhaler to use every time they felt the urge to smoke and others who were given a placebo.
After one week, the participants who were given CBD were smoking 40% fewer cigarettes – significantly less than the other group. So what’s the biggest takeout? CBD helped to lower the intensity of the connection between nicotine and its pleasure triggers in the brain. Simply put, the participants with the CBD inhaler didn’t respond as strongly to those external cues as the group who were given the placebo inhaler.
While more research needs to be done to explore the potential of CBD in assisting with nicotine withdrawals and cravings, these early findings are certainly encouraging. And with the ban on cigarette sales still in place here in South Africa, there really is no better time to ditch cigarettes altogether and trial a CBD vape instead.
CBD Oil Products and pain: does it help?
CBD has gained popularity as a natural alternative to a number of medical conditions, but one of the most common reasons people turn to cannabidiol is for pain management. Effective and with limited side effects, CBD Oil Products is fast becoming the preferred choice for pain relief.
Cannabidiol (CBD) is having a moment in the world of natural medicine and is fast becoming the elixir of choice for those suffering from a myriad health conditions, particularly pain.
Whether you suffer from migraines, are recovering from an injury or surgery, or are battling with the long-term effects of neuropathic pain often associated with diseases like MS and diabetes, CBD Oil Productsis showing promise as an effective treatment for pain management.
While opioids are often prescribed for the management of pain, they come with the risk of side effects, ranging from dizziness and nausea to vomiting. But perhaps more concerning is the risk of addiction. Opioids have earned themselves the reputation of being habit-forming – the more you take, the more you need. CBD on the other hand has limited side effects and because as some research suggests you don’t build up a tolerance to it, you are less likely to become dependent and won’t have to adjust your dosage constantly in order for it to be effective.
So what makes CBD the treatment du jour? Working with the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which maintains balance in the body by regulating everything from sleep and appetite to immune function, CBD interacts with the CB1 and CB2 receptors that signal the cells in your body to respond a particular way. For the purpose of pain relief, CBD activates the CB2 receptors, which are part of the body’s immune function and are believed to help suppress pain and inflammation.
Some studies suggest that CBD also promotes the production of more natural cannabinoids in the body, which in turn boosts its anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving response. One study of rats demonstrated this by looking at the effect of CBD on arthritic pain. Researchers applied a CBD gel to the knee joints of the rats and after four consecutive days of this transdermal treatment, they observed reduced swelling in the affected area as well as an improvement in pain scores, demonstrating cannabidiol’s potent analgesic ability.
Merril Wallace, who had a hysterectomy after being diagnosed with uterine cancer, was introduced to CBD by a friend for the management of post-op pain, which was affecting her sleep. After just a few days, she felt the positive effects, noticing her pain had reduced and her sleep had improved. More importantly, she didn’t experience the drowsiness brought on by most prescription pain medications.
If the research, albeit limited, along with the mounting anecdotal evidence, still doesn’t convince you of CBD’s health benefits, consider the fact that the cannabis plant, from which CBD Oil is extracted, has been used to treat pain for centuries. From Mongolia to Siberia, there is archeological evidence that suggests cannabis was used medicinally thousands of years ago. In fact, a Siberian burial mound dating back to 3000BC was found to have traces of charred cannabis seeds.
Unlike centuries ago though, CBD Oil Products is now available in different forms, from vapes and oil to edibles and topical treatments. So if you’re finding your current treatment arsenal isn’t enough, why not consider throwing CBD into the mix to supplement some of your more conventional pain management methods?
CBD Oil for Inflammation
Cannabidiol has earned itself a reputation as a powerful natural antidote to a number of ailments, but it is CBD’s anti-inflammatory effect that is being celebrated by many sufferers of chronic inflammation.
Whether you have suffered an injury or are battling a health condition, you will have no doubt experienced the painful effects of inflammation in the body. While inflammation is an important part of your body’s immune response and a means of fighting off infection or illness, long periods of inflammation can create long-term problems.
Continued elevated levels of inflammation increase the production of free radicals in the body, a process called oxidative stress. If oxidative stress isn’t brought under control it can wreak havoc, damaging tissue, proteins, fat and even DNA.
For those suffering from chronic inflammation, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the most commonly prescribed and, in some cases, even steroid medication. But, as with most allopathic medications, these come with the risk of side-effects, ranging from heartburn and headaches to more severe health issues such as stomach ulcers and liver problems. Fortunately, mainstream medicine isn’t your only option – cannabidiol (CBD) is considered to be a powerful natural anti-inflammatory and shows promise as an alternative treatment.
While research on the health benefits of CBD Oil Products is still in its infancy, it is believed to reduce inflammation (and the pain associated with it) by working with the body’s inflammatory response, inhibiting eicosanoid enzymes, which can cause inflammation, and elevating the anti-inflammatory cytokine molecules.
But key to reducing inflammation in the body is addressing its underlying cause. Chronic inflammation is often a symptom of an autoimmune disease, which occurs when the body’s immune system attacks healthy tissue. This is where CBD oil products offers further support as it works with the endocannabinoid system, which is believed to regulate the functions of the body, including immunity. While there are over 80 registered autoimmune diseases, here are three that research shows CBD can assist with.
Rheumatoid arthritis
An autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in the tissues that line your joints, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can be an excruciatingly painful condition that can lead to loss of joint function and causes damage to other organs.
While CBD doesn’t offer a cure, it works with receptors in the brain to not only help reduce pain and inflammation but also assist in bringing the body’s immune function back into balance. By triggering the CB2 receptor in the brain, which suppresses the body’s immune response, CBD is believed to help slow down the progression of the disease. Activating the CB2 receptor also inhibits production of pro-inflammatory cytokines while boosting levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines, helping to reduce inflammation and in turn, pain.
In a five-week study conducted in 2006, researchers looked at the effect of cannabis-based medication (CBM) in the treatment of pain associated with RA. A group of 58 participants were split into two groups – one group was given CBM and the other was given a placebo. After the trial period, researchers found that a significant number of those taking CBM experienced less pain when moving and when at rest, indicating a suppression of disease activity, compared to the placebo group.
Psoriasis
A condition that results in itchy, raised patches on the skin and causes intense discomfort, redness and swelling, psoriasis can often lead to fatigue and chronic pain. These scaly patches on the skin are a result of skin cells being produced too quickly and building up on the surface of the skin before they have matured. One study suggested that CBD Oil Products can help slow the rapid growth of these immature skin cells, called keratinocytes, by activating the CB1 receptor in the brain. CBD is also known to assist with pain relief, making it a treatment worth considering for the management of psoriasis.
Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an inflammatory autoimmune disease that attacks the beta cells of the pancreas, which produce antibodies that protect against infection. As a result, the body isn’t able to heal as quickly from illness or injury, which can lead to complications. While more research needs to be done on the effects of CBD on Type 1 diabetes, a 2008 study of mice found that it helped to prevent the onset of the disease. The study involved three groups of mice all showing symptoms of diabetes.
One group was treated with CBD, a second group was treated with an emulsifier and the third group was left untreated. The results? Diabetes was diagnosed in just over 30% of the mice in the CBD-treated group compared to 80% in the emulsifier-treated group and 100% in the untreated group. Even more telling was that the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines was significantly reduced, while those of anti-inflammatory cytokines were elevated after CBD treatment.
While more researched evidence is needed to determine its real impact, CBD Oil products are certainly earning a reputation as a potent natural antidote to inflammation, with clear benefits for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. With studies suggesting it can help to suppress the immune system, reduce inflammation and alleviate pain, CBD might just be the secret weapon in your treatment arsenal.
CBD for sleep: What you need to know
CBD has shown great promise as an antidote to insomnia and other sleep disorders, assisting with the alleviation of anxiety, stress and physical pain – some of the biggest culprits robbing you of a good night’s sleep.
So you’ve tried sleep therapy, cut out caffeine, unplugged from all your tech and even turned to over-the-counter medication, yet a good night’s sleep still eludes you.
Physical exhaustion aside, a lack of sleep can wreak havoc on your mental and emotional wellbeing, causing poor concentration, heightened anxiety and even mood swings.
So what’s the solution? Cannabidiol aka CBD.
As the non-intoxicating chemical found in marijuana and hemp plants, CBD delivers the same benefits, but without the “high”. Unsurprisingly, it has become the elixir of choice for those battling with insomnia.
Unlike allopathic medications, which are designed to send you to sleep instantly, CBD doesn’t act as a sedative. Instead, it interacts with receptors in the endocannabinoid system, which is believed to maintain balance in the body by regulating everything from metabolism and immune function. In doing so it can assist in tackling the root cause of insomnia, be it physical pain, high anxiety or stress. Better still, it has no known common side-effects.
Sounds like a dream right?
While more research is still to be done, there are studies that point to CBD as a promising solution to your sleep woes. A study published in January 2019 called “Cannabidiol in Anxiety and Sleep: A Large Case Series” looked at the effects of CBD on sleep in 72 adults – 66.7% experienced improved sleep within the first month.
Another survey by Project CBD examined 1,521 people who used CBD to assist with sleep issues. The finding?
- CBD improved their ability to fall asleep quicker (the average time it took to fall asleep went from 62 to 20 minutes).
- CBD promoted better quality sleep (they went from waking four times a night on average to just once).
- A significant 75% of non-CBD users surveyed reported waking up tired, while just 9% of people using CBD reported the same thing.
Sally Moult, who discovered the benefits of CBD at the age of 65, says it has been a game changer for her. “As long as I can remember I have suffered from insomnia. I’m lucky if I have four hours of sleep, but most nights I get about three hours and it’s not unusual for me to not sleep at all,” she says.
After suffering from a stroke four years ago, which affected the left side of her body and resulted in frequent panic attacks, sleep became even more problematic. Sally was prescribed Alzam, a tranquilizer used to treat anxiety, but still, she lay awake. When her niece recommended CBD oil, she decided to give it a try – and the results were life-changing.
“After just a week of taking CBD oil in the evenings, I could feel the difference in my sleep patterns. I slept more and I slept better – no more disturbed sleep and no more nightmares.”
So whether it’s an aching body or an overactive mind that’s keeping you awake at night, CBD may just be the antidote you’ve been dreaming about.
