CBD in cannabis has many diverse positive effects on our bodies. It is also very efficient when it comes to stress, which is confirmed by many CBD consumers and research. Furthermore, nowadays stress has become ever more present in our modern lives and is called the 21st century disease. CBD for stress can be the solution to this problem. For CBD and other cannabinoids to work efficiently, full spectrum products are advised due to the entourage effects, which makes cannabinoid absorption more efficient. You can read more about the entourage effect in one of our blog posts or on this link. Lets take a look at how we can define stress, how CBD can help with it and what kind of CBD products you should use.
The popularity of cananbis compound CBD has been growing rapidly in recent years, especially due to positive experience among CBD users. Every year, new areas where cannabis and CBD turn out to be exceptional sources of well being are found. Nowadays, stress is a very important factor which can have an effect on every moment of our lives. CBD for stress in looking very promising to solve it.
ANXIETY
The word anxiety is commonly used in connection to the word stress. However, when we talk about stress, it is important to know the difference.
Anxiety is a persons tendency to expect and emphasize problems. It means that a person makes a larger problem of a situation than it actually is, or a person can even create a state of anxiety which does not exist. Anxiety belongs to a specific range of mental states such as phobias, panic attacks, extreme shyness and others, which paralize a person and strongly decrease the quality of their lives.
While anxiety symptoms remain even if we move away from the problem, this is not the case with stress. With stress the physical and mental symptoms dissapear in the evenings, at the end of the week, on holidays or during a relaxing activity.
Anxiety affects 20% to 30% of Europeans at least once in their lifetime. Anxiety states are very complex and usually require professional treatment.
STRESS
While anxiety affects a certain percentage of the population, stress is much more common and experienced by everyone. Medical professionals define “stress response” as an instinct reaction to a real or anticipated danger in our environment, especially a sudden one. The response prepares us to face the threat (fight) or run from it (flight). The physical effects of stress response include:
- Increased heart rate, which pumps more blood to our muscles and vital organs,
- increased blood pressure due to increase in blood flow,
- lung expansion and heavy breathing,
- loss of apetite
- izguba appetite and
- sweating.
Stress response in humans activates a stronger environment and threat signal awareness. Furthermore, our brain are more attentive to ways of overcoming threats or running away from them.
All these changes are triggered by hormones. The most known hormones are adrenaline and cortisol. They both have a funtion in multiple funtions of the body. If our stress response is triggered often, it can have stong long-term negative effects on our health. Maybe CBD for stress can help with it?
HOW CAN STRESS AFFECT OUR HEALTH?
In our lives, stress response is very important, however it does not serve us well all the time. It developed in the early stages of human development, when life was relatively less complex. That is way today it treats threats such as public performing in front of a crowd as predators trying to attack us. Constant flow of stress hormones through our bodies has many very negative consequences such as:
- Increased risk of cardiovascular disease due to high blood pressure caused by stress response.
- Inhibition of immune system – short term it can be used for energy release and decreasing pain and swelling, however we obviously require our immune system to fight infection.
- Pain due to muscle tension, constant headaches, neck pain, stomach pain are very common stress symptoms.
- Overeating and undereating are acute stress responses, which plays with a persons appetite
- Long term even a small amount of stress can start an overeating disorder, due to therapeutic effect and sleep disorder.
- Pre-mature aging due to effect of stress on our cells.
- Psychological and emotional effort. People can be very irritable and unhappy due to stress which can have a devastating effect on our relationships. Because of this, we are even more attracted to substances such as alcohol and opioids, which create additional health problems.
WHAT IS THE SOURCE OF STRESS?
Stress is something that happens in our body and mind when we are exposed to pressure, agression from our environment and similar factors. Work, conflict, sound, physical and psychological pressure are only the most known triggers among many others. Surveys showed that stress has a negative effect on 90% of Europeans (various different ways) and is named the 21st century “disease”.
However, stress response is important for our survival as well and does not have only negative consequences. Even if you are not threatened by immediate danger where you barely escape an accident or get attacked by an animal, your long term stress signals might be telling you to re-think some of your life choices.
WHAT CAN CBD DO FOR STRESS?
Cannabis has a long history of positive effects on stress. From ancient Indian Ayurvedic medicine to different ways of use in the modern world. However, only in the last few decades have scientists found a way to decipher cannabis compounds and their effect on different physical and psychological conditions. CBD for stress is one of the hottest topics which are extremely important in todays world.
In the modern Western world, cannabis is most known for its psychoacitve effects. This is due to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), one of over 144 compounds found in cannabis called cannabinoids.
CBD on the other hand does not have any psychoactive effects and decreases the negative body response to stress with humans as well as animals, while interacting with endocannabinoid system (ECS). Studies were performed on public speakers that had their levels of anxiety and stress decreased during performance and after it, due to CBD.
All cannabinoids effect our ECS, which helps with regulation of our well-being, memory, appetite, sleep, immune system, and much more. You can read more about cannabis effects, cannabinoids and endocannabinoid system here.
CBD as an Agonist
CBD is an agonist of 5-HTTA receptors which belong to the family of serotonin receptors, known as the hormones of happines. Research showed that CBD has the ability to increase remote activities of this receptor, and with it availability of serotonin in synaptic space increases as well. You can read more about the research here.
CBD Enables Neuron Regeneration
Hippocampus is a very important part of the brain, which controls the brain funtions. It plays a key role of mitigating stress. Brain scans of patients show that people who are stressed have a smaller hippocampus. One animal research showed positive effects of CBD on hippocampus neurogenesis. This means it enables neuron regeneration, which is the main goal of anti-stress therapies. You can find the study here.
It is also very interesting to know, that due to its fast antidepression and anxiolytic effects, CBD could eliminate some of the main limitations of current antidepression treatments.
It is important to emphasise that balanced diet, fresh air exercise and body-mind balance are also key to minimize our stress levels.
WHICH CBD PRODUCTS TO USE?
For efficient CBD and other cannabinoids absorption full spectrum products are recommended due to its entourage effect.
CBD oil is very simple to use as you can use it sublingually or simply add it to your food. It is recommended to start with smaller dosage of 1-2 drops a day and then increase it through time, as we are all differrent and there is no universal recipe. When you reach the dosage most suitable for you, you only need to use it consistently.
It is important that CBD oil is 100% nartural, full spectrum and free of any additives. You can find such CBD oil here.
Soothing and calming effect can also be achieved with cannabis tea, which in addition to positive effects, offers a chance to take some time for yourselves and relax.
For better compound absorption add some fat to the tea (coconut fat, milk, butter, grease or similar). Our 100% natural cannabis tea has a herbal flavor, or you can also choose cannabis tea with lemon grass which brings a nice citrus flavor to your tea.
You can find both products and more in our online store.
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G. D. C
01. 06. 2021
