According to reports by the Global Organization of Stress, about 75% of the American population has moderate to high levels of stress. It affects people of all ages, gender, and ethnicity. If not treated properly, stress will have adverse effects on the mental and physical health of our bodies. This article is about stress and how CBD helps in the treatment of stress.
What Is Stress?
To put it simply, stress is a mental state that results in a specific biological response in your body. Most people who feel stress also feel unhappiness. In technical terms, stress is a mental state that helps the body to overcome a challenging situation. There will be a lot of hormonal changes and chemical reactions will undergo in your body when you experience stress. It is characterized by increased breathing, elevated heart rate, decreased insulin production, sweating, etc.
Side effects of stress include:
- Headaches
- Sleeplessness
- Damaged blood vessels
- High blood pressure
- High risk of heart attack
Doctors usually prescribe anti-depressants and anti-anxiety drugs for the treatment of stress. But it is ineffective n many people and those drugs could make the symptoms worse. According to recent studies, scientists are considering using CBD for stress relief.
CBD And Stress
Every person responds to stress differently. The reason behind that is individual genetics. The change in the neurotransmitters and the hormones in our body have a massive impact on how we handle anxiety. Stress is the major source of anxiety, there is no question about that. The stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline will get you prepared for a stressful situation.
When you experience stress, a lot of chemical reactions will take place in your brain. Some parts of the brain become hyperactive and some other parts will shrink due to these chemical activities. There will be a change in the level of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and endocannabinoid receptors. Sometimes the use of marijuana can heighten the feeling of stress and anxiety. This is because marijuana contains a high amount of THC and if you take it in high doses, it will overstimulate the CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors of the endocannabinoid system.
However, many studies show that CBD can counteract the action of THC and reduce anxiety and stress. It was found that when both the compound is taken together, CBD effectively blocked the activity of THC in the cannabinoid receptors and helped in reducing anxiety. Research is still going on to find out the effects of CBD on reducing stress.
One thing is clear from the available studies, stress and anxiety reduction is influenced by the impact of CBD on the endocannabinoid system. Scientists agree on one theory, CBD is able to inhibit stress hormone production. According to some scientists, CBD can reduce cardiovascular response to stress.
Researches On CBD And Stress
Over the years, a lot of studies have taken place for finding out the effects of CBD on reducing stress. In 2015, a group of researchers analyzed 32 studies on the effect of CBD on anxiety reduction. All those studies were conducted on rodents. Another study in 2017 looked at the effect of CBD on blood pressure. 600mg of CBD was administered to nine healthy male volunteers. The result showed that resting blood pressure reduced when CBD was administered.
A recent Japanese study also looked at the effect of CBD on anxiety disorders. Researchers gave either 300mg of CBD daily or a placebo to 37 teenagers who are diagnosed with a social anxiety disorder. The treatment continued for four weeks and SAD symptoms were measured at the start and end of the observation period. The results were encouraging and showed a significant reduction in the anxiety level in all the teenagers.
Final Thoughts
It is important to remember that even though hemp-derived products are now legal in the United States, the FDA only approved Epidiolex. It is purified CBD extract used for the treatment of two severe forms of epilepsy; Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome. No other CBD products received any federal approval.
Before you buy a CBD product, make sure that it is from a reputable CBD manufacturer. Since the CBD industry is still unregulated, there are a lot of CBD products available in the market. To ensure that the CBD product you are about to buy is not fake, check the label for ingredients. Also, you can look for the third-party lab testing results on the company’s website. All the reputed manufacturers publish the third-party lab testing results on their website.
Chronic stress is very dangerous, but it can also be treated. If you want to try CBD for reducing stress, first consult a medical professional. A doctor can help you with determining the safe dosage by analyzing your body weight and other medications you use. Even though the regular use of CBD may not cause any side effects, it is better to seek the advice of your physician before starting.