Chances are, you have heard about or used CBD products. Maybe you read our article on CBD for dogs with cancer? These days, CBD is everywhere. In fact, research into CBD and its possible health benefits has surged in recent years with
But what does it actually do and how does it actually work in your brain and body? What exactly makes CBD so beneficial? Well, here’s the lowdown!
In this article, we are going to explain to you exactly how CBD works in the brain and then how CBD works in the body. We’ll talk about endocannabinoid systems, positive effects, and potential issues or side effects that could arise from using CBD. By the end of it, you will have a better understanding of how this powerful compound works, along with ways to consume it.
First Things First: What Is CBD?
When understanding how CBD works in the brain and body, we need to look at the component itself. CBD stands for cannabidiol, and it’s one of the many compounds found in the cannabis plant. It doesn’t get you high like THC does, so it’s not used to give a psychoactive effect.
Instead, its effects interact with the body’s naturally occurring endocannabinoid system—a group of receptors that helps your body regulate functions like appetite and mood.
As cannabidiol enters your bloodstream, it interacts with your endocannabinoid system, causing a variety of effects.
What Exactly Is the Endocannabinoid System?
If you’re curious about what CBD can do for your brain and body, then it’s important to understand the endocannabinoid system (ECS). We can better understand how CBD works in the body throught looking at the interaction with the ECS. This then leads us to understand some of its potential therapeutic benefits.
The ECS is a network of receptor sites found throughout our brains and bodies that aid in regular biological activities such as sleeping, eating, inflammatory responses, memory recall, and other critical processes.
Virtually every organ in your body, including the immune system, the brain, and even the digestive tract, has endocannabinoid system receptors, which it how CBD works in the body.
How CBD Works in the Brain
Now that we’ve talked about CBD and the ECS, let’s discuss how CBD works in the brain.
As it turns out, CBD is able to modulate key receptors in the brain’s endocannabinoid system to create a variety of positive effects. This modulation allows CBD to provide both short-term and long-term benefits.
So we look at the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) to answer how CBD works in the brain. As we have learnt above, the ECS is a network of receptors that interact with naturally-occurring cannabinoids like CBD to create a homeostatic balance.
CBD interacts with the two main types of receptors found in the endocannabinoid system: CB1 receptors and CB2 receptors. The former mainly exists in the brain while the latter can be found in other areas like the immune system.
When CBD binds to these receptors, signals are sent throughout your body that can have a wide range of beneficial effects such as controlling anxiety levels and reducing inflammation.
This is how CBD works in the brain – by interacting with these receptors and modulating their functions. An example is increasing their sensitivity or decreasing their activation thresholds.
In addition to interacting with the ECS, CBD also modulates certain receptor systems, such as serotonin and GABA receptors. These receptors play an important role in regulating anxiety, depression, and even general mood. By modulating them, CBD can help to improve these neuropsychiatric disorders
Moreover, CBD has also been shown in studies to have neuroprotective properties, which means it can help protect brain cells from damage and degeneration. This is attributed to its ability to lower oxidative stress, inflammation, and free radical generation, all of which can lead to cell damage and death.
How CBD Works in the Body
We already know how CBD works in the brain by interacting with the endocannabinoid system. So let’s look at how CBD works in the body: by interacting with other systems and processes, beyond the ECS.
First, studies have shown that CBD interacts with the adenosine receptor, which controls sleep and wakefulness, as well as the vanilloid receptor, which is involved in pain perception.
Moreover, we know inflammation plays an important role in many health conditions like arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and cancer but it’s not always helpful. That’s where CBD comes in. According to studies, CBD reduces the production of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines and inhibits the activation of T-cells and macrophages, which may lead to inflammation.
It has also been shown to possess potent antioxidant properties that may protect your cells from free radical damage and oxidative stress brought on by environmental contaminants. These antioxidants play a crucial function in enhancing your general health and defending your cells against pathogens.
CBD Health Benefits
You may already know some of the potential health benefits of CBD, but here’s even more good news: there have been recent studies showing that CBD helps with more than just physical ailments.
According to research, CBD can have a variety of health benefits on the body and brain, including:
Relief from Anxiety and Stress
CBD has been associated with reducing anxiety and tension. It has been shown in animal studies to lessen the stress response, which explains why it may function as an anti-anxiety medicine.
Human studies have also suggested that CBD can help people with generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Mood Regulation
It’s thought that CBD’s mood-regulating effects might be due to its interaction with serotonin receptors in the brain – the same ones targeted by drugs like Prozac and Zoloft.
CBD has also been linked to a decrease in cognitive impairment, which means fewer feelings of confusion or disorientation,and increased alertness for better mental clarity and focus.
Lowering Inflammation
When CBD binds with receptors in the endocannabinoid system, it triggers anti-inflammatory responses which helps alleviate pain, reduce inflammation and slow down the aging process.
This has promising implications for diseases like multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease that cause inflammation in the brain. It’s also thought to support the immune system by stimulating certain proteins that are responsible for fighting off pathogens and toxins.
Reducing Seizures
CBD has been shown to lessen seizures in certain epileptic diseases, including Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. It is believed to interfere with the GABA neurotransmitter’s ability to control neuronal activity. In fact, the FDA recently approved the use of Epidiolex, a CBD-based medication, to treat severe forms of epilepsy such Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.
Enhancing Sleep
CBD may make it easier to fall asleep by easing tension and lowering anxiety. It also affects the levels of Adenosine, a neurotransmitter important in controlling sleep-wake cycles.
Neuroprotective Properties
CBD is known for its neuroprotective properties, meaning it can help protect your brain’s nerve cells from damage. It could even help slow down age-related mental decline and memory loss.
According to research, cannabidiol has the ability to help delay the course of neurodegenerative disorders such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Improving Heart Health
Research has shown that consuming CBD on a daily basis may assist improve heart health in a number of ways, including decreasing cholesterol levels, controlling blood pressure, and reducing inflammation.
Fighting Cancer
In the battle against cancer, cannabidiol (CBD) helps reduce inflammation levels and encourages apoptosis, also known as cell death, in cancer cells. This makes CBD useful in lowering the chance of developing certain forms of cancer.
Improving Skin Conditions
According to studies, CBD may help to lessen the symptoms of many skin problems such as acne, psoriasis, and eczema by lowering inflammation and assisting the skin in its own ability to repair itself.
These are just the known potential benefits of CBD; there are plenty more that are currently being studied. CBD is increasingly being studied as an alternative for individuals searching for natural solutions to enhance their overall health and wellness due to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective benefits.
Potential Side Effects of CBD
While CBD is generally safe and well-tolerated, it is important to be aware of potential side effects. The most commonly known side effect is drowsiness and fatigue but there are a few other potential risks that you should be aware of:
Liver Damage
One of the more serious potential side effects of CBD is liver damage. Taking too much dosage of CBD ultra-concentrated oil can increase the levels of a specific enzyme associated with the breakdown of toxins in your body.
This can cause significant liver damage over time, so make sure to stick to recommended dosages and talk to your doctor before trying it out.
Dry Mouth
Cannabidiol can decrease saliva production in your mouth, leading to a condition known as “cottonmouth,” which causes dryness and discomfort in the mouth.
Interactions with Other Medications
CBD can interact with certain medications, particularly those that also affect the cytochrome P450 enzyme system in the liver.
This system helps to process toxic compounds from the body, so if you’re taking any sort of prescribed medication, it’s important to make sure that CBD won’t interfere.
Changes in Appetite or Weight
Much like prescribed medications, CBD can either increase or reduce your appetite and weight, depending on the person’s usage.
Diarrhea
Some users have reported experiencing diarrhea as a side effect of taking CBD oil, but this can largely be avoided if it is taken in small doses/low concentration levels.
It’s important to always consult with your doctor before beginning any kind of supplementation program with CBD oil to ensure that you’re not at risk for any serious side effects or drug interactions before taking it regularly.
Drowsiness and Fatigue
According to research, CBD may cause drowsiness and fatigue in certain persons, therefore if you want to use it for its health advantages, you should divide your dose. It is prudent to begin with a modest dosage and increase it gradually if you don’t want to feel more tired or weary than desired.
Lightheadedness
Some CBD users have reported feeling dizzy or lightheaded after using the substance. This mild adverse impact may have been caused by a momentary drop in blood pressure.
Not everyone will have these adverse effects, and some people may experience none at all. The key is to begin treatment at a lower dose, see how the body responds, and then gradually increase the dosage.
How to use CBD
It might seem intimidating to think about using CBD, but it’s actually not hard at all. There are many ways to use CBD, and you can find products made specifically for each of them, so you don’t even need to worry about how to prepare it yourself.
- Capsules and pills: This is one of the most common forms of CBD on the market. Taking it in pill or capsule form is easy—you just take it with a glass of water like any other pill.
- Tinctures: These are concentrated liquid extracts that you place under your tongue and swallow after a few seconds. This is one of the quickest ways to get CBD into your system.
- Topicals: These come in lotions, creams, salves, ointments, massage oils and more, so you can apply them directly onto troubled areas on your skin for localized relief.
- Edibles: Edibles come in many forms such as gummies, lollipops, cookies or brownies—these typically take longer to work because they must first be digested before the CBD is released into your body.
- Vaporizers: Vaporizers are great if you want a quick hit of CBD that enters your system almost immediately through inhalation—they come in oil cartridges or other forms that make it easy to use on the go or when you need quick relief from symptoms such as pain or anxiety attacks.
With such an array of options available for taking CBD, you’re sure to find one that works for you.
Take Away
The main takeaway is that CBD can have a profound and positive impact on both the brain and the body, whilst offering potential therapeutic and medicinal benefits.
With more research being conducted in this area and more studies providing evidence of its effects, it is becoming increasingly clear that CBD can have a positive impact on our quality of life, both mentally and physically.
So that is a lot of information on how CBD works in the brain and body, the things it can help with, some potential issues and ways to take it. Please comment below with your thoughts about the topics mentioned in this article below.
