The popularity of CBD has grown immensely in recent years. But many users aren’t sure of what it is and what it can do to help them. We’re going to take an in-depth look at CBD, what it is, and what it can do to help optimise mind and body wellness. Let’s dive in.
We’re going to help you get a better idea of what CBD is, what it does, how it compares to related supplements and some of the basics of using it. Then we’ll deep dove into some of the related health and wellbeing conditions CBD has been scientifically found to treat.
What is CBD?
From infused energy drinks to tinctures, CBD can be found in more and more forms, but have you ever wondered exactly what it is? This part of our guide will be dedicated to the details that you should know about CBD, including more about it, how it relates to THC, and how you can take it.What is CBD?
CBD stands for cannabidiol, and it is one of the 100+ components found in the hemp plant. Each one of these are known as cannabinoids, and cBD (cannabidiol) is just one of these. CBD was been known about since the 1940s, but rose to popularity later in in the 2010s through to now.In most places, the component, CBD, is legal while the cannabis plant itself still remains illegal. This varies based on where you are, and we’ll discuss more about CBD’s legal status in the UK and in the rest of Europe later.
What is THC?
THC is the main psychoactive ingredient in the hemp plant, meaning that it’s the one that gets you high. This substance is closely related to many chemicals that can already be found in the human body, which are known as cannabinoids. These chemicals bind to receptors in the brain, and these receptors are responsible for a range of feelings.For example, some receptors are linked to memory, pleasure, thinking, your perception of time, and coordination. When THC attaches itself to these receptors, these different areas will be affected, which is the reason why using cannabis will end up getting the user “high”.
In most cases, the effects of cannabis will impact the user within one minute of consumption if smoked or vaporised, though effects may start taking place up to 30 minutes later. Effects can last up to two hours, though this varies based on the individual’s tolerance and amount consumed.
What is The Difference Between CBD and THC?
THC and CBD are both secreted by the glands of the cannabis plant, but there are some very important differences between the two. The main difference is that CBD is legal and THC is not. This is because THC is psychoactive and CBD is not. Puresport’s CBD is trusted by 3 separate independent labs to ensure it contains 0% THC, this means you won’t feel any psychoactive effects when you use it.
For example, CBD won’t increase your appetite like THC, and it won’t result in any motor skill impairment. Another difference lies in how the two substances are sourced. CBD is harvested from hemp, which contains no THC.While the molecular structure of CBD and THC is very similar, there are differences in the arrangement that result in different effects on the human body when consumed.
What Does CBD Do?
The number of scientific, medical and nutritional studies on CBD have exploded due to the popularity and reported benefits of using CBD. We know that CBD binds to the body’s endocannabinoid system (the ECS). This is a complex set of receptors found in our body which also link to the Central Nervous System (CNS). The CNS plays a fundamental role in a range of physical and mental processes, including your reception of pain, the way you handle stress, your sleep cycle, appetite regulation and your hormonal balance.
As CBD interacts with these internal systems and chemical signalling, it has been found to be effective in supporting the above wellbeing and health concerns.
One of the most-studied claims is that CBD can help treat epilepsy, especially in children, and this has led to various medications being based on CBD to help treat the condition.
CBD is believed to act as a natural pain killer as it works to reduce the sensitivity of your pain receptors, meaning it can be a beneficial, natural alternative to taking over the counter drugs for some people. CBD is also believed to natural anti-inflammatory properties, which is why (especially in topical form) it’s loved and trusted by active people and athletes,
How Long Does CBD Take to Work?
When it comes to the length of time that it will take CBD to start working, you have to account for the method that you used to take it. This is due to changes in bioavailability depending on the method that you used to consume it. Many people may have tried CBD in a drink, or maybe as a vape. Because CBD I best absorbed either by your sublingual glands (i.e. under your tongue), or by your skin, CBD is not always effective in other formats.We suggest taking CBD in oil, capsules or topical format. People who are taller, heavier, or have higher muscle mass may want to consider a high dosage of CBD. Puresport makes CBD in a range of strengths, from 1000mg to 3000mg doses.
What Are the Different Ways to Take CBD?
As we mentioned in the previous section, there are a wide range of ways that you can take CBD, from bath bombs, to face masks, coffee, vapes, and more!Puresport topicals are loved and trusted by athletes as they can help deal with pain, inflammation and muscle aches. These topicals are applied directly to the skin, and can be used up to 3 times a day.
CBD capsules can be a great way to take CBD with added extra ingredients. Our CBD capsules contain 20mg of CBD in them each, meaning with a recommended dose you are getting 40mg of CBD per day. Our capsules also contain ginger and turmeric extracts, which scientific evidence to support they are natural anti-inflammatories and are high in anti-oxidants.
CBD Oils are the form which are the most bioavailable (most useful) to our bodies. We recommend taking between 0.5ml-1ml of CBD 1-2x a day depending on the strength you are taking. Drop the CBD under your tongue, and allow to absorb for up to a minute, being careful not to swallow!
How Is CBD Manufactured?
Now that we’ve covered the basics, we’re going to take a look at how CBD is made and sourced. There are a few key differences between how CBD and THC are produced, which is a key part of how they are different.How is CBD Made?
The first part of producing CBD is always planting the hemp plant and waiting for it to mature. Hemp is one of the most efficient plants in the world because of how closely each one can be planted together, making the process of harvesting it a lot less space-consuming than with other plants.
After that, the plant is harvested and then cured or air-dried. Once the flower is ready, the CBD has to be extracted from it, and there are a few different methods of doing so. For example, CBD can be extracted using ethanol, in which the plant is soaked in alcohol, or it can be extracted using CO2 and oils. Puresport uses a mixture of these methods to extract the highest quality extracts.
After the CBD has been extracted, it is combined with a carrier oil to dilute it and make it easier to consume. Puresport uses MTC. Sometimes the CBD is combined with a flavouring, but Puresport believes in brining you only the best natural products, so we avoid this stage to make sure our formulations are 100% natural.
What is CBD Isolate?
As you would expect from the name, CBD isolate is CBD where the substance has been fully isolated from other cannabinoids that may have been present in the plant.
CBD isolate is typically used by individuals in areas where the laws around THC are extremely strict. Puresport CBD isolate products have been tested by the Banned Substances Control Group and are regularly used by drug-tested athletes.
What is Broad Spectrum CBD?
Broad-spectrum CBD is different from CBD isolate because it contains other cannabinoids. Extracting from the hemp plant can be a very expensive process, so broad-spectrum methods are used to keep the cost of CBD affordable to end-point customers. Although broad-spectrum CBD may contain other cannabinoids, it still doesn’t contain psychoactive ingredients (like THC, which gets you high).
Is CBD Isolate or Broad Spectrum Better?
Picking between CBD isolate and broad-spectrum CBD is usually a matter of preference and it depends on how you intend to consume your CBD. There has been some research into the potential benefits of broad-spectrum CBD, as the other cannabinoids may produce beneficial outcomes. This is known as the entourage effect, but more scientific research is needed to come to a full conclusion on this matter.
As we already mentioned, you should also consider the legality of THC and CBD in the area where you live when determining which of these two CBD types will work best for you. CBD isolates will be a lot easier to find and possess in particularly strict jurisdictions.
Legality of CBD
Legislation on CBD is consistently changing, reflecting how more and more research is taking place, and people are increasingly discovering the benefits of CBD. In many countries, CBD is legal. Furthermore, some countries, like states in America have legalized medical and reactional marijuana, which demonstrates a growing interest in hemp entirely, and there have been some persuasive studies on medical use cases of marijuana. Let’s take a look at the legal status of CBD in the UK, Europe, and in sporting competitions.
Is CBD Legal in the UK?
There are relatively strict conditions in place in the UK to make sure that CBD on the market is beneficial, non-harmful, and contains no more than 0.2% THC. Beyond that point, the law considers it psychotropic and therefore illegal. Bear in mind that this is stricter than the US limit of 0.3% but not meaningfully different in practice.
Despite this, Puresport wants to ensure that we are using the highest quality ingredients and extraction processes to make sure we produce CBD that is 0% THC. This means our CBD can be taken by drug-tested athletes and professionals.
One thing to consider is the form that the CBD comes in so that it can be legal to sell in the UK. CBD needs to come in liquid form for it to be considered legal. That means that you can only market vape liquid for electronic cigarettes, various liquid forms of CBD that are meant to be ingested, capsules, and topicals.
Is CBD Legal in Europe?
In many other European countries, the law is a little more relaxed than in the UK. For example, CBD is fully legal in several European countries. These countries include Greece, Italy, Spain, Croatia, Estonia, Germany, and the Czech Republic. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that THC is allowed in CBD in these countries.
There are a few countries that are nearly as restrictive as the UK when it comes to their THC limits, such as Italy, with its limit of 0.6%. On the other hand, most of the countries that we mentioned before have a limit of 1% THC in their CBD, which is still unlikely to cause psychological effects.
Due to the widely varying laws in Europe when it comes to CBD, it’s a good idea to do your own research before travelling with it. If you have a medical certificate, ensure that it’s on your person in case you get questioned about it.
Is CBD Legal for Athletes?
Yes, CBD is legal for athletes. The substance has been allowed in international competition since 2018, when the substance was removed from the list of prohibited substances by the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency). This was also the case for the USADA (US Anti-Doping Agency).
One thing to consider is that CBD was the only cannabis compound that was removed from the list. THC is still considered a banned substance, as the world learned after the Sha’Carri Richardson situation where the runner found herself suspended after testing positive for THC.
If you want to be as safe as possible when taking CBD as an athlete, we recommend sticking to Pursport’s BSCG-certified CBDs, which are tested and certified for usage by 3 separate independent labs. We were proudly the UK’s first brand to be certified by the BSCG, demonstrating that Puresport is trailblazing the way to high industry standards.
Who Can Take CBD?
Reactions to CBD are very rare, but some have been reported, so it may be important to consider how CBD could affect you if you have a serious medical condition, and have not consulted a doctor. Some side effects of taking CBD could include increased hunger and a dry mouth, but there has never been a serious medical incident linked to CBD.
This means that CBD is suitable for most individuals, though it’s usually a good idea to check in with a medical professional before you start using it regularly. This will ensure that your CBD won’t conflict with any other treatments that your doctor has prescribed or any existing medical conditions.
One thing to consider is that there haven’t been long-term studies conducted on the use of CBD for children, apart from in highly conbtrolled medical settings. For this reason, Puresport recommends that CBD is only to be used by over 18s.
Can You Use CBD on Pets?
CBD and pets fall into the same area as CBD and children in that there haven’t been enough studies conducted to determine if it’s necessarily safe to give to animals. Regulatory bodies around the world have yet to approve CBD products that are recommended for use with your pets, though there is anecdotal evidence stating that CBD may help them.
For example, some pet owners report that giving their pets CBD when they’re suffering from arthritis and other painful conditions has helped them deal with the pain. What few studies have been conducted when it comes to CBD and dogs have shown that it can be beneficial, supporting the anecdotal evidence about arthritis treatment.
One study even showed that CBD could be used to treat epilepsy in dogs, though the dogs in the study had also been administered a seizure medication at the same time.
Banned Substances Control Group
The Banned Substances Control Group (BSCG) is an entity that certifies products and ensures that they are not contaminated with other substances that are banned by anti-doping bodies. When looking for dietary supplements as an athlete, it’s usually a good idea to ensure that your supplements have been verified by the BSCG.
This is particularly useful when looking for CBD supplements. As we already mentioned, athletes can end up getting themselves suspended for doping if they test positive for THC.
Common CBD Tips
If you’re new to using CBD, then you may have some questions on your mind about it. This can range from the amount of CBD that you should use to the way that you should take CBD. We’ll cover some of the most common questions about CBD over the course of this section.
How Much CBD Should You Take?
There are many factors that will determine the amount of CBD that you should use, including your body weight, what you’re trying to treat, the way CBD affects you, and more. Also, it’s a good idea to consider the concentration of the CBD in the method of delivery that you’re using.
The best way to determine the amount of CBD that you should be doing is to simply talk to your doctor. A medical professional will let you know how much you should start off with, especially if you’re taking a medication that contains CBD, but even if you’re just taking pure CBD itself.
It’s a good idea to usually start with a lower dosage like 10 to 20 mg per day and then ramp it up slowly over time to see how it affects you. For example, if you’re starting off at 15 mg per day, you can slowly increase it by 5 mg per week until you reach a level you’re comfortable with.
How Can You Take CBD?
There are several different ways to take CBD, and if you live in a country like the UK where only liquid CBD is allowed, then you have relatively few options. For example, CBD oil is usually taken sublingually, in which you put the oil under your tongue and hold it there for 30 to 60 seconds.
You can also take CBD through topical formulations that are applied to the skin. the CBD then penetrates the skin barrier and can help to treat acute pain or inflammation.
Which type of CBD Oil Tincture Should You Buy?
Picking out the ideal type of CBD oil tincture for your needs is a matter of finding out what kind of CBD you want in the first place. There are several different options, including isolate, broad spectrum and full spectrum tinctures, and they have a few key differences between one another.
The difference between broad spectrum and full spectrum is that the former contains most of the compounds present in the plant matter whereas the latter contains all of them. Some argue that including all possible compounds improves the healing qualities of CBD, while others maintain that the differences are inconsequential.
Taking CBD With Other Medications
If you’re taking CBD for a certain illness or particular symptoms, it’s possible that you’re taking another medication to help out with them. If that’s the case, then you’re going to need to be careful because of the possibility of CBD having a negative interaction with the other substance that you’re taking.
While CBD is relatively safe compared to most medications, there are a few possible side effects that may end up becoming more noticeable or intense because of the other medications. For example, you may want to avoid using CBD if you’re using drugs that can potentially cause light-headedness, drowsiness, dry mouth, and nausea.
This is because you may end up doubling down on your side effects which can make them much more intense. Another thing to consider is that CBD can interfere with the functioning of other drugs. Here are some drugs that have potentially negative interactions with CBD:
• Warfarin
• Amiodarone
• Levothyroxine
• Clobazam, valproate, and lamotrigine
CBD and Coffee
CBD and coffee have some interesting interactions. Some studies have noted that CBD, in conjunction with stimulants like coffee can help boost your focus and concentration, and CBD may be able to neutralise out the jitters you may experience from caffeine.
CBD is known for reducing anxiety, and caffeine is known for causing it if consumed in large amounts. Even if you’re drinking large amounts of coffee, CBD can help even out the effects of coffee, making it easier to get to sleep after you’ve had a few cups of it over the course of the day.
It’s up to you whether you consume your coffee and your CBD at the same time. If you’re looking for an energy boost, then wait to take your CBD later on. If you want to counter the effects of the coffee as soon as possible, then you can even mix your CBD with your coffee.
Common CBD Myths
There are several very prevalent myths about CBD that seem to keep sticking around no matter how much research goes into it. We see it as our job to de-bunk these myths in order to arm you with knowledge on what CBD actually does.
Is CBD Marijuana?
By far the most prevalent myth when it comes to CBD is the thought that it’s marijuana. This is due to the fact that they’re closely related, but CBD certainly isn’t marijuana because marijuana implies that the drug contains a psychoactive component.
In the end, this means that CBD decidedly isn’t marijuana, even though the two come from the same plant.
How is CBD Different to Marijuana?
CBD differs from marijuana mainly in that it doesn’t contain any THC, which is the ingredient that causes you to get high.
When comparing CBD and THC, the difference lies in how they affect you. While both of them will bind to your cannabinoid receptors, only THC will affect you in a perceptible way, which means that it’s the only one that will get you high. CBD on the other hand can have a range of wide-reaching health and wellbeing benefits.
Is CBD Oil and Hemp Seed Oil the Same?
While CBD oil and hemp seed oil are both oils that are created from the cannabis plant, there are a few key differences between the two. The first and most major difference is that hemp seed oil doesn’t necessarily contain a large (statistically significant) amount of cannabinoids.
This means that hemp seed oil is relatively neutral when compared to CBD oil, and that it likely won’t have the same health effects as CBD oil. However, one thing to consider is that hemp seed oil is still relatively healthy because of the large amount of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids that it contains.
Regardless, this means that you won’t benefit from the many advantages of CBD oil. Because of the lack of active cannabinoids in hemp seed oil, it’s a lot easier to find hemp seed oil available in countries that have strict legislation related to CBD.
Is CBD Addictive?
Because of the chemical composition CBD, you can't get addicted to it (unlike THC). CBD has historically been used to help treat people with alcohol or drug dependencies.
Will CBD Get Me High?
CBC doesn’t have any psychoactive properties, so it likely won’t give you the traditional high that you may expect out of something like THC. For example, you won’t experience deteriorated motor skill control, you won’t have the same euphoric feeling as you’ll experience when you smoke marijuana.
There may be some side effects of taking CBD like possible dizziness or tiredness when you consume CBD, but CBD doesn't have the same feeling of being 'high' euphoric or out of control in the same way marijuana can.
That being said, CBD doesn’t produce a high that’s comparable to THC, merely what can be described as side effects. These side effects are relatively mild to many of the side effects that you’ll experience from prescription drugs and even over-the-counter medication, in many cases.
Is All CBD the Same?
No, there are various different kinds of CBD, and that’s largely dependent on what they contain. For example, CBD isolate only includes the CBD itself rather than other cannabinoids which are found in the hemp plant.
On the other hand, broad spectrum CBD contains other componants of the hemnp plant (other cannabinoids). That’s the main difference between broad spectrum and full spectrum CBD, as full spectrum contains all of the compounds, as the name would suggest.
Most manufacturers will simply call their product “CBD,” and it’s often up to the customer to determine what kind of CBD they’re getting their hands on. More experienced sellers are aware that the customer cares about what they’re getting and they will display the type of CBD that they’re selling loudly and proudly.
Is CBD a Cure-all?
CBD is certainly able to help with a wide range of conditions, sometimes more effectively than other substances that we’ve discovered. However, calling CBD a cure all is a huge stretch because it can’t necessarily cure everything, and it can’t even treat every condition known to us.
One good thing about CBD is that it’s safe and easy to consume, especially compared to other natural products. This may make it seem like one of the best substances known to us, but we simply don’t know enough about it to get an idea of what it does and how it accomplishes that.
It’s best to do as much research about something like CBD as possible before making broad, sweeping statements when you’re talking about medicine. At best, you’ll mislead people, at worse, you may end up distancing someone from the medications that they actually need in the hope that CBD will be a miracle cure.
Is CBD a Non-psychoactive?
Yes, one of the key differences between CBD and THC is that the former is not psychoactive. This is what has led to CBD being legalised a lot sooner than THC in many places, because it can’t actually get someone high, thus impairing their ability to operate machinery and more.
The reason why CBD is not psychoactive and THC is is still being researched, but research proposes that it’s mainly due to the way that CBD binds to cannabinoid receptors. When these substances bind to receptors, they elicit different reactions from different parts of the body.
While CBD seems to convince the body to start healing and cut down on inflammation, THC instead creates the feelings of being high that we typically associate with consuming marijuana.
What Are the Potential Mental Health Benefits of CBD?
CBD is believed to have a wide range of potential upsides compared to other substances, and some of the most common claims involve CBD’s ability to help people deal with mental health conditions. These include stress, anxiety, depression, and other, rarer conditions.
Can I Use CBD Oil for Anxiety?
Research has shown that CBD oil can be used to treat generalised anxiety disorder (GAD). These studies look into how CBD can help balance hormones in a process called homeostasis, meaning that stress hormones like cortisol do not peak to the same level they would do otherwise.
On the other hand, CBD can also help people deal with more specific forms of anxiety such as social anxiety disorder and PTSD. Since anxiety is often a cause of insomnia, which creates a vicious cycle of anxiety because you can’t sleep and the inability to sleep because of your anxiety, CBD’s anti-insomnia properties are also of note.
A study was conducted on people in 2011 in which they were given 400 mg of CBD compared to a placebo. In this study, the people who took the placebo had markedly higher anxiety levels than the ones who were using CBD.
Can I Use CBD Oil for Stress Relief?
Despite all of our advancements, we’re still living in one of the most stressful times in human history, and substances like CBD can help us overcome it. As we’ve already mentioned, CBD can help reduce anxiety, which is linked directly to stress.
Keep in mind that the amount of CBD that you should take for stress relief depends on the level of stress that you’re experiencing. Some studies have had people take as much as 400 mg of CBD so that they could counter their stress while some people can get by with only 20 mg per day.
It’s a good idea to experiment with the amount of CBD that you’re taking so that you can see how it affects your stress levels. As we mentioned earlier, always make sure that you cross-check your dosage with your doctor to ensure that you don’t end up causing any adverse effects.
Can CBD Be Used for Depression?
Yet another common mental condition that CBD may be able to help with is depression, and this is linked to the same mechanism through which CBD helps patients and study subjects deal with their anxiety. Depression is largely caused by lowered levels of serotonin, and CBD can affect your system’s response to serotonin.
While CBD will not necessarily boost the amount of serotonin that your system produces, it will affect neural receptors that are responsible for producing both antianxiety and antidepressant effects. This was posited and discovered by a study in 2020.
Could CBD Improve Mental Health?
As we’ve mentioned, CBD can help improve your mental health because it can counter some of the most common conditions that people deal with in the UK. For example, anxiety is one of the most common disorders in the UK, with over 8.2 million people suffering from it and untold thousands or even millions who have not been diagnosed.
Other conditions that CBD has been posited as helping with include obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, and PTSD. CBD doesn’t only directly help improve your mental health by treating the conditions that many people deal with but also by doing so indirectly.
For example, CBD has been shown as being able to help people get to sleep, combatting conditions like insomnia. Something like insomnia can have a net negative impact on lives, and by helping combat that, CBD can improve someone’s mental health dramatically.
Does CBD Have Neuroprotective Properties?
Neuroprotectiveness is the property through which new neurons in the human brain are protected, ensuring that they don’t degenerate over time. Neural degeneration can lead to conditions like Alzheimer’s, so it’s pretty obvious why scientists would be interested in how the substance can protect neurons.
From what we’ve seen, using CBD allows the body to maintain its endocannabinoid system, regulating it and ensuring that it can keep producing healthy enzymes. For example, anandamide is one of the main compounds in the brain that scientists believe can help fight diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
Other research states that CBD can also help reduce oxidative stress, which is essentially when free radicals start to outnumber the antioxidants in your system. Along with this, CBD can apparently cut down on cytokines, which are known for signalling the creation of inflammation in the body.
CBD and Sleep
CBD also has a few effects on sleep and the inability to sleep, which came as much-needed relief to people who were suffering from insomnia when the research was first released. Let’s take a look at how CBD can potentially help you with insomnia, whether it can help you sleep, and if it makes you tired or not.
Can CBD Help with Insomnia?
There have been many studies over the course of the past decade about whether or not CBD can work as a sleeping aid. One study consisted of giving people placebos and another group 160 mg of CBD, and the group that used the CBD before going to bed had, on average, longer sleep times.
Insomnia occurs because of unusual levels of cortisol in people at nighttime. Cortisol is the stress hormone, and in most bodies, the level of cortisol peaks during the morning so that people can be alert. In the case of people with insomnia, their peaks are typically at night before bed.
Some studies have shown that elevated CBD oil consumption can help reduce the levels of cortisol that people have. For example, in one study, subjects were given 300 to 600 mg of CBD oil and they demonstrated reduced levels of cortisol.
Can CBD Help Me Sleep?
Seven to nine hours of sleep is the ideal so that you can remain healthy and so that your body has time to rest and recover. Even if you don’t suffer from insomnia, it’s possible that you’re not getting as much sleep as you should, whether it’s due to blue light from digital devices or an overly busy mind.
CBD can also help you deal with certain disorders that may affect the quality of your sleep, including REM sleep behaviour disorder, also known as RBD. Along with helping you get to sleep at nighttime, CBD can also help treat sleep disorders like excessive sleepiness.
For example, if you find yourself sleeping too much during the daytime, it’s possible that CBD can help you adjust your sleep schedule to healthier times. CBD can also help cut down on the grogginess that you feel whenever you wake up, making it easier to get your day started.
Does CBD Make You Tired?
If CBD helps you sleep, then it may not be so much of a logical leap to think that it could potentially make you tired. One thing to consider is that a common side effect of CBD is tiredness, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that CBD will make you tired. We often talk about CBD helping you relax, which in turn helps you fall asleep.
One thing to account for is that everyone reacts to CBD differently, and your experience may not be the same as someone else’s. CBD won’t necessarily make you tired but you have to account for that potentially happening. Other people may end up getting more energy and focus out of their CBD usage.
The best way to find out whether or not CBD will make you tired is to try it out for yourself. The effects of CBD-induced drowsiness won’t be as obvious as when you consume THC, so that’s a positive, but you may feel slightly “off.”
What Are the Potential Physical Health Benefits of CBD?
Along with mental health benefits and the ability to help you sleep better, CBD also has a range of benefits for people in terms of physical health. For example, CBD has been shown to potentially have an effect on pain, nausea, headaches, arthritis, and more general conditions like inflammation.
Can I Use CBD for Pain?
There are many different types of pain that CBD can potentially help you deal with, including chronic pain. The ECS (Endocannabinoid System) is responsible for our pain relief as well as anti-inflammatory responses, allowing us to deal with things like back pain and other chronic issues that can affect our quality of life.
Some studies have gone over how CBD affects people who are suffering from a wide range of different types of pain. The review went over how people react when they’re using CBD and dealing with cancer pain, fibromyalgia, and even neuropathic pain.
Does CBD Help Heart Health?
Whatever effects CBD has on heart health, many of them tend to be a little more indirect. For example, since CBD can help combat inflammation, it can help prevent specific diseases that impact the heart from developing in the first place. Some examples of diseases that can be linked to inflammation include high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, and stroke.
In more direct terms, some studies have shown that CBD can protect your heart from issues, such as when studies have shown that CBD has positive effects on the hearts of rats after they suffer heart attacks. Studies with mice have shown that the negative effects of diabetes on the heart can also be undone with CBD.
Keep in mind that the vast majority of research that has been accomplished in the field of using CBD for heart health has been done in the form of animal testing. That being said, more and more studies are starting to look at how CBD can help with human hearts, as well.
Does CBD Help with Nausea?
Research into CBD’s ability to help people deal with nausea is mostly based on research with cancer patients.
Plenty of research has been conducted about how CBD can help cut down on nausea, as it’s thought to interact with inflammation in the stomach, and may even have a positive impact on your gut health – which when is poor, can cause stomach complaints and nausea.
Due to the way CBD helps us get more out of our serotonin, this can help us reduce the amount of nausea that we experience. While the hormone is linked to our behaviour and our mood, it can also make us feel better enough to cut back on our nausea.
Can I Take CBD Oil to Help Me Sleep?
As we’ve already mentioned, you can use CBD oil to improve your sleep patterns, though the degree to which CBD oil can help you deal with your sleep disorders depends on the amount that you use.
Whereas most people use about 50 mg of CBD per day when taking CBD oil, most of the studies that were conducted around using CBD to aid with sleep patterns used between 150 and 600 mg. It should be noted that Puresport advises no more than 70mg of CBD should be taken per day, as people taking more than this are usually participating in clinical trials, and are direct to do so by medics, and are under close observation. This said, we have seen many reported benefits of using CBD for sleep even at slightly lower dosages,
Can CBD Oil Help with Headaches?
There have been a few studies conducted to determine whether or not CBD can help people deal with headaches and other related problems like migraines. In most cases, CBD has been proven to help with migraines.
CBD can help you deal with pain, so many people have reported CBD being able to reduce the pain of headaches. Puresport’s products, such as our CBD Capsules and CBD tinctures have been recognised by experts in the health and wellbeing field as being good natural remedies for headaches, and Puresport was voted one of the best CBDs for headaches several times by the publication GQ.
Can CBD Oil Help with IBS?
More research is going into CBD, IBS and the gut due to gut health being such a hot topic, and so many people struggling with gut-related issues. Some studies have been conducted on CBD and the gut, and have shown that CBD may have an effect on IBS sufferers.
Due to CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties, it may be able to reduce inflammation in the gut. As inflammation leads to unpleasant symptoms like bloating, CBD may be a good natural remedy for IBS or bloating.
Can CBD Oil Help with Gut Health?
CBD can indeed help improve your gut health because it improves your microbiome. A strong microbiome will help strengthen your immune system and it will help cut down on the amount of systemic inflammation that occurs in your gut.
This is because CBD helps reduce the production of both interleukins and cytokines, which are responsible for signalling an inflammatory response in our guts. This means that CBD can help reduce the prevalence of colitis, IBS, gas, and even gut lining damage.
CBD also contains probiotics, which can help increase the amount of positive bacteria that lives in your gut. It also helps reduce cortisol levels. Higher levels of cortisol can actually end up damaging your digestive system because it’s a catabolic hormone.
Can CBD Oil Help with Arthritis?
CBD oil’s ability to help with arthritis has been demonstrated in studies and it also has a large body of supporting anecdotal evidence.
One of the only studies to examine the link between people’s arthritis and CBD usage was a randomised trial for the usage of topical CBD solutions for arthritis pain relief. While arthritis pain specifically may not be a proven benefit of CBD use in humans, pain relief has a lot more literature backing it up.
This means that while the arthritis itself may not be treatable using CBD, you’ll likely still benefit from the pain-relieving properties of the substance.
Can CBD Oil Help with Inflammation?
CBD has been known to help people deal with inflammation through a wide range of studies that have examined how people’s bodies react to the substance. One review discovered that CBD has anti-inflammatory properties and that they can help people better deal with Alzheimer’s, MS, pain, IBS, and cardiovascular issues.
Can CBD Oil Help with MND?
Studies conducted in Milan, Italy at the San Raffaele Scientific Institute have discovered that a mixture of THC and CBD are able to help patients who are dealing with motor neuron disease (MND). The study showed that spasticity was reduced in the patients who were dealing with the disease.
More specifically, the cannabis-derived mixture helped reduce the stiffness and tightness of the muscles of the patients who were dealing with the disease. The specific method of application was through an oral spray that is known as nabiximols.
Researchers noted that there are already drugs that can make users less spastic when suffering from MND but they noted that THC and CBD have notably worse side effects and potential issues when they’re used. This may be a promising field of study for the future of MND treatment.
Can CBD Oil Help with Parkinson’s?
Excessive research has gone into determining whether or not CBD can help people deal with Parkinson’s Disease. While CBD may not be able to do anything for people once Parkinson’s has already started, the research on CBD and Alzheimers shows that CBD can play a significant role in the prevention neurodegenerative diseases.
For example, if an individual starts showing signs of Parkinson’s, they’ve likely lost more than half of the dopamine-receptor neurons that they have. With current medical techniques, this is pretty much irreversible, but it’s possible that using CBD can help strengthen your neurons, reducing the likelihood of this happening.
Will CBD Oil Improve my Gut Health?
CBD can have some positive effects on your gut health through its interaction with the gut microbiome. CBD ahs been found to be able to positively alter the gut microbiome – which is the root of your health as it relations to all kinds of bodily rhythms including your circadian rhythm, appetite, as well as things like your skin. Health, energy levels, appetite and hormonal balance..
Puresport also believes in the usage of nootropics and other natural supplements and ingredients to help support your gut health. Ingredients like Reishi mushroom and liquorice have had some significant results in helping to support the gut microbiome, and reduce the inflammation in the gut.
This is why we recommend taking CBD in combination with other Puresport supplements in order to help to optimise your gut health.
Can CBD Affect or Improve your Libido?
There are ECS receptors all around your body, including inside of your reproductive organs. The studies about whether CBD will impact your libido show that CBD can possible boost your libido.
The thing is that many studies haven’t explored whether there’s a link between the lowered sex drive in males that is caused by consistent cannabis use and whether that extends to CBD use. However, sex drive may also be increased by CBD because of how it can reduce the anxiety that you experience.
Since social anxiety can get in the way of having healthy sexual relationships or perhaps even starting them, CBD may be able to indirectly boost libido through a reduction in the effects of social anxiety disorder.
CBD and Workouts
If you’re actively trying to stay fit, you may be wondering exactly how CBD affects your body’s ability to work out. We’re going to explore the possible effects that CBD use can have on your workouts as well as when you should take CBD if you’re planning on working shortly afterwards.
Should I Take CBD Before a workout?
There are a few potential benefits to taking CBD before you work out, including the fact that it can have some effects when it comes to pain relief. Since CBD is an anti-inflammatory, you’ll be able to benefit from reduced joint pain, so it may be a good idea to take it if you’re suffering from arthritis or just any aches and pains.
This is common in runners because arthritis and other joint issues are directly related to how often you run and what surfaces you run on. If you take CBD before working out, you may also be able to work out for a longer time and you may be less anxious about performing if you’ll be playing a team-based sport.
The anxiety-reduction that’s inherent in CBD use will allow you to perform to your highest level without being afraid of failing or making a mistake. Ironically, that very fear is what often leads us to make mistakes, and cutting down on anxiety is a great solution for any athlete, professional or amateur.
Can I Take CBD to Recover Post-workout?
Yes, CBD may be able to help you recover after a workout. Some studies have shown that CBD may be able to help you repair muscle damage caused by exercising. Repairing this damage helps you cut down on the amount of soreness that you’ll feel after your workout.
Muscle soreness after a workout is known as DOMS, which stands for Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness. This can make it harder to work out since you won’t be as motivated to continue if you always find yourself dealing with pain the next day.
If you’re dealing with a condition that reduces your mobility, like MS, you may also want to take some CBD after your workout to ensure that you’re able to move around with greater ease. How you take CBD after your workout is up to you, whether it’s in a smoothie or a simple sublingual application.
Will CBD Improve my Fitness?
There are a few ways that CBD can help improve how you perform when you work out, and that means that it will eventually improve your fitness because you’ll be working out more efficiently. Being able to perform better also means that you’ll see the physical benefits sooner.
Whether it’s through CBD’s ability to make your post-workout recovery go by much faster and let you get back on your workout or your improved ability to perform, CBD can do a lot to improve your fitness. Along with helping you recover after a workout, CBD’s ability to help you sleep will allow you to be more energised for the next day.
One thing to account for is that CBD won’t miraculously improve your fitness, and that all of these effects are indirect. This means that you’ll have to put effort into working out, but perhaps less effort than you would have to if you were not using CBD for its benefits.
Are CBD Products Right for Muscle Recovery?
There is a lot of evidence about people using CBD products so that their muscles can recover more quickly after a workout. For example, Puresport’s impressive list of Olympians, and professional sports people use the CBD Muscle + joint Balm, which can help reduce pain and inflammation felt in muscles, meaning recovery and performance can be optimised.
By cutting down on joint inflammation, it makes it easier to perform workouts that are stressful on your joints repeatedly. If you like jogging and running, then the ability to make your joints more resilient will make it easier for you to keep up with a more consistent workout routine
Should I Use CBD for Running?
We’ve already discussed how CBD is a great option for activities that will put a lot of stress on your joints. Running is one of the most stressful activities you can perform when it comes to your knee joints. This is why many cardio enthusiasts recommend less stressful activities like stationary bikes and walking.
However, if you want to continue running without having to deal with the pain that is inherent in doing so, taking CBD can help cut down on joint inflammation. Joint inflammation is one of the most significant sources of pain after running.
Whether you run or you jog, being able to cut down on this pain will make the experience more pleasant and it will allow you to bounce back far faster.
Should I Use CBD for Cycling?
Using CBD as a cyclist will allow you to improve your performance in a few different ways. Much like when you’re doing other workouts, the ability to improve your recovery times allows you to get out there far quicker than you would otherwise be able to.
Staying consistent with your training ensures that you can perfect your form and technique with relative ease. Improving the quality of your sleep is another one of the major advantages of using CBD as a cyclist. If you sleep better, you’re able to recover quicker, which compounds with the physical effects of using CBD.
Another great thing is that CBD is entirely legal to use for competitive cyclists and it doesn’t feature any of the downsides that you’d expect from other substances with the same effects. In a sport like cycling where recovering as fast and as well as your can is so important, we recommend using CBD regularly as part of your training routine to help support your health from the inside out.
Should I Use CBD for Crossfit?
As with other fitness disciplines, one of the main advantages of using CBD for crossfit is that it allows you to recover quicker. One of the main things that differentiates crossfit from other fitness disciplines is that the recovery periods are usually longer and more intense.
This means that the help that CBD gives you when it comes to recovery is much more useful when your fitness regime is based on crossfit. Your mental state is also a huge part of your performance when it comes to crossfit, as the stress is more than just physical.
Being able to counter the mental stress of performing in crossfit will allow you to excel where others would fail by succumbing to the pressure.
Should I Use CBD for Yoga and Pilates?
Using CBD for a discipline like yoga will allow you to connect with your inner self by cutting down on your anxiety. Since Yoga can help bring you to a state of further calmness, it will be easier to focus on the spiritual aspect of yoga, along with the physical benefits that it brings you.
Much like with other sports and activities, yoga can be pretty strenuous on the body, which is not something that people who don’t practice it necessarily know. Yoga can be pretty tough on your joints, and CBD’s ability to make your joints feel better will be much appreciated after a long day of yoga.
This is much the same case for pilates, as it affects many of the same parts of your body as yoga does.
Does CBD Help with Endurance Sports?
As with other sports, being able to use CBD while performing endurance sports will allow you to heighten your performance through indirect means. This is due to how you can recover faster and prevent yourself from succumbing to inflammation over the course of the competition itself.
Taking CBD before an endurance sporting event will allow you to cut down on the inflammation that you experience, reducing your pain and making you feel more comfortable and able to perform at your top level for a longer period of time.
While CBD may not turn you into Superman, it will still make it a lot easier for you to maintain an adequate level of performance.
What Are the Potential Women’s Health Benefits of CBD?
There are a range of potential benefits when it comes to women’s health and CBD. We’re going to take a look at whether CBD can help you deal with PMS, as well if it can stop menstrual cramps, and finally, we’ll look at whether CBD can help you with menopause.
Can CBD Help PMS Symptoms?
CBD can help counter some of the effects of PMS, including the mood swings that are common to the condition. Since CBD can help contribute to a feeling of well-being, it can stop some of the most notable PMS symptoms such as increased irritability and simply not feeling like yourself.
Other natural ingredients like Chasteberry, Omega 3 and Ashwagandha have been shown to have positive effects on dealing with PMS. Puresport’s Female Balance supplement is designed to support women throughout their cycle, and can be a great compliment to taking CBD daily.
Can I Take CBD to Help Menstrual Cramps
Pain relief is the single most significant advantage to using CBD when you’re suffering from these cramps. We’ve already gone into a lot of detail about how CBD can help you deal with pain, and its ability to deal with your inflammation is a further bonus because inflammation is directly linked to pain.
Because of CBD’s ability to help reduce the sensation of pain it can be an effective natural remedy to menstrual cramps.
Menstrual cramps are caused when the uterus contracts in order to process an egg along the fallopian tubes. These contractions cause tightening in the lower stomach and can also lead to nausea and headaches.
CBD acts as a natural pain killer as it dulls the receptivity of pain sensors, making you can feel pain less. This, paired with CBD’s natural anti-inflammatory properties means that it can be an effective natural remedy when on your period and looking for some relief.
Can CBD Help with Menopause?
There are a few different symptoms of menopause that CBD can help you deal with. A key symptom of menopause can be anxiety and mood swings. As CBD helps your body maintain homeostasis, it can help reduce the effects of erratic hormonal changes, meaning it can help control mood swings and changes.
CBD is also loved and trusted to help reduce anxiety, and has also been found to have some good benefits for people suffering with depression. For this reason, CBD may be a good natural remedy for people suffering from these mood and mental health issues which may be triggered by, or a bi-product of menopause.
Menopause can also result in a change to your circadian rhythm (your sleep rhythm), meaning you may develop insomnia or other sleep conditions. As we have discussed, CBD has the ability to help re-balance your sleep rhythm and also helps reduce the effects of cortisol (stress0 on your body, making it easier to drift off faster, and sleep deeper.