CBD has been credited for all kinds of uses, from managing pain and reducing inflammation to helping with anxiety disorders, seizures, improving heart health and blood pressure, improving concentration, and more.
While these claims seem promising, they leave room for plenty of questions, the most loudly vocalized of them being “can you prove it?” We’re glad you asked. Here, we’ll cover six different studies on CBD and examine what they tell us about the compound’s place in our health regimens.
Each of these studies has been conducted by researchers in an attempt to learn more about how CBD interacts with the body and whether or not there are any negative side-effects.
1. Treating Seizures
Phytocannabinoids found in hemp (Cannabis Sativa) has been shown to be effective at reducing the number of and severity of seizures not only in animal trials but also in clinical studies. In fact, these cannabinoids are so effective that a drug called Epidiolex has been approved by the FDA for rare seizure-inducing conditions like Dravet Syndrome.
The study, conducted by Mark Mascal, Nema Hafezi, Deping Wang, Yuhan Hu, Gessica Serra, Mark L. Dallas and Jeremy P. E. Spencer proves that cannabinoids are effective at treating seizures.
Dravet syndrome, in particular, is very difficult to treat with medication. The seizures brought on by this disorder are often lengthy and exhausting for the victim, often triggered by fever or hot external temperatures.
Epidiolex is the first CBD-based drug to be approved by the FDA for general use in helping to manage seizures and lessen their impact.
This is but the first step into the benefits that CBD truly has to offer. The FDA’s approval marks a milestone in CBD science, proving that the compound isn’t just an over-hyped trend, but actually offers real medical benefits that are quantifiable and can be applied to real-world problems.
You can get CBD oil pretty much anywhere nowadays, but it’s important to remember that quality matters. Only the highest-quality oils like the ones Penguin CBD sells offer the best benefits. Don’t settle for a sub-par product when it comes to CBD!
2. Chronic Pain
Cannabinoids are well-known for their ability to minimize pain and make chronic pain more tolerable, and they’ve been used in the treatment of opioid-addiction patients. This study covers the use of CBD and other cannabinoids for chronic pain in place of highly addictive and often dangerous opioid-based pain medications.
The study showed great promise, as users who were given cannabinoids instead of opioid painkillers were able to successfully manage their pain without the risk of addiction or dangerous side-effects.
This could open the door for an entirely new field of pain studies, and change the way we view pain and pain management for decades to come.
Curbing the growing number of opioid overdoses in the US is of great importance as well, as the opioid epidemic is both widespread and alarmingly deadly. Thousands die every year from overdoses that can be prevented with new, less dangerous and addictive painkillers based on cannabinoids. Why not target aches and pains with a CBD Infused Cream.
3. Anxiety
Anxiety disorders affect millions of people globally every year. The term “anxiety disorder” actually refers to several specific conditions, including GAD, PTSD, Depressions, and more.
In a study published on the NCBI’s website, the use of CBD in patients with generalized anxiety was shown to be effective at both reducing anxiety-induced behaviour patterns and the levels of anxiety that patients experienced.
Not only did this study show CBD’s effectiveness in treating anxiety disorders, but it also demonstrated the compound’s excellent safety profile.
CBD generally has few to no side-effects, which makes it ultimately safer to use than many prescription anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications.
4. Reducing Blood Pressure/Heart Health
One of the most exciting benefits of CBD is its ability to help reduce blood pressure and improve heart health. Researchers have found through a randomized crossover study that CBD actually acts as a vasodilator, which means it helps dilate blood vessels to allow proper blood flow to and from the heart and to major organs/bodily systems.
Just a single drop of CBD in the study’s test subjects was enough to cause a noticeable drop in blood pressure.
This is just another area of health that CBD can potentially benefit. Blood pressure medications often have harmful side-effects, like many other synthetic drugs, and CBD seems to be just as, if not more effective at alleviating blood pressure.
It’s also great for reducing anxiety and stress, which can cause blood pressure to rise and put significant pressure on the heart and blood vessels. This two-fold benefit could mean healthier hearts in a society plagued with heart disease. You can find this study on NCBI’s website.
5. Acne and Skin Conditions
CBD is well-known for being an anti-inflammatory. This means it can have a positive impact on skin conditions like acne and psoriasis. Anti-inflammatory properties will help prevent inflammation flare-ups, which can reduce the impact of acne sores that cause such responses in skin tissues.
While research is minimal on this particular area of CBD benefits, a study by the National Institute of Health suggests that using CBD on the skin is both beneficial for overall skin health and for treating certain skin conditions. As the research grows, we’ll learn more about just how effective CBD is in this area.
6. Alzheimer’s Disease
According to a study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, CBD may actually be effective at helping Alzheimer’s patients combat social recognition memory deficits.
Alzheimer’s disease causes loss of memory and cognitive function, as well as the inability to recognize loved ones and family members. This can be a debilitating disease, often leaving the victim in the care of a nursing home.
The study, which was conducted on lab mice, shows promising results in improving the cognitive function of mice affected by memory loss. We’re excited to see where the next phase of research into this medical condition will take us, but what is clear is that CBD plays an important role in the future of Alzheimer’s treatments.
