CBD, as an alternative medicine, has been getting more interest over the past few years. As more studies look into its effects and potential benefits, more people have been trying CBD-derived products. How effective is it as an alternative medicine, though?
There are many different ways that CBD has been used as one kind of treatment for a variety of conditions. As well as looking at what CBD is and what it does, these are just some of the ways this product has been used in the field of alternative medicine.
How CBD works
Cannabidiol – which is usually shortened to just CBD – is a non-psychoactive component of marijuana plants. CBD acts through receptor independent channels by binding with non-cannabinoid receptors and ion channels.
CBD won’t get you ‘high’ – that comes from tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which, like CBD, also comes from the cannabis plant. Both primary species of cannabis sativa, hemp and marijuana, have CBD in them. However, there are higher levels of this in hemp, which has very low levels of THC compared to marijuana. The plants from which you can extract CBD are usually provided by industrial farmers using hemp seeds CBD.
What can CBD be used for?
There have been a number of different uses for CBD (usually in the form of CBD oil) in recent years. There has been a variety of health conditions in which this item has been used to treat.
One of those may be to manage the symptoms of anxiety. This is because it tells your body to calm down, so people with anxiety may find that they feel more relaxed.
There is also a therapeutic potential for auto-immune diseases, such as arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. Studies have indicated that CBD may be applying anti-inflammatory effects on T cells (a type of white blood cell that has an important role in the immune system) and their chemical messengers. So by reducing the chemical production that signals inflammation within the body, CBD can have a beneficial effect on these types of diseases.
With inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) – which includes Crohn’s disease and colitis – inflammation that results from this can significantly disrupt someone’s digestive function. Yet pre-clinical studies have shown that CBD can reduce this inflammation and may help to alleviate these symptoms.
Rheumatoid arthritis is another chronic autoimmune disease that results in joint stiffness and painful swelling that’s caused by inflammation throughout the body. Endogenous cannabinoids are involved with the inflammatory response of the joints, and preliminary studies have shown that a cannabis-based medication can treat pain and disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.