All of us hear stories about how CBD can help treat various conditions, and it’s almost like every week, a new study is out demonstrating the effectiveness of this component in treating some medical issues.
Interestingly, for many years, both researchers and physicians have been instructing healthy people to start using CBD every day as preventative medicine. What does this mean? Basically, it involves consuming CBD for general well-being and improving one’s overall long-term health, even if you are not necessarily suffering from a medical ailment right now. Needless to say, a lot of scientific research reinforces the idea that cannabis is naturally equipped to prevent diseases.
This article will discuss the way in which each of us can use CBD oil every day as a preventative treatment for reducing the risk of many ailments- both mental and physical, which includes diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. Unfortunately, we do not often come across articles on preventative medicine in the context of general well-being and overall long-term health. But all of us, including healthy people, should take some time out to focus on our long-term wellbeing.
Therapeutic Properties of CBD: A Natural Preventative Medicine
According to doctors, the best way to maintain good health over the long term is by eating nutritious food and engaging in a healthy lifestyle. Obviously, this can be attributed to the fact that healthy food, which includes vegetables, fruits, and leafy greens, does not have too many ingredients that cause disease, such as cholesterol, while also having a lot of essential vitamins and antioxidants that guarantee optimal functioning of our bodies.
What is important to note is that many antioxidants that one finds in fruits, vegetables, and dietary supplements, are also found in CBD oil.
According to studies, cannabidiol (CBD) has antioxidants that are more powerful than those found in vitamins E and C, when it comes to how they affect our physiological functioning. This is why, when CBD is used in serums and oil tinctures, many properties are demonstrated, which help prevent diseases in our bodies.
Moreover, according to top CBD researchers and physicians, the compound substantially affects brain-to-body communication. For instance, Dr. Bradley E. Alger- Harvard University experimental psychologist and one of the world’s leading CBD researchers- stated that the chemical “matrix” established between the brain and the body aids the medicinal cannabinoid treatment. He also added that CBD most likely involves a chemical mechanism that establishes a relationship between brain activity and bodily homeostasis: “… the endocannabinoids are literally a bridge between body and mind. By understanding [their function], we begin to see a mechanism that could connect brain activity and states of physical health and disease.”
For a long time, we have also known about the anti-inflammatory properties of CBD, which also has specific properties that can decrease the risk of metabolic disorders, nerve cell degeneration, and so much more. A few studies were conducted on mice, which showcased that CBD promotes new nerve cell generation, which is a great advantage for those dealing with neurodegeneration diseases that emerge with age, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Finally, cannabidiol is also known to block a particular class of enzymes, which hinder tissues producing marrow. As a result, it is a great preventative medicine against bone diseases that are common among old age, such as osteoporosis and arthritis.
CBD Contraindications: preliminary scientific research
While WHO and several other health organizations deemed CBD to be safe, there weren’t enough experiments conducted to recognize whether CBD is not meant for specific groups. This is why we are not a company that pushes everyone to try CBD. Instead, it is very important to go through scientific literature first to understand the warning signs, which is exactly what we did. Here, we have collated several conditions that must be taken into account, as your safety is of utmost importance to us.
Based on studies, this is how your body responds when you CBD while:
Prescription drugs are consumed
Our bodies process pharmaceutical drugs in various ways; while a few are less effective following processing, others turn effective only the following processing. Like grapefruits, CBD is also capable of occupying enzymes (cytochrome p450) that are used by your body for processing specific pharmaceutical drugs. Consumption of CBD with these pharmaceuticals could even pose a health risk, as it either decreases or increases these medications’ levels in your bloodstream. In case you are currently on any prescription drugs, specifically, those warning against consuming grapefruit with the medication, we recommend getting in touch with a medical professional before you include CBD into your everyday routine.
This is a speculative warning. However, if you are someone with liver issues, it is best to be cautious in terms of CBD intake. In the clinical trial of Epidiolex, children who consumed CBD were more at risk of having elevated liver enzymes (ALT and AST aminotransferases). However, it is worth noting that all the children in the study were on medicines that are harmful to the liver. Right now, it is still ambiguous if CBD directly impacts the liver — or if it is its interaction with the medicines that increase the levels of prescription drugs that harm the liver. It is best to be safe. That is why we recommend tracking your liver enzymes if you plan on adding CBD to your daily routine while you take medication that is not good for your liver.
Suffering from blood pressure
According to a few studies, CBD tends to decrease blood pressure. Obviously, this is an issue if you already have low blood pressure. Essentially, CBD is very effective in decreasing blood pressure when you are very stressed, and this benefit is widely used by people. Unfortunately, CBD is also capable of decreasing your resting blood pressure, which is an issue for patients with hypotension. If you decided to incorporate CBD into your daily routine, it is a good idea to monitor your blood pressure.
Pregnant or breastfeeding
Women who are currently pregnant or breastfeeding share everything in her body with the growing baby. That is why, if you fall under this category, remember that the active molecules in your bloodstream may enter your child’s body either through the placenta or breast milk. According to widespread screenings, one can detect cannabinoids in the umbilical cords and stools of newborns. Moreover, among regular cannabis users, traces of cannabinoids are found in breast milk. Right now, it is still unclear whether CBD affects a developing baby and in what manner. However, we think it is best to mitigate exposure to cannabinoids, along with several other foods, products, and medications, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. In case you are pregnant or breastfeeding right now, and you use CBD for managing anxiety or other health issues, it is recommended to discuss the tradeoffs with a medical professional.
Planning to substitute your current treatment with CBD
While all of us love CBD and learned from many enthusiasts that they could mitigate the use of pharmaceuticals thanks to CBD, please refrain from replacing your current medications or prescribed treatments with CBD without the approval of a medical professional. We hope to provide you with extra support, as opposed to substituting whatever support you already seek. It can be challenging to manage life alone, and when required, we believe it is best to seek whatever form of medical and emotional assistance that you can access.
6 Conditions whose long-term risk can be lowered using CBD are
On the basis of the natural properties and characteristics of CBD, we have collated a list of six widespread diseases and disorders that can be prevented using CBD:
1. Bone Disease
With aging, bone disease and breakdown, including osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, are quite common. According to studies, cannabinoids help enhance bone metabolism, which is the process wherein new tissue replaces old bone material up to 10% each year. This can be attributed to the ability of CBD to block an enzyme class that hinders the body’s innate compounds that helps with bone-building. Individuals consuming CBD oil every day may witness a reduction of the risk of onset bone disease with age.
2. Neurodegeneration (brain disorders such as Neuropathy and Alzheimer’s)
Neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s, fibromyalgia, and multiple sclerosis, are diseases wherein neurons tend to break down in the brain. Such diseases are also more prevalent among the elderly and cause the brain to lose its ability to communicate properly with the body. This causes a range of symptoms, including memory loss, incontinence (loss of bladder control), and dementia. CBD is a popular neuroprotectant. What does that mean? It helps reinforce the protective tissues blocking neurons from degeneration. Do note that the U.S. government is the proud owner of a patent (US patent no.6630507) to cannabidiol, specifically for its use as a neuroprotective therapy. This is why, if we use CBD oil over a long-term basis, it will most likely improve the health of the neurons while decreasing the probability of a degenerative breakdown.
3. Skin Disease/Deterioration
When it comes to the long-term health of the skin, CBD is popular for its antioxidant properties, particularly if it is administered as a topical serum, oil, cream, lotion, or salve. Usually, the epidermal layer witnesses a substantial accumulation of free radicals, and if you wish to eradicate these free radicals and facilitate efficient functioning of the skin, potent antioxidants are important. If you have healthy skin, there is decreased probability of suffering from conditions such as dermatitis, eczema, and psoriasis. According to studies, CBD’s antioxidants are more potent when compared to those found in vitamins C and E.
4. Obesity and Diabetes
For CBD oil, this is definitely among the most crucial preventative therapy. The reason is quite obvious- weight loss can help prevent myriad diseases and medical conditions.
Body Mass Index is nothing but the overall percent fat in a person’s body. Unfortunately, when our BMIs are high, it results in a slower metabolism, making us prone to developing diabetes and cardiovascular disorders. People who use cannabis frequently exhibited lower BMI, waist size, and obesity-based disorders. In a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology in 2011, it was deduced that among 52,000 individuals, the obesity rate is about 33% less common among users of cannabis when compared to non-cannabis users, despite the former group demonstrating a higher calorie intake (active cannabinoids raise carbohydrate metabolism).
5. Heart Disease
In America, the primary cause of death is heart disease, since it causes over 1 in 4 deaths each day. According to data obtained from 4,700 women and men in 2013, people who use cannabis frequently demonstrated substantially higher levels of good cholesterol (HDL-C), while their levels of bad cholesterol were significantly lower (LDL-C). The data from another study conducted in 2013 among small populations of indigenous Canadian communities were similar.
Similarly, all of us are aware that atherosclerosis, which is nothing but fat, cholesterol, and other substances’ accumulation in the arterial walls) is caused by our diet and lifestyle, and this disorder substantially raises the probability of heart disease and stroke. Several studies have also demonstrated that the endocannabinoid system plays a substantial role in decreasing atherogenesis, which is a disorder associated with the arterial wall. With frequent CBD use, this system is stimulated. Using CBD oil each day might result in better cardiovascular health, which prevents cardiovascular disease for a long period.
6. General Inflammation
Finally, all of us know that CBD is great for functional anti-inflammatory therapy. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) interacts with every cell, organ, and tissue on a molecular level for decreasing on-site inflammation. When CBD oil is administered, it stimulates the ECS, and hence, decreases the probability of diseases and disorders caused by inflammation, which become very prevalent with age.
Last Thoughts: Disease Prevention With CBD Oil
The fact is that several studies have clearly shown that consuming small doses (less than 10 mg) of CBD oil each day could significantly work towards long-term disease prevention. Moreover, CBD oils of great quality and low concentration can be found for less than 35 euro. So for all of us, natural disease-preventing therapy is accessible for people of all income categories.
Hence, preventative medication is a great way to create a healthy and productive society, and it does seem like CBD oil can achieve that easily.