Over the last few years, cannabidiol or CBD oil has become a widely favored natural remedy for anxiety and stress. Many people use it to cure more serious conditions like generalized anxiety disorder, whilst some individuals consume CBD oil to soothe their everyday worries. Since many countries have already legalized the medical and recreational uses of CBD oil and its other products, people have become increasingly interested in using CBD infused products.
It is one of the 100 chemical compounds found in the cannabis Sativa or marijuana plant; cannabidiol has been increasing public availability as marijuana use has been legalized in many states across the countries. Increasing demands for CBD infused products have led the companies to begin with selling salves, supplements and other products made with CBD oil, hyping that these products can be very beneficial natural remedies for common health issues like pain and anxiety.
It is known for its antioxidative, non-intoxicating and non-psychoactive properties which means unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which is another chemical compound in marijuana, cannabidiol doesn’t produce a “high” after it is consumed. According to some medical studies, it has shown some good results in the cases of severe anxiety and mental disorders like social anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), generalized anxiety, and panic disorder.
Stress and anxiety is a common health issue which affects people from all aspects of life and everyone has witnessed the stressed-out and anxious situations before any exam or a grand event. But how does CBD helps in combating anxiety and stress? Cannabidiol or CBD has a total of 65 targets throughout the human body system and that is what makes it tough to pinpoint the sources of its many different therapeutic and healing properties. According to medical studies, they suggest that CBD oil combats anxiety by stimulating neural regeneration and neurotransmitters. Given are some of the pieces of evidence:
- Binds with Serotonin levels:
It is generally associated with happiness but this neurotransmitter plays a prominent role with complexity and its effects depend on where it is and what it binds to. CBD particularly binds to 5-HT1A which is taken as having the strongest role in anxiety disorder while serotonin has at least 14 different receptors. The anti-anxiety drug buspirone also wholly binds to this specific receptor in serotonin, which clearly explains the anti-anxiety effects of CBD on rats exposed to stressful situations.
- Neural regeneration:
Though the chronic conditions of stress and anxiety can damage neurons and also shrink brains, certain areas of the brain system yet remain capable of regeneration CBD helps in boosting up the neural regeneration process which means it can help to counterbalance the brain damage caused by chronic stress and anxiety.
- Interaction with the endocannabinoid system (ECS):
Every human body system has an endocannabinoid system which helps in regulating thoughts and feelings and if the system gets dysregulated under chronic stress, it can cause severe cases of anxiety. However, CBD helps in restoring the balance to the endocannabinoid system by preventing overstimulation of CB1 receptors and by boosting up the body’s production of endocannabinoids.
