CBD Supplements as Alternatives to Deal With Anxiety and Stress
Most people know what it feels like to get stressed out before an important event such as an exam or a job interview. But sometimes, family demands, a challenging job, or simply surviving the unexpected events of life can feel like a constant test. And if the sense of disaster is never-ending, then that could be anxiety. Unfortunately, conventional medicine can fall short for treating chronic stress and anxiety.
But the good news is that there are several great alternatives available to consider. When dealing with anxiety or chronic stress, many more people might now consider using CBD supplements; there is plenty of evidence on its usefulness for issues such as anxiety and panic disorders, social anxiety, OCD, and PTSD.
How Stress Affects The Body:
Short stress hormone bursts send messages to the body, telling it to prepare for a ‘flight or fight’ situation. But our bodies aren’t designed to handle high levels of stress and panic. Chronically high levels of stress hormones can wreak havoc everywhere, with some serious health consequences that can include depression, digestive problems, heart disease, fatigue, a weakened immune system, headaches, weight gain and muscle tension to name a few.
The good news for anyone who is constantly stressed out and are dealing with any of these health issues, treatment with CBD oil can help to relieve the symptoms.
Evidence that CBD Works for Anxiety and Stress:
Besides all the glowing reviews of CBD from users who’ve managed to get their stress and anxiety back under control, there’s plenty of scientific evidence to back up its effectiveness these days, too. Most research has been done with rodents, but there will be an increasing number of human studies as more research into CBD is conducted.
In fact, a review of a grand total of thirty-two rodent studies testing the effect of CBD on anxiety only lists one that didn’t have useful results. And, the few human studies so far have found that CBD can effectively improve performance anxiety around public speaking for people with and without anxiety disorders.
How CBD Works for Anxiety
Cannabidiol has more than sixty-five targets throughout the body, which can make it difficult for scientists to pinpoint the sources of its several different therapeutic properties. Currently, studies suggest that CBD works for anxiety by stimulating neural regeneration and neurotransmitters.
Serotonin is one such transmitter that most people tend to associate with happiness, however it has a very complex role in the body and brain. The effects of serotonin depend on where it is and what it is binding to, and more serotonin is not always better – dysfunction can stem from both high and low levels.
CBD has been found to specifically bind to one of the fourteen serotonin receptors, known as 5-HT1A, which is believed to have a key role in anxiety disorders.
When looking to manage chronic stress and anxiety, CBD oil is certainly worth a try, with plenty of evidence to back it up.