CBD has finally taken its rightful place in the spotlight, and now that it’s here, there’s a lot of information out there.
That’s both good and bad. It’s good because education is important…and it’s not-so-good because an excess of info can make it easy to miss the forest for the trees. It can be tough to know what data points to focus on and which to ignore. And don’t even get us started on conflicting information! How would a new consumer know how to trust?
This article is here to help. In it, we’ll be looking at 7 key points about CBD — 7 of the very most important things about CBD you need to know. Here’s an outline:
- CBD may promote inner balance.
- CBD is great for your brain!
- CBD may relieve stress.
- Not all CBD is created equal.
- CBD needs to be lab-tested.
- CBD tinctures make dosing easy.
- CBD promotes a healthy lifestyle.
1. CBD May Promote Inner Balance
Reduced inflammation. Reduced oxidation. More mobility. Better sleep. Reduced pain.
At the heart of CBD’s many health benefits, there’s one underlying force. It’s called homeostasis, or inner balance.
Imagine, for a second, that your body has an internal thermostat that keeps things just right. It regulates your body temperature, inflammation levels, perception, emotion, sleep, appetite, and more, constantly providing little checks and balances so that nothing gets too far from a healthy baseline.
If you can believe it, such a system exists. It’s called the endocannabinoid system! And CBD activates this system, which means it may promote inner balance like virtually nothing else.
Why’s balance so important? Here’s one simple reason: because it’s crucial to maintaining life.
“A dynamic balance of opposing forces (homeostasis) occurs on many levels in space and time,” notes molecular biologist and CBD expert Dr. Bob Melamede. And when “[metabolic processes] are in balance, aging and illnesses are minimized by the homeostatic flow that reduces metabolically produced excess free radicals, the ultimate cause aging, illness, and disease.”
2. CBD Is Great For Your Brain!
CBD’s balance-building properties are also great for the human brain. Indeed, the endocannabinoid receptors CBD sends its messages to are found throughout nearly every part of the brain, especially those that control emotion and perception.
The implications of this are huge. Many people who use CBD report thinking more clearly and feeling happier than they have in years. Hard to quantify, perhaps…but still true.
Others report reduced anxiety, sometimes almost instantly. “Crippa et al. showed that a single dose of CBD, administered orally in healthy volunteers, alters the resting activity in limbic and paralimbic brain areas while decreasing subjective anxiety,” noted a 2017 review study.
Interesting side note: endocannabinoid receptors are not found in the brain stem, which is why CBD is virtually impossible to overdose on.
3. CBD May Relieve Stress.
In tandem with CBD’s ability to promote inner balance is its ability to reduce stress. And stress, if you think about it, is the force that weakens and breaks down our bodies en route to manifesting as full-blown disease.
How does CBD help counteract this? Once again, it comes down to the endocannabinoid system. Activation of CB1 and CB2 receptors “is essential [for] negative feedback of the neuroendocrine stress response, and protects against the adverse effects of chronic stress,” attests this 2015 review.
4. Not All CBD Are Created Equal.
While the CBD compound itself is totally amazing, there’s one catch: not all CBD products are created equal.
It’s true. Be wary of products that aren’t grown in America, ‘cleanly’ extracted, or vague about their sourcing process. If a brand is making wild health claims, that’s a major red flag, too.
And take some time to make sure your brand of choice provides lab testing, too…
5. CBD Should Be Lab-tested.
Lab testing is the icing on the metaphorical cake when it comes to CBD. It can certify that a CBD product was made correctly — or bring to light products that a product wasn’t.
We’ll start with the type of lab testing that’s most important: cannabinoid testing. CBD products need to be tested for at least two cannabinoids, THC and CBD, to make sure they contain what they say they do.
There’s a legal requirement here, too. Per 2018’s Federal Farm Bill CBD products need to be classified as “industrial hemp”; they can do this by containing under .3% THC.
Moreover, CBD products should also be tested for mold, mycotoxins, pesticides, and solvents. Why not go the extra mile and make sure your CBD products are free of these substances? It’s your health, after all.
6. CBD Tinctures Make Dosing Easy.
Of all the CBD products out there, one has the most proven track record: the CBD tincture.
Comprised of a CBD extract infused into an oil base, tinctures are one of the most effective delivery methods out there. They have a relatively fast onset time and relatively high bioavailability (i.e, absorption rate). Tinctures have been used for hundreds of years, too, so their efficacy has been more than a little validated.
And then there are the practical benefits. CBD tinctures come with a graduated (i.e, marked) dropper that makes making small changes in your daily dose easy. Find that one full dropper of CBD/day is a little too much? Then just take ¾ of a dropper instead!
7. CBD Promotes A Healthy Lifestyle.
We’ll be honest: CBD isn’t a cure-all. Don’t expect it to relieve your pain much if you insist on eating an inflammatory diet or rely on it to manage your blood sugar if you can’t give up sugar. And don’t take it for sleep without adding in other elements of good sleep hygiene!
In other words, we like to view CBD as a catalyst on your journey to better health. It’s the perfect complement to a new workout routine, dietary ‘hack,’ or career move. Because CBD may promote neuroplasticity, it might just help your mind adapt to new changes and improvements, too.
So, feeling ready to adopt yet? Then consider trying CBD for yourself. At Intentional CBD we offer premium CBD products for human wellness and animal health.
Ordering is convenient, too: we offer free local delivery within the U.S. Virgin Islands and free shipping within the United States. Call (678) 404-9398 to place an order or visit us online.
That’s it for now, Take Care!