The Benefits of CBD Oil

^{*always consult with your health practitioner before beginning any new supplement.}

CBD oil, or cannabidiol oil, is a hot topic today. Many health practitioners are extolling the incredible healing powers of cannabidiol, and anecdotal stories number in the thousands. Products with CBD are increasingly available on the market, and people are clamoring for more. Others are concerned at the legality of obtaining and using cannabidiol. Terms like marijuana oil and hemp oil contribute to the confusion. So let’s spend some time defining what CBD is and the kind of benefits one can expect to experience from it.

What is CBD Oil?

Cannabidiol is a phytocannabinoid, a plant-derived cannabinoid, one of at least 85 active cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant, though they’re not unique to cannabis. A diverse number of plants like flax seeds, echinacea, black pepper, and even chocolate have all been found to contain cannabinoids or cannabinoid-like compounds that have a similar, if less potent, the effect on the body. What effect is that?

Cannabidiol and other cannabinoids are compounds that act upon receptors in the recently discovered endocannabinoid system, which is responsible for regulating and maintaining homeostasis in humans and nearly all vertebrate animals. These receptors exist throughout the body in almost every cell, connective tissue, and organ, allowing for regulation at the systemic, cellular, and even intracellular levels.

Homeostasis and the Endocannabinoid System

When you think of homeostasis in the body, think of balance, restoration and maintenance of normality, proper stress response, elimination of corrupted cells and cellular waste, metabolism, energy levels, and coordinated immune response with its complex inflammation/anti-inflammation interactions. Homeostasis is the body’s way of keeping all systems in balance and functioning optimally despite environmental stresses. The ECS is the master controller of this process. The cannabinoids that we make and ingest act upon the ECS to restore and maintain all of these functions, and more, in the body. For in-depth scientific research on the ECS, here’s a great article.

If we have such a great balancing system, how can so much illness now exist in increasing numbers? The answer is multi-faceted, and ties in to a subject we often address. Modern living presents multiple and repeated opportunities to create toxic bodies. The wrong foods, environmental toxins, heavy metals in the brain (please read, When Detox is Dangerous Series: Part One, Part Two and Part Three), bad fats, and lack of good fats and cellular healing foods all add up to produce an accumulation of toxins in the cells. Proper cell function is then impaired, waste removal pathways become sluggish, hormone regulation is disrupted, inflammation rises, and over time we see the damage and debilitating, chronic illness.

But restoring health is possible. Let’s recall the 5R’s of True Cellular Detox and Healing™, an approach we often discuss that acts as a roadmap to fixing cellular dysfunction. We are now learning that the ECS is also a key component in restoring cellular health. Utilizing and activating this system is integral to repairing the cell, rebuilding energy levels, and bringing about overall health restoration. This restoration brings us back to CBD, because CBD, and other phytocannabinoids, act upon the ECS in a very positive way that we can take advantage of to assist in health recovery.

The Many Benefits of CBD Oil

Research is still needed to observe all of the positive actions of CBD on the body as relatively few human studies exist, but what much of the literature and experiential evidence indicates is that it impacts two significant areas:

• the nervous system
• the immune system

This research is huge because those two systems are tied into every other system of the body. What’s more, when toxins impair these systems, we begin to see many of the neurodegenerative and inflammatory disorders that are so common today. CBD may help decrease the symptoms of these conditions.

Cannabidiol seems to have the ability to act as an enhancer for nerve synapses, improving nerve function, supporting the healing of damaged cells, improving communication across synapses, and driving down the inflammation observed in neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s disease other forms of dementia. There are numerous cases of CBD, dramatically improving the quality of life in those who have dementia and other neurological disorders, and CBD may also be able to protect the brain from rapid cell death. After taking CBD, people have experienced sharpened cognition, better awareness, improved short term memory, and enhanced motor function.

Because of this therapeutic effect on the nerve cells and CBD’s ability to act on the endocrine system (relevant to stress response), we have observed potential improvement in many disorders, for example:

• Anxiety, including PTSD¹
• Sleep disorders
• Neuropathy  and other neurodegenerative disorders²
• Insulin (and other hormone) receptor issues, making it possibly beneficial for diabetic patients
• Epilepsy
• Autism
• IBS
• Huntingdon’s Disease
• Alzheimer’s disease³
• General inflammation⁴ at the root of most modern disease

For more on how CBD can assist specifically with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, watch ‘Cellular Healing TV Episode 90 – CBD Oil and Alzheimer’s Disease.”

Cannabidiol is also known to improve the ability to sleep dramatically, and with so many today who have insomnia and other sleep disorders, CBD may be an effective natural alternative to pharmaceuticals.

Let’s not forget the immune system. CBD can target immune cells directly, downregulating inflammatory cytokines, and driving down inflammation in the body. CBD’s ability to assist in reducing cellular and systemic inflammation has led to phenomenal results in helping those with autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis or fibromyalgia, manage symptoms.

Cannabidiol can affect cell membrane permeability, improving intracellular waste removal, mitochondrial activity (the cell’s energy center), and has even demonstrated an effect on the nucleus, hinting at a possible ability to help repair DNA. True healing always begins at the cellular level, so these effects are significant. Many athletes also realize the potential of this cellular restoration by using CBD to improve recovery times.

When you combine all of these positive actions that cannabidiol has on the body, you can start to see the synergy of its healing ability. Nearly all of the major illnesses affecting us today have an inflammatory component, including diseases like Alzheimer’s and cancer. Also, one reason so many diseases get poor results from modern medicine is that dysfunction is occurring in multiple systems. Alzheimer’s, autism, hormonal disorders, and gut disorders all have a brain/gut connection, wherein the nervous system and the immune system are both compromised. CBD works synergistically across both systems to assist in dialing back the acute symptoms so that long-term cellular recovery plans like True Cellular Detox™ can be implemented, facilitating lasting health restoration.

CBD Oil vs. Hemp Oil vs. Marijuana Oil

The first thing to know in detangling the products on the market is that cannabidiol is one of many cannabinoids found in the cannabis family of plants, including Cannabis sativa, also called marijuana, the variety widely cultivated for its psychoactive and medicinal effects. This also includes hemp, the industrial varieties grown as a crop for fiber, clothing, paper, and food. THC is another well-known cannabinoid and is well studied for its medicinal value. The challenge is that THC is also responsible for the psychoactive effects of the plant. It’s what renders any products containing THC illegal in many states and, currently, at the federal level. These reasons make products containing detectable levels of THC impractical for people who want the cellular healing benefits without the “stoned” feeling, for children, or for those who live in states that don’t yet have medical marijuana laws. Enter the agricultural version of cannabis, more commonly known as hemp.

It turns out that cannabidiol also exhibits much of the healing potential of THC, if not more. Many cannabis cultivators have been working for years to develop strains that are high in CBD and low in THC. Even better, you can find plenty of CBD in the agricultural varieties of hemp, which contain little to no detectable THC, making CBD or hemp oil from these plants legal in all 50 states of the U.S.

As a side note, you may have heard the term marijuana oil. Marijuana oil is usually heard in states that have medical marijuana laws in place. It’s infused or extracted from the Cannabis sativa plant, as opposed to industrial hemp, and may have high levels of CBD or THC (depends upon the source).

What to Look for in CBD Oil and Where to Buy

As with any plant-based product, look for an organic source of CBD oil, free of pesticides. Obtaining an oil-free of chemical solvents is also imperative. One problem with many of the CBD products on the market is that the actual CBD content is not measured and listed. When CBD content is not listed, you could be getting a product that’s very low in CBD, and therefore experience poor results. Look for a reputable supplier offering organic products with the amount of CBD listed.

We like Prosper Wellness CBD oil. Their extraction process ensures that Prosper CBD has the maximum effect. Our CO2 extraction and oil process is engineered so that their CBD stays on and works in your body with up to 85% bioavailability. Prosper uses the CBD isolate so you can be sure there is no THC in their CBD.

 

References:

1. Soares, Vanessa P., and Alline C. Campos. “Evidence for the Anti-panic Actions of Cannabidiol.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 9 May 2016. Web. 02 June 2016.
2. Harris, Hannah, Kenneth Sufka, Waseem Gul, and Mahmoud Elsohly. “Effects of Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol on Cisplatin-Induced Neuropathy in Mice.” Planta Med Planta Medica (2016): n. pag. Web.
3. Cheng, David, Adena S. Spiro, Andrew M. Jenner, Brett Garner, and Tim Karl. “Long-Term Cannabidiol Treatment Prevents the Development of Social Recognition Memory Deficits in Alzheimer’s Disease Transgenic Mice.” – IOS Press. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 14 May 2014. Web. 02 June 2016.
4. Rajan, Thangavelu Soundara, Sabrina Giacoppo, Renato Iori, Gina Rosalinda De Nicola, Gianpaolo Grassi, Federica Pollastro, Placido Bramanti, and Emanuela Mazzon. “Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant Effects of a Combination of Cannabidiol and Moringin in LPS-stimulated Macrophages.” Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant Effects of a Combination of Cannabidiol and Moringin in LPS-stimulated macrophages. Elsevier B.V., 20 May 2016. Web. 02 June 2016

• MoRS
• eNRG
• N – Nerve