Ultimate Guide To Using CBD Successfully

CBD (short for "cannabidiol") is a chemical compound derived from the cannabis plant. CBD has grown in popularity in recent years and now enjoys mainstream acclaim. It has found its way into a multitude of products, ranging from oils and creams through to CBD edibles.

A short history of CBD

You might think that CBD is a relatively recent marvel in the world of medical science. But, it's got a long and varied history! There is evidence that the ancient Chinese used cannabis extracts in teas and ointments as far back as 2737 BC.

Its medicinal properties got discovered by the Romans in around AD 77. Pliny the Elder claimed cannabis extract was useful for relieving discomfort.

As you can imagine, the popularity of cannabis grew over the following centuries around the world. During the early 20th century, however, cannabis use in any form became illegal in many parts of the world.

It wasn't until the latter part of the 20th century that proper research into the compounds that make up cannabis took place. Today, CBD's medical benefits have become more widely accepted. That is thanks in large part to the efforts of the scientific and medical communities.

How is CBD extracted from cannabis?

There is a three-stage method of how CBD gets extracted from cannabis. They are as follows:

1. Growing and harvesting:

CBD comes from hemp, a strain of the Cannabis sativa plant. It gets sourced from that strain because hemp has high levels of CBD and low levels of THC. In case you didn't know, THC is short for tetrahydrocannabinol, the chemical compound in cannabis that gets you 'high'.In countries where 'industrial' hemp is legal to grow, only strains that contain 0.2% THC are permitted for use.

2. CBD extraction:

Once the hemp gets harvested, the next step is to extract the CBD compound from it. There are many different extraction methods, but the safest involves the use of carbon dioxide (CO2). It's a method that is also eco-friendly and the most dependable way of obtaining the purest form of CBD.

3. CBD purification:

Last, but not least, it is vital that the CBD gets purified. While the extraction method limits contamination, this third step virtually guarantees purification. The methods used to purify CBD include reversed-phase chromatography.

How to use CBD successfully

You may have noticed there are many ways to consume CBD. It's no secret that many people opt for consuming CBD with vapourisers. But, did you know there are other ways to successfully consume CBD as well?

CBD gets extracted from cannabis plants and made into a thick, oily paste. It usually gets mixed with hemp or coconut oil to produce CBD oil with a specific concentration.

The CBD oil can then get consumed in one of four ways:

Ingestion

When you swallow CBD oil, it gets metabolised by your liver. The active compounds in the oil will then get to work over the course of a few hours. The following are examples of how CBD oil can get ingested:

• Capsules
• Edibles (food and beverages).

Sublingual consumption

Another popular way of consuming CBD oil is by placing a few drops of it or a tincture under your tongue. The idea is that you hold the oil under your tongue for a few seconds so that it gets absorbed by your mouth's mucus membranes.

Topical consumption

When it comes to pain relief and easing of inflammation, topical CBD products work best. In a nutshell, these are products like creams  infused with CBD. They can also be found in things like lip balms, shampoos, and patches.

Inhalation

Last, but not least, CBD oil can also get inhaled by vapourising the oil. You can also add a few drops of CBD oil to e-cigarettes or tobacco and smoke it. The inhalation method has achieved popularity due to how the CBD can rapidly enter the bloodstream.

Top tips for making CBD work best for you

Each person has a different body height, weight, and medical conditions. As a result, there is no blanket dose of CBD that you should be following. Instead, it makes sense to start with a low dosage and gradually increase it over time. Once you start to notice significant improvements in your health, you stop increasing the dose.

It's important to remember one thing about CBD: it's not a solution that will work instantly! Instead, it's something you have to build up in your body. Having said that, you should ensure you don't take too high a dose from the outset. Otherwise, your body will become immune to it.

In general, you should wait an hour after consuming CBD with a vapouriser, and six hours for other oral methods.

So, what other tips can you take on board to ensure success? Here are a few ideas for you to bear in mind:

Experiment with different consumption methods

There's no reason why you can't try more than one way to consume CBD. Some people even use two methods each day, such as vaping and oral consumption.

It's important that you find the right method(s) for your needs. The last thing you want to do is end up consuming CBD in a way that is uncomfortable or gives you side effects.

Only use trusted sources

CBD is easy to obtain these days, and you will often find CBD products in the shops or online. Before you hand over any money for CBD products, you need to do two things.

First of all, it is vital you select an established and legitimate vendor. One way of determining if a supplier is legitimate is by checking out online reviews. Another is, of course, word of mouth recommendations.

Second, do some research into the brands of products you wish to buy. What is the success rate of them as used by other people? Are there any notable side effects? What are the key ingredients in the products?

By doing some research from the outset, you are less likely to have a bad experience with CBD.

The bioavailability of CBD

What you should be aware of is that not all methods for consuming CBD are equal. Their effectiveness will depend on a few things, such as:

•  Ingredients;
• How often you should consume the CBD; and
• Dosage levels.

In case you wondered, 'bioavailability' refers to the percentage of an active compound. So, in this case, we are talking about the amount of CBD consumed by your body in the consumption method.

For example, if there were a bio-availability of 100%, it would mean all the CBD taken is available for your body to use. In realistic terms, the only way to achieve 100% is by injecting CBD direct into your bloodstream!

The following methods do not claim 100% bioavailability due to a few reasons. Examples include CBD getting metabolised (broken down by your body) before it has a chance to enter your bloodstream:

• CBD Tinctures - 10% to 40% bioavailability;
• Inhaled CBD - 25% to 60% bioavailability;
• Edible CBD - 13% to 19% bioavailability.

How CBD interacts with your body

It doesn't matter whether you are new to CBD or have previously consumed it in some form. What does matter is that you understand how it interacts with your body. That way, you will have a greater understanding of CBD and can make informed decisions about the types of CBD products you buy.

The human body produces cannabinoids, believe it or not! Endocannabinoids, are they are known, can be found in both humans and animals. The Endocannabinoid System or ECS for short handles the balance in our bodies.

Although medical scientists know about the ECS, they don't quite fully understand it all. What they do know is that CBD is structurally similar to the ECS.

In short, our bodies have their own CBDs: endocannabinoids. If we can't maintain a balance of our neurological, psychological and immunological functions, CBD can help.

As you may have gathered, there is still a lot that we need to understand about the ECS. But, what we do know is that CBD can have a profound effect on ECS imbalances in our bodies.

How CBD can help you

So far, you have learnt about what CBD is, where it comes from, and how it interacts with our bodies. You also know how you can use CBD successfully. But, you will no doubt be wondering how CBD can help you?

Read on to learn more about how CBD can help you, how to consume it, and answers to some of the most asked questions on the subject.

Could CBD cure, treat, or improve your medical condition?

It is important that you understand CBD is not a miracle cure, it is a naturally occurring Cannabinoid that our own bodies have receptors for, when switched on or stimulated they boost our own bodies immune systems to help fight illness and pain more efficiently CBD should be thought of as a way to help ease symptoms of medical conditions and or to ease the side effects of traditional medications.

We all know that paracetamol can help with headaches and cold & flu symptoms. And topical products like Deep Heat can ease muscle pain. CBD is a bit like those types of products: it helps relieve symptoms.

So, with all that in mind, let's discover some of the most common ways CBD can treat and improve symptoms.

Pain Relief and Inflammation

One of the most common reasons people consume CBD in its various forms is for pain relief. It's no secret that chronic pain affects people in different ways. But, the sad truth is that those afflicted by the pain have to face it on a daily basis.

The trouble with chronic pain is that it can often be tricky to locate the source of it. Because of that fact, many people tend to suffer in silence and adapt their lifestyles accordingly.

Still, the good news is that CBD can help reduce chronic pain and inflammation. Plus, the even better news is that it can do so without the side effects associated with conventional medicine!

The ECS in our bodies contain 'receptors' that react to CBD. When that reaction takes place, the release of enzymes throughout our bodies ensues. They help to promote balance, and reduce the effects of toxic chemical build-ups inside of us.

As a result, inflammation gets reduced and that, in turn, eases the symptoms of chronic pain.

CBD is a hot topic in the medical community these days because our bodies are designed to work with it. A CBD full spectrum solution can help us where prescription drugs have failed. And that even includes drugs like morphine!

So, what kinds of pain respond well to CBD treatments? Some examples include:

• Intestinal discomfort and pain;
• Pain resulting from cancer symptoms and treatments;
• Nerve-related pain;
• Headaches and migraines;
• Chronic back pain.

In fact, there is an exhaust list of symptoms that CBD can target. The above is a small list of the most common ones.

Epilepsy

Back in June 2018, the United States Food & Drug Administration approved a drug called Epidiolex. It is an oral solution that is used primarily to treat severe and rare forms of epilepsy. Its key ingredient: yes, you guessed it right, it is CBD!

CBD is useful for tackling epilepsy symptoms due to the way it works with the brain's neurons. In case you didn't know, a neuron is another word for a nerve cell.

In a 'normal' brain in the human body, neurons discharge or 'fire' at a rate of 80 times per second. During an epileptic seizure, they fire up to 500 times faster than normal.

When that happens, side effects such as loss of motor skills and bodily harm can occur. In severe cases, it can even cause long-term brain damage.

People that suffer with epilepsy are often prescribed anti-epileptic medicines. But they can cause side effects like loss of coordination, mood swings, liver toxicity, and more. In contrast, CBD offers a natural solution with fewer side effects. It's plain to see why cannabis is one of the best beneficial herbs in use today!

Anxiety

The trouble with anxiety is that it doesn't manifest itself in a sole shape or form. While there are many official types of anxiety conditions, it can often accompany other medical conditions.

Anxiety disorders are common mental health illnesses, yet treating them is extremely challenging. The medicines doctors prescribe to treat anxiety come with a wide array of side effects. In fact, some of those side effects can be worse than the anxiety itself!

One of the sad statistics about anxiety is that only a low proportion of sufferers get treatment. The rest feel like they should suffer in silence.

Anxiety usually stems from chemical imbalances in our bodies. As you know, CBD helps maintain a neurological balance. By taking CBD for anxiety, you choose a natural way to restore that balance without bad side effects.

Did you know that conventional anxiety medicine can cause side effects like drowsiness and confusion? As you can appreciate, such side effects can make life difficult. Especially when you have to hold down a job to pay your bills!

Arthritis

A sad statistic about arthritis is that it affects millions of us each year. Most people assume that arthritis is something you might get when you reach retirement age. But, the reality of this medical condition is that it affects males and females of any age.

Did you know that even young children of primary school age can get affected by arthritis? It's also a disease that forces sufferers to either put up with the pain or deal with the side effects of prescribed medicine.

There might be a third option, though: CBD! It's an excellent choice that trumps over traditional medicine because it can ease inflammation. As you may know, arthritis is a disease that causes joint inflammation.

Another benefit of CBD for people living with arthritis is that it can ease other symptoms. The most common ones typically associated with arthritis include:

• Cardiovascular damage;
• Chronic pain;
• Loss of appetite;
• Nausea.

Fibromyalgia

Those suffering with fibromyalgia don't just have nerve pain to deal with, they have other symptoms as well. Examples include fatigue, memory problems, and mood changes to name just a few.

The annoying thing about fibromyalgia is that the cause of it is almost impossible to pinpoint. Because of that, doctors usually prescribe medicine to help cope with the symptoms. The medicine prescribed is often things like antidepressants and sleeping pills. As we know, they often come with devastating side effects.

Still, the good news is that CBD can help ease the symptoms of fibromyalgia in a more natural way. And because there are no adverse side effects like with conventional medicine, CBD makes for a promising option.

Cancer

CBD as you have no doubt heard in the media has huge potential in helping to fight Cancer but a lot more research is needed to enhance and refine treatment, CBD is a proven, natural way to relieve symptoms of medical conditions.

What we do know is recent studies have shown that CBD has the potential to do the following:

• Decrease the growth of cancer cells in the body;
• Lessen the likelihood of those cells attaching themselves to other parts of the body;
• Shrink the size of cancer tumours.

Keeping that last point in mind, the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology reviewed the potential of CBD as an anticancer drug. 

In the review, they noted that CBD with a minimum potency of 70% caused cell death in breast cancer cells. It did so through the induction of mitochondria-mediated apoptosis.

The exciting news about CBD and cancer treatment is that it can help fight other forms of cancer too. Examples include brain cancer, leukemia, and lung cancer.

Another interesting fact to note is that CBD doesn't just help to kill or stop the spread of cancer cells. CBD is also useful at targeting the negative effects of cancer too:

Appetite enhancement

It's no secret that one of the side effects of cancer treatments like chemotherapy is the loss of appetite. CBD can help to reduce the effects of nausea caused by those treatments.

Anxiety and depression regulation

A well-known side effect of cancer treatment is anxiety and depression. CBD interacts with serotonin receptors in the brain to balance out symptoms of anxiety. It can also help to regulate a cancer patient's mood and general mental health. As a result, anxiety and depression levels get reduced, allowing the individual to feel more positive.

Pain relief

You will no doubt have read the section earlier about CBD for pain relief. The reality of cancer is that the vast majority of sufferers have some kind of pain to deal with. Thankfully, CBD can help to alleviate pain in the body by targeting receptors that can reduce levels of pain sensation.

Does CBD oil have any side effects?

In some cases, there may be side effects such as nausea, irritability and fatigue. It is possible and easy to lessen the likelihood of having side effects by doing a few things:

Start with small doses of CBD when you begin;

Only buy CBD products from reputable brands and sellers. The ones listed here are researched thoroughly and all links to products take you directly to the manufacturer or main distributor;

Check the list of ingredients on the CBD product before you use it.

CBD myths you need to know

While popularity for CBD is rising each day, so too are certain myths and lies about it! You need to be aware of them so that you can make an informed choice about CBD, if it's right for you, and what products to consider.

Here are some of the top CBD myths you need to know:

Myth: CBD gets you high

There is no doubt that the biggest myth about CBD is that it gets you high. The truth is that it is as likely to get you high as a glass of water!

Some people associate CBD with smoking cannabis joints, for example. The active chemical compound that gets you high is THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).

CBD products that are free of THC will not cause you to experience any psychoactive effects.

Myth: CBD is an illegal drug

First of all, CBD is only a compound derived from cannabis. Second, CBD is not a drug and still has a stigma that needs to be changed.

CBD oil is 100% legal in the UK, provided it contains no more than 0.2% THC. In contrast, THC is a controlled substance under the Misuse of Drugs Act. As you can imagine, THC is illegal in the UK.

Myth: CBD can treat all medical conditions

CBD has powerful health benefits, and that is both a fact and a claim backed by scores of research and clinical trials. But it is not a miracle that can treat all medical conditions, CBD can ease symptoms of pain and inflammation, anxiety, depression, epilepsy, and more.

So, to reiterate the point - CBD is not a magical cure-all treatment for whatever ailments you have. But CBD can help to ease any pain, discomfort, or other symptoms.

Myth: CBD is the same as medical marijuana

While it's true that both have medicinal benefits, CBD is not the same as medical marijuana. CBD oil usually gets extracted from hemp, a different strain of cannabis to marijuana.

Also, medical marijuana contains THC, which is technically illegal in the UK right now.

Myth: only adults can have CBD

There is a misconception going around that only adults can enjoy the health benefits of CBD. The reality is that CBD can be useful for children as well.

For example, there is research to support the decrease of epilepsy seizures in children that use CBD.

There is also evidence to show that CBD can offer health benefits to pets as well. That's because of the ECS (the endocannabinoid system) found in both humans and animals.

Myth: all CBD products are the same

The thing about CBD products is they get manufactured by different producers. That means the ingredients found in one brand will be different to another, just like with any other type of product on the market.

When choosing CBD products, it pays to examine the list of ingredients in them before buying. That way, you can be rest assured that you know what you are paying for, and won't get any surprises!

Myth: CBD is a sedative that sends you to sleep

The people that spout that myth are usually the ones misinformed about CBD and THC. While it's true that THC has sedative-like effects, CBD doesn't do the same thing.

CBD can, however, help to ease any anxiety problems and improve your quality of sleep. 

Next steps

Now that you know more about CBD, you can make an informed choice about what to do next. If you decide that CBD is for you, be sure to take a look at the recommended products on our site.

Author: beneficial herbs