5 Meaningful Ways to Cash in on CBD’s Positive Benefits
Jun 20, 2019
Everyone has heard of the Central Nervous System, the Digestive System, and the Circulatory System. But did you know you have a less well-known specialized system in the brain and throughout the entire body whose primary aim is to maintain healthy homeostasis and provide protective factors?
The Endocannabinoid System, or ECS, consists of a network of receptors specifically designed to use and partner with non-psychoactive Cannabidiol (CBD) and other compounds in the hemp plant. Pretty crazy, huh? In fact, the brain has more cannabinoid receptors than any other receptor. Because of this, the National Institute on Health (NIH) asserts that the ECS affects the health of your entire body. The ECS regulates mood, sleep, pain/inflammation, clear thinking, focus and brain health to name a few.
The trouble is, our stressed-out world compromises the ECS’s ability to stay balanced on its own. For over 6,000 years, the powerful and safe properties in CBD have been used to actually re-balance your ECS. Let’s look at 5 meaningful ways to cash in on CBD’s positive benefits.
1. Imbalances caused by Stress, Anxiety and Depression. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), depression is the single largest contributor to disability worldwide and anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S. Anxiety and depression are obvious stressors on the body. Stress causes inflammation, and inflammation is the #1 precursor to all disease. It’s high time to get to a root cause release from the grips of anxiety and depression. How? CBD enhances serotonin signaling in the brain—the happiness neurotransmitter. Thus, CBD is a more natural way to balance your brain’s feel-good chemistry than prescription drugs.
2. Sleep Issues. CBD doesn’t just knock you out and leave you with an insomnia hangover the next morning. CBD actually trains your body (your ECS System) to naturally fall into a deep sleep overtime as it “feeds” your ECS receptors. Over a short time, you will have a more robust sleep habit in the brain and body. You will fall asleep faster, sleep longer and reduce night time wake ups.
3. Pain and Inflammation. Feel an ache? Pop an anti-inflammatory OTC, right? We all do it, and studies are showing maybe a bit too much. What if you felt confident knowing that you could gain the same relief without the harmful side effects of NSAIDS overuse? That same non-toxic plant that helps with anxiety and sleep can actually increase the blockage of pro-inflammatory compounds that are produced in the body after an injury or illness. Inflammation is simply your body’s intelligence reacting to harmful stimuli. And CBD helps this innate intelligence reduce chronic pain by impacting endocannabinoid receptor activity, specifically the receptors in your brain and body known as CB1 and CB2. But, remember, CBD can also interact with non-cannabinoid receptors, such as your opioid receptors. Relief without a prescription or an addictive opioid!
4. ADHD and Focus. Just as CBD can positively effect your natural opioid receptors, it can also directly influence your neurotransmitter’s receptors, namely dopamine. Dopamine plays a crucial role in motivation and focus. Most individuals with ADHD have lower levels of dopamine. CBD to the rescue! CBD has also been shown to increase alpha brain waves, our brainwaves that represent the state of calm and focus, and decrease slower theta and delta brain waves. Why is this an important point regarding ADHD? Many people don’t realize that ADHD is, in fact, partly characterized by “sleepy” brainwaves (theta and delta), hence, the difficulty with focus. When CBD can increase dopamine and speed up the brain’s processing, ADHD symptoms diminish.
5. Brain Health. CBD heals and protects your brain. It’s homeostasis seeking purpose not only has neuroprotective factors, but actually antioxidant properties. It works to protect neurons in the brain from degeneration. There are numerous studies espousing the positive benefits CBD has had on Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other neurological disorders.
