Benefits Of CBD Gummies For Treating Pain, Stress,
Anxiety, Nausea And Aiding Sleep
CBD Gummies as a Treatment Option
CBD has been determined to be a safe treatment option for users by doctors across
the globe. CBD gummies are an effective way to ingest CBD daily and manage
dosage and potency. While there are not yet a lot of studies that prove efficacy of
CBD and mental health conditions, there exists plenty of anecdotal evidence and
early signs of scientific evidence in the research that has been completed to date. So
how does CBD treat common ailments such as stress? What about anxiety and
depression? Does it help with insomnia? How about chronic pain? Let’s dive into
some science and research to better understand how JustCBD Gummies can work
for your body.
What is Stress?
Stress is a physical response to external stimuli, for example, a deadline at work, a
fight with your partner, or running late for a family event. The body’s reaction to
stress is called allostasis. Treating stress is usually simply by dealing with the
external cause, for example, completing the deadline, making up with your partner,
or arriving at the family event and apologizing for being late. Typically, once this
action is completed, the stress will dissipate and your body will return to
homeostasis. We run into difficulties when we are unable to immediately deal with
the stress and it begins to build up.
What Happens In Your Body When You Experience Stress?
When we experience stress, a series of events occur in our endocrine system
beginning with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. This is a very
complicated way of saying that the hypothalamus, a small region of the brain near
the pituitary gland that connects the brain and the endocrine system, sends a signal
to the pituitary gland to produce a hormone. This hormone signals the adrenal
glands, which are above the kidneys, to increase the production of cortisol, also
known as the “stress hormone”. Cortisol levels exist in our bodies throughout the day
at varying levels as part of normal functioning. It’s usually highest upon waking and
throughout the day it depletes until bedtime. During a period of stress, however,
cortisol peaks in order to give us energy to deal with the problem. When we become
over-stressed, the cortisol levels do not regulate and this can cause problems
throughout the entire body. During an acute stress attack, the following things occur
within the body:
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Our airway widen in order to allow more oxygen into our lungs
Our heart rate increases so nutrients and oxygen can go faster and deeper into
our muscles
Our liver pumps glucose into our bloodstream for a boost of power to our body
Our digestive and immune systems shut down so our body can focus on our
muscles and brain instead
Norepinephrine, a stress chemical, is released to stimulate our brain and
heighten awareness
Given all of these processes that take place in an acute stress attack, you can see
why managing stress is one of the most important things we can do to stay healthy.
How do CBD Gummies Help Relieve Stress?
As we’ve discovered, CBD (cannabidiol) interacts with the endocrine system and the
endocannabinoid system. Endocannabinoids bind to cannabinoid receptors, known
as CB1 and CB2, throughout the body in the brain, central nervous systems, immune
system, and organs. This process helps your body maintain homeostasis and health.
Essentially, your endocannabinoid system acts as a safety net to prevent your body
from becoming ill as a result of external stressors by regulating the response to fear,
stress, and anxiety.
In essence, endocannabinoids are molecules that change the activity of cells when
necessary. All of those stress processes mentioned above need to be reversed
when the stressor is managed. Meaning, we stop producing stress hormones like
cortisol, our heart rate slows and blood pressure returns to normal, and our digestive
and immune systems become activated once again. When this is completed, we’ve
returned to our homeostasis. When CB1 receptors within the brain and central
nervous system are activated, the body experiences a feeling of calm. Keep in mind
that this is only specific to CBD, not THC, which can actually increase feelings of
anxiety. Ingesting CBD Gummies helps produce the endocannabinoids necessary
for our endocannabinoid system to fight off the extra stress within our body. How?
Well, in very basic terms, the primary player in stress is the hypothalamus. When the
hypothalamus senses cortisol peaks, it sends signals to shut them down. The more
frequently we experience peaks, the more cortisol is required to set the alarm off.
Basically, the hypothalamus becomes so used to the higher levels of cortisol that it
requires even more stress for it to respond. This is what we know as chronic stress.
CBD helps the hypothalamus to sense the cortisol. It amplifies the receptors and our
body begins the process of shutting down the flight or fight response. This is when
we begin to experience that feeling of calm.
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety can be easily confused with stress, however it is very much a horse of a
different color. Unlike stress, anxiety is a mental health disorder that can be chronic
or acute. While stress is often resolved once you complete the activity causing the
stress, anxiety lingers regardless of task completion, and the continuing feeling of
dread and apprehension remains. In layman’s terms, stress is feeling under
pressure, while anxiety is feeling fearful, uneasy, or worried. If you’re removing
stressors yet you’re still feeling helpless, chances are you’re suffering from anxiety.
Stress and anxiety are treated very differently, however CBD can assist with both
and there is burgeoning research that suggests CBD can be very effective against
anxiety disorders.
How do CBD Gummies Help Relieve Anxiety?
As a molecule, CBD is very good at binding to neurotransmitter receptors in our
brain. Gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA, is an amino acid neurotransmitter that is
naturally occurring. It is referred to as an inhibitor because it blocks certain brain
signals and decreases the activity in our nervous system. That feeling of calm after
you deal with a stressor is GABA at work. Like with all chemicals making up our
bodies, not everyone is capable of producing the amount needed for a healthy state.
Low levels of GABA are present in people with:
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seizure disorders
ADHD
anxiety
panic disorder
mood disorders, such as depression
Medications like Gabapenton and Pregabalin are classified as GABA Analogs
because they increase communication with the GABA neurotransmitters to decrease
the fight or flight processes in our bodies. When suffering from anxiety, your body is
experiencing continuous stimuli through the hormones and signals being
communicated throughout your body. CBD binds to these receptors and acts as an
off switch so that your body can begin to return to its natural state. Enjoying CBD
gummies on a regular basis will increase the level of cannabinoids in your system,
which in turn, can help ease anxiety. As mentioned previously, if you are taking
medication, please consult with your physician first to ensure there are no
interactions with CBD. And remember, we don’t yet know enough about CDB to be
able to use it as a curative, only a treatment.
What is Pain?
There are two main types of pain that we experience as humans: Nociceptive and
neuropathic.
Nociceptive Pain
Nociceptors are little pain receptors located all throughout your body. When they are
stimulated by trauma, you experience the physical feeling of pain. The nociceptors
signal the damage to your body to your brain and your brain alerts you to injury.. For
example, when you step on something sharp, the nociceptors react to the trauma
and send signals to your brain that cause you to pull away from the danger and react
to the feeling of pain. These receptors are involved in both acute and chronic pain
responses
Neuropathic Pain
Neuropathic pain occurs when there is a misfiring or miscommunication within your
nervous system. It can be the result of nerve damage, spinal cord damage, illness
such as Shingles, or even brain damage. Neuropathic pain is often chronic in nature
but can be experienced acutely, for example, a cold breeze on your face could elicit
a pain response in your system.
Acute Pain
Acute pain is the easiest to diagnose and understand. We experience an event and
as a result we experience corresponding pain. Once that area is healed, the pain is
gone. For example, while hammering a nail we miss the nail and hit our thumb with
the hammer. Once the thumb is healed, we no longer experience pain in our thumb.
Chronic Pain
Pain is classified as chronic when it remains at least six-months after an injury, or if
pain exists for at least three-months without a noticeable cause. Chronic pain is
insidious and it’s estimated that roughly 50 million adults suffer from chronic pain in
the US alone. Chronic pain can be caused by a previous injury, degenerative
conditions like arthritis, or nerve damage.
What Happens In Your Body When You Experience Pain?
When we experience pain, we’re actually dealing with an inflammatory response.
When an area of our body is injured, our immune system sends blood flow to the
area and begins to fight off the perceived threat in a cascade of events to shield the
rest of the body from that threat. This is why we experience redness, heat, and
swelling when we get hurt. In a healthy body, the body will respond to the threat, and
then recognize when it’s over and begin to return to homeostasis by releasing antiinflammatory compounds to heal and relax the body. There are all sorts of triggers
that can cause our bodies to go into the inflammatory response process such as
allergies, environmental threats, disease, and even stress. In a healthy body, the
brain signals the immune system to begin fighting the threat, and then signals it to
stop fighting by releasing the anti-inflammatory molecules beginning the healing
process. When our brain no longer knows when to turn off the inflammatory
response, that is when we enter the realm of chronic pain and where CBD can really
help.
How Do CBD GUMMIES Help Relieve Pain?
People who suffer from chronic pain experience a disconnect between the
inflammatory and anti-inflammatory response. CBD molecules are naturally antiinflammatory and this is why they can help relieve pain.Similar to NSAIDs like
ibuprofen or acetaminophen, CBD acts on inhibiting the prostaglandin enzyme that is
responsible for making your body more sensitive to certain types of pain. Essentially,
prostaglandin makes pain receptors more sensitive and CBD naturally dulls these
receptors. There is still a lack of research in the effectiveness of CBD and certain
pains, for example, sunburns, however there is a lot of promising science for treating
other widespread pain such as arthritis, menstrual cramps, migraines, and nerve
pain. One of the greatest benefits of using CBD gummies for pain is that they’re nonaddictive and have few, if any, side effects. They are also long-acting so you can
manage pain effectively for hours.
What is Nausea?
Nausea can be triggered by many things from illness, poisoning, or even pain. The
process of nausea originates in the small region of the brain called the medulla
oblongata. The medulla oblongata is responsible for regulating many of our
autonomic functions such as breathing, sneezing, and well, vomiting. Vomiting is a
safety response built into our bodies to purge our digestive tract of poisonous
substances (alcohol or spoiled food, for example), infectious agents like bacteria or
viral infections, and sometimes mistakenly from abnormal neurological activity due to
conditions like migraines or brain tumors.
How Do CBD Gummies Help Relieve Nausea?
Just like with sleep, CBD can help relieve nausea by also relieving the cause of it.
Although it is not as effective in treating nausea as THC, CBD affects the serotonin
release on our brain and stops the stimulation of vomit triggers in the brain.
Additionally, CBD affects the production of anandamide, the CB1 agonist, that
relieves the feelings of nausea and reduces the urge to vomit. CBD blocks the
breakdown of the enzyme and allows the body to maintain higher levels of
anandamide. CBD gummies can be highly effective for staving off motion sickness or
other feelings of nausea that aren’t directly related to direct poisoning or illness like
the Flu. If there is only the feeling of nausea, ingesting a CBD gummy will allow you
to feel long-lasting relief and go on about your day as planned. If you are actively
experiencing vomiting, other methods of ingestion will be more beneficial as you will
be unable to allow the CBD gummy to digest fully in order for it to be effective.
What is Sleeplessness?
Sleeplessness, also known as insomnia, is a condition where a person cannot fall
asleep, return to sleep, or remain asleep resulting in fatigue, irritability, mood
changes, and difficulty concentrating. Most of us will experience insomnia at one
point in our lives, however some people suffer from chronic insomnia, meaning
disrupted sleeps occur at least three times per week for a minimum of three months.
What Happens In Your Body When You Experience Sleeplessness?
Sleep is influenced by our endocannabinoid system and our internal clock known as
the suprachiasmatic nucleus, or SCN, which is located in the hypothalamus. Signals
travel from the SCN and tell the body to produce the hormone melatonin, which is
the hormone responsible for making us sleepy. Melatonin production is usually
highest after dark, which is why we get drowsy after the sun sets. This process is
known as your circadian rhythm. When your circadian rhythm is disrupted, either by
time change, medication, or a late night out, we experience that sluggish feeling of
jetlag and become more irritable and grumpy. Also involved is our immune system.
When we are lacking sleep, our immune system begins to work overtime. With
regular sleeplessness, our bodies are more prone to infection, illness, injury (how
many times have you run into a doorway after not sleeping well the night before?),
and poor mental health.
How do CBD GUMMIES Help Relieve Sleeplessness?
CBD gummies are a wonderful addition to your sleep routine due to their delayed
onset and long-lasting nature. Since it takes approximately 90 minutes to two hours
for the CBD to take effect, you can pop a gummy in your mouth, brush your teeth,
curl up with a good book and relax until you’re ready to sleep, versus taking a
sleeping pill which will render you almost immediately impaired. Being non-habit
forming and low-risk for side effects, CBD gummies are a great option to treat
insomnia and trouble sleeping, especially since they can also treat many underlying
conditions that cause sleeplessness as a symptom. Sleeplessness can be caused by
a variety of conditions and illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and pain. As we’ve
already discovered, CBD is an excellent way to manage these conditions so it makes
sense that the relief of these symptoms will also lead to better sleep. There has been
a lot of promising research that shows CBD’s ability to help improve sleep for people
who suffer from chronic insomnia. Additionally, the overall feeling of relaxation and
calm that comes with CBD is a great way to prepare for sleep even if you don’t
struggle with sleep. In today’s world with all of the temptation of binge-watching and
screen time, we could all use a little help improving our sleep habits. The long-lasting
effect of CBD gummies will provide you with ample of time to get what you need to
finish completed before settling in for the night and experiencing the relaxing calm for
hours.
What Is the Dose of CBD I Need for Sleep?
Dosing with CBD can be tricky because it can affect everyone a little differently. As a
general guideline, it’s suggested to take 1-6 mg per every 10 lbs of body weight. For
example, if you weigh 100 lbs, you can take 10-60 mg daily. The best way to figure
out your ideal dose is to keep a journal to track your symptoms and sleep. Ask
yourself, how long did it take me to fall asleep? Did I sleep through the night? How
many hours did I sleep? Do I feel refreshed? Tracking these questions over the
course of a week or two will allow you to adjust your dosage to get the best sleep. If
a journal is too analog for your tastes, download a sleep app that allows you to make
personalized notations so you can track your dosage along with your sleep cycle.
Final Thoughts
While not curative, CBD has many healing properties that can help lessen symptoms
that are causing distress. As more research is being completed, more effective ways
to manage symptoms with CBD will undoubtedly come to light. When exploring CBD
Gummies as a treatment option, always remember to look for high-quality shops that
offer third-party testing and ingredients lists. Always talk to your doctor to ensure
your CBD use won’t affect any medication you’re currently using. Start with a low
dose and give it time to work before increasing your dosage. Finally, track your
symptoms and see what CBD can do for you.