What Does CBD Do and Will It Actually Work?

CBD, or cannabidiol, is a word you’ve probably heard a lot lately, but what exactly is it? Think of it as the laid-back cousin of THC, the compound in cannabis that gets you high. However, unlike THC, CBD won’t alter your mind, but rather improves your balance and well-being. 

Its popularity has soared since officially being recognised as a medicine in 2016, and now you can find CBD in just about everything, from oils, creams, and gummies to beauty products and even beverages. Whether it’s marketed for relaxation or wellness, CBD has found its way into a wide range of everyday items. 

Touted for its potential to calm anxiety, relieve pain, and improve heart health, it certainly sounds impressive. But with research on it still in its infancy, does it truly deliver on these promises?

Pain Relief 

Remarkably, cannabis has been used to alleviate pain since 2900 BC. Today, researchers believe CBD is a key factor behind this, but how exactly does it achieve this effect?

Chronic Pain Relief

CBD eases pain by interacting with the body’s endocannabinoid system, a complex network that regulates key functions like pain perception. Research suggests that CBD influences endocannabinoid receptors found in the brain and immune system.

These receptors receive chemical signals from various stimuli and trigger a response from your cells, which can reduce inflammation and produce pain-relieving effects, making CBD an effective tool for managing chronic pain.

Arthritis Pain Relief

The effectiveness of CBD for relieving arthritis-related pain is primarily based on studies conducted in rats, with further research in humans still needed to confirm these findings.

Researchers applied CBD gel to rats for several days and observed reduced pain and swelling in their joints. Moderate doses were most effective, while smaller amounts had a minimal impact.

Cancer Pain Relief 

The National Cancer Institute has highlighted CBD as a potential option for easing the side effects of chemotherapy, including:

• Pain
• Nausea
• Loss of appetite
• Inability to sleep

Mental Health

Many people have sworn by CBD’s ability to cure or significantly alleviate their mental health disorders. While some research supports this claim, the overall body of evidence remains limited.

Anxiety

Several studies have shown that CBD effectively reduces anxiety behaviors linked to various disorders, including:

• PTSD
• Generalised anxiety disorder
• Panic disorder
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Social anxiety disorder

Its calming effects seem to involve specific receptors in the brain, some of which affect your levels of serotonin. However, studying more receptors may reveal additional mechanisms.

To confirm CBD’s effectiveness for alleviating anxiety, additional research is essential. Right now, more than a dozen studies are either ongoing or being planned to explore its effects. Some of these studies focus on individuals with anxiety disorders, while others investigate anxiety in patients with serious medical conditions.

Depression

Anxiety and depression are influenced by similar brain processes and thus frequently treated with the same medications. It consequently stands to reason that if CBD is effective for anxiety, it could also be beneficial for depression. 

However, the research specifically investigating CBD’s effects on depression is even more limited. As a result, we cannot definitively determine its effectiveness for this condition.

Heart Health

Research suggests that CBD may be beneficial for individuals with high blood pressure, as it can affect heart muscle contraction and promote the widening of blood vessels.

In a study involving healthy men, treatment with a high dose of CBD for a week resulted in significant short-term reductions in blood pressure compared to a placebo group, but these effects disappeared after the week was over.

Once again, we are left with potential but no definitive conclusions.

The Bottom Line

While there are strong indications that CBD may help with pain relief, mental health disorder and heart health the current body of research is too limited to make definitive statements. 

As the scientific community continues to explore the potential benefits of CBD, its true capabilities as a treatment method should become much clearer.