How To Use CBD Oils for Anxiety
More and more countries around the world are recognizing the potential benefits of CBD. As such, new CBD products are entering the market every day. As a natural remedy that can help with many health problems and conditions, CBD oils may help anxiety and alleviate the symptoms of depression and insomnia.
How does CBD protect and improve your mental health, and what is a safe dosage? How do you safely use CBD to help you manage stress and anxiety? Does it have any negative side effects?
We will answer all these questions in this article!
CBD and Anxiety
Our body has many different types of receptors. A receptor is a protein-based molecule attached to the cell. These receptors can bond with different types of other molecules, such as CBD.
The CBD in your body forms a bond with CB1 and CB2 receptors. These types of receptors can be found in our central and peripheral nervous systems. It hasn’t been fully determined how exactly CBD affects these receptors. However, from studies that had been conducted so far, it is believed CBD can increase your serotonin levels.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter and plays a crucial role in mental health. In fact, low serotonin levels are linked to depression and anxiety.
There are conventional treatments for increasing serotonin levels in the brain, such as Prozac Or Zoloft. However, they are only available through prescription and can come with adverse side effects.
If you are trying to heal your mind and body naturally, CBD can be great in treating anxiety and depression. However, if you suffer from more serious conditions such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or something similar, it’s better to talk to your doctor before self-medicating.
How to Use CBD Oil to Manage Anxiety
In lab research, CBD has successfully reduced stress in rats. They had fewer behavioral signals caused by anxiety. CBD also helped alleviate the increase in heart rate that is often associated with stressful situations.
Another study that involved 24 people with social anxiety further showed CBD’s potential. Half of the people received a placebo and the other half received CBD (300 mg). The subjects had to perform a simulated public speech. The people who had been treated with CBD experienced reduced anxiety and less discomfort than those who took the placebo. Also, their cognitive functions were better while delivering the speech.
Similar studies on people were conducted with 400 mg of CBD, which substantially decreased anxiety levels for participants.
Another study conducted in 2018 has shown that 300 mg of CBD, taken prior to a stressful event, was enough to significantly reduce anxiety. Additionally, some people received 150 mg and 600 mg and had no positive effects. From this, it can be inferred that 150 mg may be too low to induce positive change, while 600 mg may be too much.
If you are planning to take CBD oil to reduce anxiety, a good starting dosage would be 300 mg, which can be gradually increased if required.
How to Use CBD to Relax?
CBD will help you relax and manage different conditions, including stress and anxiety, lethargy, and depression.
As mentioned before, CBD increases the serotonin levels in your body. Since stress, anxiety, and depression can also have other negative effects, CBD might also help you sleep better and prevent other chronic illnesses linked to depression and anxiety.
Dosages: How Much CBD Should You Take?
As mentioned before, there is an optimal amount of CBD that is proven to reduce anxiety.
This amount is 300 to 400 mg, while 150 mg and 600 mg dosages had very low or no effects. So starting with 300mg to 400 mg is a good idea.
Other Tips When Using CBD for Anxiety
Watch out for potentially harmful drug interactions
Research shows that CBD can decrease or increase the effectiveness of certain drugs, especially if you take it in higher dosages. Highly concentrated CBD oils or tinctures can interfere with your liver enzyme system, which is responsible for the metabolism of most medications. It can interact with blood thinners (Coumadin), antidepressants (Prozac), and certain cholesterol-lowering meds such as Lipitor.
That said, always talk to your doctor if you are taking prescribed medications since certain natural remedies like CBD and St. John’s Wort can possibly interact with them.
Be careful if you are pregnant or nursing
If you are pregnant or nursing, CBD can be passed through your system to your baby. Since CBD poses minimal risk for addiction or adverse side effects, it might be safe for you, but there is simply not enough research in pregnant women or women who are breastfeeding. Needless to say, you should avoid taking CBD if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.
Conclusion
CBD is a great alternative to prescribed medications for anxiety as it poses fewer adverse side effects. However, certain groups of people should be careful about replacing their prescribed medication solely with natural products.
CBD will help you reduce anxiety and depression if taken in dosages from 300 to 400 mg. Higher dosages can bring side effects such as appetite changes, mood changes, increased anxiety, dry mouth, vomiting, and even low blood pressure. It can also slightly increase your heart rate in dosages higher than 900 mg. On the other hand, dosages lower than 300 mg do not seem to have much effect.
As mentioned before, highly concentrated CBD can interfere with certain medications, so it’s important to always pay attention to that.
If you are not taking any medication and you would like to manage your depression and anxiety naturally, CBD just might be the solution for you.
