Everywhere you turn people are talking about CBD oil. More and more research is coming everyday about how CBD works in our body and what the benefits of this very misunderstood natural remedy are for each of us. Doctors, who cannot prescribe it, are inviting their patients to look into CBD and suggesting that they add it to their daily wellness protocol.
So what’s all the fuss? As many of my readers may know, I’m into natural medicine. It’s my love language. Over the last few months I jumped into research and inquiry about CBD on my own. What I have found has been amazing — even life-changing to individuals who are suffering from chronic or auto-immune issues.
It turns out that we have an entire system in our body that reacts to cannabinoids — we actually make cannabinoids in our bodies. Scientists didn’t know this until the early 90’s. Prior to that, they knew that our body reacted to cannabinoids, but they didn’t know how or why. It’s intriguing and it’s insanely exciting.
By far, my favorite book on the subject was written by Dr. Olivier Wenker. Titled, “The Power of CBD and Essential Oils,” I picked up a copy in the middle of June and I haven’t put it down. You can find your own copy at Life Science Publishing.
To share what I’ve learned, I created an event in Facebook called CBD Social Club. To kick off the event, I produced a video on research, benefits, and common questions about CBD. Below is the video and a rough transcript of what I discussed.
CBD 101:
CBD and psychoactive THC come from the same plant species — but they are two distinctly different compounds — and create completely different effects on the human body.
CBD is the short name for cannabidiol, which is one of the main cannabinoids found in the hemp plant.
Cannabidiol supports the Endocannabinoid System of the body — and is being researched extensively because of the potential therapeutic effects it has on the body.
The Endocannabinoid System protects multiple organ systems and to keep them in good balance, called homeostasis. The importance of the ECS is much more significant to our health than was previously realized.
The ECS balances hunger, appetite, energy metabolism, formation of brain pathways, pain modulation, memory, the fight or flight response, connective tissue repair, thermoregulation, stress, anxiety, sleep, immune response, and human behavior.
That’s a pretty broad list! Basically, the ECS support relaxation, eating, sleeping, forgetting, and protecting.
If your ECS is dysfunctional, it may be connected to conditions such as irritable bowl syndrome, fibromyalgia, migraines, schizophrenia, uncontrolled Parkinson’s, Huntington’s disease, chronic motion sickness, anorexia and bulimia, and possibly obesity.
The beneficial effects of ECS have been described in pathological conditions such as nausea and vomiting, inflammation, pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, thyroid disorders, and rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disorders such as strokes, autism, cancer, neurological disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s Huntington’s, schizophrenia, psychosis, depression, panic attacks, anxiety, and obsessive compulsive behavior, insomnia, obesity, anorexia, metabolic disorders, epilepsy, and glaucoma.
The ECS is responsive to MANY plants, their extracts, and their essential oils. I make a note of this because people wonder how essential oils affect a person and the answer is through the Endocannabinoid System.
Now that I’ve explained the ECS, for the purposes of offering some very simple science — nothing too technical, I will briefly explain what cannabinoids are and how these chemical compounds bind to the endocannabinoid receptors throughout your brain and body.
Cannabinoid receptors are embedded in cell membranes throughout your body. Researchers have identified two cannabinoid receptors:
CB1, which is predominantly present in the nervous system, connective tissues, testicles, ovaries, and organs.
CB2, which his predominantly found in the immune system and its associated structures.
As CBD binds to these receptors certain reactions in the body can be activated or inhibited. It also works by attaching or influencing other receptors, by inhibiting breakdown of enzymes, by exerting antioxidant properties, and action through CBD metabolites.
CBD also influences the “bliss” hormone, Anandamide. Google it.
Another way CBD can influence the body is through B-caryophyllene, which can be found in many plants — anyone ever heard of the essential oil Copaiba??
The CBD I talk about in this class does not contain THC. However, I want to talk a little about the differences between the two because many people have questions about them.
CBD and THC both bind to receptors — but they bond differently and create different reactions. One such reaction from THC is the psychoactive effect of getting high.
Are hemp and marijuana the same? No. They are both part of the cannabis plant FAMILY. Hemp is completely different from marijuana in its function, cultivation, and application.
Many of the immediate effects of CBD cannot be felt since CBD is not a hallucinogenic and does not create the feeling of a high. You can’t feel an immediate balancing effect on the immune system, for example.
So let’s talk about broad spectrum CBD. What does it mean?
There is no question that consumption of full spectrum CBD has benefits called the entourage effect. The entourage effect is defined as whole plant extractions that typically include CBD, THC, and more than 400 trace compounds. Many of these compounds interact synergistically to create what scientists refer to as an “entourage effect” that magnifies the therapeutic benefits of the plant’s individual components—so that the medicinal impact of the whole plant is greater than the sum of its parts.
Now, I use a CBD oil without THC and some people will judge me by this choice — like I’m not reaping the full benefits.
Our CBD is different though! It’s a pure CBD isolate powder which means the CBD has been isolated from the rest of the plant. This is done through supercritical CO2 extraction and the downside is that the isolate is that it doesn’t contain any terpenes — and therefore loses the entourage effect.
But our CBD isolate is different because it’s mixed with essential oils — introducing terpenes and all of the other compounds simultaneously. In a way, we could even make our own blends of CBD and essential oils to accomplish our own health-supporting goals.
As I conclude, I want to make sure I remind everyone how important it is to know your source for CBD and essential oils. Seed to Seal is where it’s at…it’s a promise you want over every seed, over the dirt, over the harvesting, over the distillation. No chemicals, no pesticides, no synthetics. You want a pure and organic CBD that can do the powerful work of creating homeostasis in the body.
If you want to learn more, check out my Facebook event at the CBD Social Club. I’m more than happy to help you get this incredible CBD into your hands! You will be amazed at the results.