Today, CBD has penetrated into almost all the items that you use daily including your pills, gummies, candies, protein shakes, pain-relief balms, juices and more. Almost every item in the wellness industry has a CBD-infused version of it, which may give rise to a very important question in your head, “What is CBD”? Keep reading the following sections to know more about CBD, its benefits and its various types.
What is CBD?
Cannabidiol, popularly known as CBD or CBD oil, is one of the two active chemical compounds found in the Cannabis Sativa plant species. These plants are also known as hemp plants or marijuana plants commonly. This is why many people wrongly club CBD in the “high-causing substances” category.
However, the truth is far different than this. The two main chemical compounds of this species of plants are CBD and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). THC is the one that makes you feel high and intoxicated. CBD, on the other hand, doesn’t make you feel high at all, because it doesn’t contain any psychoactive properties in it.
The healthy fats, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents in CBD help to treat quite a lot of physical and mental ailments. This is the reason why you can find many CBD-infused products in the wellness industry today. In most of the countries, CBD is approved as long as it contains less than 0.3% THC content in it.
Benefits of CBD
Consuming CBD in any form regularly can result in a lot of benefits such as the following:
Relief from pain
If you are suffering from joint pain, chronic pain, pain from arthritis, pain due to inflammations or sports-related injuries, CBD-infused treatments will help you largely. This is because the anti-inflammatory agents of CBD will act on the neurotransmitters of your body’s ECS (endocannabinoid system) and control your response to pain.
You might have noticed many sportspersons using CBD-infused pain-relieving sprays on their muscles to get quick relief from inflammation-related pain. Also, CBD can be consumed in many forms such as pills, powders, gummies, candies, tinctures, vaporizers and topical applications. So, you can choose the mode that suits you the best.
Reduces anxiety-related disorders
CBD has a soothing and relaxing effect on your body and mind. When it acts on the ECS, it also sends signals to the brain to secrete more of the happy hormone known as serotonin. When this hormone is in good supply and when the natural cannabinoids in your body are working perfectly, you will feel at peace within.
Many studies have proved that CBD is very effective in treating stress-related disorders, anxiety, depression and other related ailments. It can help alleviate social fear and gives you more confidence than before to face the world.
Apart from these two popular benefits, CBD can also regulate your sleeping patterns and prevent your body from the oxidative stress caused by free radicals. Hence, you will notice an overall improvement in your skin and hair as well when you start including CBD in your life regularly.
Main types of CBD
When you set out to buy CBD-infused products to get these benefits, you will come across the following main types:
- Isolate CBD – As the name suggests, contains only CBD and not any other essential cannabinoid
- Full-Spectrum CBD – Contains all the natural cannabinoids of the Cannabis sativa species of plant; this includes THC as well, but in allowable limits
- Broad-Spectrum CBD – Contains all the natural cannabinoids of the Cannabis sativa species of plant, but doesn’t contain any trace of THC
It is better to choose broad-spectrum CBD because it doesn’t contain any THC compound, but also comes with all the useful cannabinoids and antioxidants that are necessary for your overall health.