Note… This article was written by Jamie Taylor.

CBD…

A recent survey has shown that 14% of Americans use CBD (cannabidiol) for medical purposes. What is CBD? It’s a non-toxic and non-addictive cannabis-derived component with plenty of beneficial properties. While experienced CBD users know why and how to take CBD, many people still don’t know how it works and thus hesitate to take this novel supplement.

What effects does CBD produce on your body? Read further to learn how CBD helps nearly 46 million people in the US.

The Endocannabinoid System is the Answer

Scientists have already revealed that all animals, including humans, have the endocannabinoid system (ECS). What is it, and how does CBD relate to this system?

The endocannabinoid system consists of:

• Enzymes that produce and dissolve endocannabinoids.
• Neurologic pathways.
• Cannabinoid receptors, distributed throughout human body systems. Lots of them are located in the brain, and the immune and central nervous systems.

What does ECS do to your body? We currently know that ECS regulates sleep, mood, pain, immune response, and appetite. Most importantly, it helps your body maintain homeostasis, the state of harmony. The ECS also produces endocannabinoids that bring your body back to normal after physical and mental stress.

When you take CBD, it interacts with your endocannabinoid system and complements its function. Additionally, CBD binds to non-cannabinoid receptors, which makes it a viable option for coping with so many ailments. So how else does CBD work?

CBD Binds to Multiple Receptors

Scientists have discovered that CBD releases most of its properties by interacting with the following receptors:

CB₁

The CB₁ receptor is located in a number of brain areas. For example, CB₁ receptors are found in the hippocampus. It’s a small area in your brain associated with emotions, learning, and memory formation. Scientists also found these receptors in the nervous system, blood vessels, saliva glands, etc.

CB₂

The CB₂ receptors are distributed mostly through the immune and central nervous systems. Interestingly, scientists consider the CB₂ receptor a potential target in treating diseases that have no cure today, such as fibromyalgia and Alzheimer’s disease.

TRPV1

The TRPV1 receptor is responsible for pain. It’s located in sensory neurons and virtually all other tissues of your body. It also can cause temporary and chronic inflammation.

The Effects of CBD on Your Body

Since CBD binds to many receptors distributed throughout the whole body, it produces a number of effects. That’s why many people opt for the best quality CBD oil to cope with:

• Pain
• Inflammation
• Insomnia
• Chronic stress
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Epilepsy
• Autoimmune diseases
• Inflammatory diseases

Most CBD users also prioritize full spectrum CBD as it’s more powerful than other CBD forms.

But how does CBD release its power?

1. Decreases Pain

CBD is a promising analgesic. Over half of all CBD users take cannabidiol to relieve pain. But how does CBD reduce pain? It binds to the TRPV1 receptor, preventing it from developing a strong pain response. Thanks to this, you can take CBD for headaches, chronic pain, muscle soreness, and menstrual pain. Additionally, CBD shows promising effects for coping with neurologic pain like fibromyalgia.

2. Reduces Inflammation

CBD brings relief to inflamed tissues, reducing the number of pro-inflammatory cytokines by blocking the TRPV1 receptor. Additionally, by binding to the CB receptors, cannabidiol reduces tumor necrosis factors (TNF-a) and reactive oxygen species (ROS).

The latter are metabolism byproducts, also known as free radicals. Therefore, CBD is also a potent antioxidant. All these features make it an effective anti-inflammatory drug, allowing people to take CBD for joint and back pain, skin problems like acne, fever, and other inflammatory ailments.

3. Improves Sleep

As we’ve mentioned earlier, the ECS regulates the sleep/wake cycle. When you complement its function with CBD, you can decrease insomnia and midnight awakenings. What’s more, low CBD doses facilitate wakefulness in the morning. At the same time, higher CBD intake before bed promotes better sleep. Thus, CBD has the potential to bring your sleep back to normal if you have insomnia.

How does CBD do this? Researchers have not yet found the exact answer to this question. But CBD for sleep works well for people with sleep disorders.

4. Regulates Immune Response

Scientists have revealed that eight immune regulating receptors interact with CBD. These are CB, TRPV1, FAAH receptors and others. But how does CBD relate to immune response? Inflammation is the answer.

For instance, if you cut a finger and get an infection, your wound will swell and turn red. At this point, there is a myriad of immune cells battling bacteria under your skin. By reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines, CBD soothes your tissues, promotes recovery but weakens your immune response.

Sometimes, it isn’t nice. But sometimes, it’s a necessary sacrifice for people with autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis or psoriasis. These ailments occur because of “friendly fire.” In essence, your immune cells start attacking your own healthy tissues. Thus, CBD-induced immune regulation helps people with autoimmune diseases live a healthy life.

5. Relieves Stress and Anxiety

Cannabidiol relieves stress in people with anxiety disorders. This happens due to CBD interaction with CB₁, CB₂, and 5-HT1A receptors. Thus, people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and public anxiety feel calmer and more confident with CBD.

Possible CBD Side Effects

Some CBD users report side effects like dry mouth, dizziness, diarrhea, and sleepiness. Since CBD inhibits saliva production, you can feel stickiness in your mouth. Other side effects might occur because CBD relaxes your blood vessels, lowering your blood pressure.

As for diarrhea, it’s still yet unknown why CBD causes it. However, you may have diarrhea simply because you take a new substance that you’ve never eaten before and your body needs time to get used to it.

Final Thoughts

CBD (or cannabidiol) interacts with cannabinoid receptors within the endocannabinoid system distributed throughout your body. Cannabidiol also interacts with plenty of other receptors, including those activating immune response and enabling pain sensation. Given that, it will be safe to say that CBD brings systemic effects, regulating sleep, reducing pain, inflammation, and stress. Therefore, you can use it to improve your life quality if you have any of the mentioned ailments.

About Jamie Taylor

Jamie Taylor is the CEO of ValidCBDOil. He’s a medical expert with more than ten years of experience. Working as a physician assistant, Jamie has already helped thousands of patients cope with chronic pain, inflammation, and neurologic conditions. Being a healthcare expert now, Jamie is continuing to actively research CBD properties, aiming to provide his readers with comprehensive free guides on CBD usage and products. He can be reached at [email protected].