Does CBD Lower Cholesterol? Types, Effects, and FAQs

High cholesterol affects nearly 94 million U.S. adults. Raised blood cholesterol levels increase your risk of developing dangerous conditions like heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes.

Clinical pharmacology supports the beneficial effects of CBD, including its potential to lower cholesterol levels and regulate the cardiovascular system. Cannabinoid research confirms that CBD can improve many physiological functions, boosting overall health and bodily functions. Understanding the science behind CBD’s effect on cholesterol can help you make informed choices about what treatments to discuss with your doctor.

Our experts at SUPA Naturals explain how CBD interacts with cholesterol levels and heart health.

Does CBD Lower Your Cholesterol?

CBD can gradually maintain and occasionally lower high cholesterol levels over long periods of time due to the way it interacts with your body’s endocannabinoid system.

Before diving deeper into how CBD lowers cholesterol, let’s explain what exactly cholesterol is.

Cholesterol is a fat-like compound naturally produced by your liver after eating various processed foods, dairy products, and meats. “Dietary cholesterol” is the term for any extra cholesterol in your body.

Not all cholesterol is bad. Your body needs “good cholesterol,” or high-density lipoprotein (HDL) to function properly. Good cholesterol helps your body produce vital vitamins and hormones while maintaining the membrane fluidity around your cells.

Healthy HDL levels can protect your microglial cells (immune cells in the nervous system), which are responsible for critical homeostasis and cognitive functions affecting the entire human body. HDL cholesterol also absorbs bad cholesterol, improving heart health and reducing stroke risks.

“Bad cholesterol,” or low-density lipoprotein (LDL), transfers throughout your body via blood vessels after consuming excess dietary cholesterol. High bad cholesterol levels can contribute to plaque buildup in your arterial walls. Critical blood clots in the arterial walls from excess cholesterol can trigger a heart attack, stroke, or aneurysm.

Improper cholesterol homeostasis (too much bad cholesterol and too little good cholesterol) puts you at a high risk of developing many dangerous conditions like cardiovascular disease, liver damage, insulin resistance, and more.

How Does CBD Affect Cholesterol?

Your body’s endocannabinoid system regulates various critical functions, including the inflammatory response, sleep cycles, fear, moods, emotion, metabolism, muscle pain, and more. Endogenous cannabinoids activate the cannabinoid receptors in your central nervous system and immune cells to control various symptoms and reduce inflammation. Conditions like excessive cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and diabetes can damage and dysregulate the endocannabinoid system.

CBD is a cannabinoid derived from the cannabis plant that can activate the cannabinoid receptors in your body, acting as a therapeutic target for all different bodily issues.

The effects of CBD range from its ability to treat anxiety, chronic stress, and other mental health conditions to various pain relief health benefits. CBD can improve the associated risks of high cholesterol levels by regulating high blood pressure, reducing “bad cholesterol” levels, widening blood vessels, and reducing blood sugar.

Regulates Blood Pressure

High blood pressure occurs when the pressure of the blood flowing through the blood vessel exceeds 20/80 mmHg. High cholesterol, salt, and sugar levels can all increase blood pressure by narrowing the vessels with plaque and fatty deposits.

Research shows that CBD can effectively relieve high blood pressure in healthy adults. Patients with high cholesterol levels may see reduced heart and health risks by taking CBD to reduce blood pressure.

Reduces Low-density Lipoprotein (LDL) Levels By Suppressing Your Appetite

Your diet is one of the biggest contributing factors to your excess cholesterol. Unfortunately, eating the right foods in the right portions is challenging for many people, especially those already struggling with a high body weight.

Clinical research shows that CBD has potential anti-obesity effects that can improve insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, supporting diabetes care. CBD can ultimately suppress appetite and cravings, making it easier for patients struggling with their diet to reduce their LDL levels and lower cholesterol.

Widens Blood Vessels and Reduces Inflammation

When fatty plaques deposit on your blood vessel walls, your body reacts to the event as an injury, triggering an immune response. Immune cells travel to the site, getting trapped inside the plaque, causing further damage and weakening your blood vessel walls. The more that plaque forms, the more your risk of developing a clot increases.

CBD has powerful anti-inflammatory effects that can stimulate the cell death of these unhelpful immune cells. Fewer immune cells mean wider blood vessels and reduced clot risks, ultimately reducing the chance of a heart attack or stroke.

Regulates Blood Sugar

Glucose and lipid metabolisms interact in many ways. Raised glycemic and lipid parameters create conditions like diabetes and high cholesterol.

When your cells become less sensitive to insulin (the hormone in charge of carrying glucose between cells for energy conversions), your blood accumulates sugar, and your cholesterol levels fluctuate. High blood sugar can cause low levels of good cholesterol, resulting in high buildups of bad cholesterol deposits along blood vessel walls. High cholesterol can potentially contribute to Type 2 Diabetes.

One research study found that CBD has a unique ability to decrease resistin levels, which are compounds produced by fat and immune cells. High resistin levels can contribute to insulin resistance and blood vessel inflammation, worsening high blood sugar and cholesterol levels. By decreasing resistin levels, CBD can lower blood sugar, make insulin more effective, and ease diabetes symptoms.

Is CBD Safe for People with High Cholesterol?

Yes, CBD is safe for people with high cholesterol levels. The World Health Organization concluded that CBD products offer relatively strong safety profiles. Unlike many other drugs, CBD is non-psychoactive, non-addictive, and non-toxic, so you likely won’t form a dependency on it or experience adverse effects.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released a national health advisory warning the public of counterfeit CBD products that contain other isolates, like THC. We recommend shopping from a trustworthy CBD provider, like SUPA Naturals, so you know exactly what’s in your CBD oil.

The Best Types of CBD for Lowering Cholesterol

Many types of CBD products exist, ranging in potency and consumption methods. Each offers varying onset and duration times. We recommend one of the following CBD products for lowering cholesterol levels.

CBD Oil

CBD oil is one of the most potent forms of CBD. Many other CBD products, like capsules, contain CBD oil.

CBD oil typically comes in a small glass jar with a dropper that you can use for easy measuring and application. After dropping the oil under your tongue, you should feel the effects relatively quickly. Since CBD won’t enter your digestive system, it won’t take long for your body to absorb the compound.

When shopping for any CBD oil product, you’ll notice that many include labels like “full-spectrum” and “broad-spectrum.” Full-spectrum CBD contains many cannabinoid isolates and may potentially contain noticeable amounts of THC, while broad-spectrum contains all of the same compounds that full-spectrum CBD does, minus the THC. This is because broad-spectrum CBD goes through an extraction process to remove the THC. If you wish to avoid the risk of ingesting THC, shop for a broad-spectrum CBD oil.

Tinctures

CBD tinctures are similar to oils, though they contain additional ingredients for better bioavailability. Bioavailability refers to how well your body can absorb the compound. Tinctures frequently include water, alcohol, or oil-based solvents that help your system quickly soak up the CBD.

Like oils, tinctures typically come in glass bottles with droppers for easy application. You can feel the effects nearly immediately, though they may only last a few hours.

If interested, you can shop online for CBD tinctures at SUPA Naturals. We offer a full-spectrum oil solution and a THC-free broad-spectrum water-soluble solution.

Capsules

CBD capsules contain CBD oil in a convenient capsule form. You can take capsules just as you would with any other dietary supplement. Because the capsule enters your digestive system, it will take longer to feel the effects, though you can enjoy longer-lasting results.

Many people prefer CBD capsules for lowering cholesterol because you can easily incorporate them into your daily routine. Rather than trying to time oil drops under your tongue multiple times a day, you can simply swallow the capsule in the morning or at night with your other medications.

Because you don’t need immediate relief when taking CBD for cholesterol, you shouldn’t have an issue with the longer onset time for CBD softgels from SUPA Naturals.

Edibles

CBD edibles work just like capsules, though they come in the form of your favorite snacks, foods, and drinks. Common edibles containing CBD oil include gummies, coffee, tea, cookies, and more. Because the oil enters your digestive system, you will experience a longer onset and duration.

You can easily incorporate CBD edibles into your daily routine, just as you would with capsules. If you’re interested, shop online for CBD gummies from SUPA Naturals.

How to Lower Cholesterol Using CBD

CBD oil is not a cure for high cholesterol, so you must consult your doctor about developing a treatment plan. The best way to lower your cholesterol using a CBD isolate is by strictly adhering to these professional recommendations while regularly taking CBD oil products.

You can tell your doctor you’re interested in CBD treatment for high cholesterol. Your doctor may advise you to follow a certain diet or take additional medications, like cholesterol absorption inhibitors or vitamin D. You may need additional treatments if you have underlying issues contributing to your cholesterol levels, like altered cholesterol metabolism-related genes.

CBD’s largest benefit for people with high cholesterol is its ability to target the associated dangerous symptoms. CBD oil can help reduce blood pressure and glucose levels while improving overall health. Keeping these counts in check can reduce many of the risks associated with high cholesterol.

Recommended CBD Dosage for Lowering Cholesterol Levels

CBD affects each person differently, so no one recommended dose exists. The recommended amount for you depends on your size, weight, metabolism, meals, desired effects, CBD consumption method, and more. For reference, one research study noted a dosage range of 40 to 128 mg daily, while another used doses as high as 600 mg daily, displaying an enormous range.

We typically recommend starting small with around 10 to 25 mg. This can be measured in SUPA Natural products with ease, depending on the product you get. For example, SUPA Natural’s THC Free CBD Gummies come in 10 mg doses. You can see how this small dose affects you and adjust from there.

Finding the perfect dosage sweet spot takes time. You may discover that you prefer many small doses throughout the day or one larger one in the morning. We recommend discussing dosage options with your doctor, as they may have a recommended CBD oil schedule for cholesterol.

CBD for Cholesterol FAQs

Taking CBD oil for cholesterol is a big decision, so we understand that you likely have a few questions. We want to help shed more light on how CBD oil works so you can feel more confident about purchasing a product. Explore answers to the most frequently asked CBD for cholesterol questions below.

Can You Take CBD with Other Cholesterol Medications?

Because it’s not a prescription drug, not much research surrounds CBD’s interactions with prescription medications. CBD alters how the enzymes in your liver function, which can affect how your body breaks down many different drugs.

Because of this mechanism, you must speak with your doctor about taking CBD oil if you currently use any prescription medications. Your doctor may advise you to time your CBD oil and medication dosages a certain way.

How Long Does It Take to Lower Cholesterol Using CBD?

You can begin feeling the pain relief and relaxation effects of CBD as quickly as 60 seconds, though it may take as long as an hour. How you consume CBD oil, your size, and the food you eat impact the onset time.

While you may feel effects within minutes or hours, CBD oil won’t improve your cholesterol immediately. CBD oil interacts with cholesterol by affecting many bodily processes, like:

• Immune and inflammatory responses
• Resistin levels
• Blood pressure
• And more

Because of this complex reaction, you must let CBD oil build up in your system before seeing any cholesterol reduction results.

We typically recommend following a consistent dosage schedule daily for at least three months. You can measure your levels before and after the treatment to see how well your body responds to the new treatment.

Is CBD a Better Alternative for Reducing Your Cholesterol?

CBD oil is a better alternative than many other natural, non-prescription products for reducing cholesterol levels. For example, hemp seed oil contains a much smaller concentration of CBD, offering less potent results.

CBD oil may not be a suitable alternative to prescription cholesterol medications if you have dangerously high cholesterol levels. Your doctor may recommend adding CBD oil to your current treatment regimen rather than replacing your prescriptions.

If you want a more natural supplement option with fewer side effects, speak with your doctor about CBD oil as an alternative for reducing cholesterol.

What Are the Main Advantages of CBD for Cholesterol?

Taking CBD oil for cholesterol can offer many benefits beyond the reduced levels. CBD affects you in various ways, offering whole-body benefits that can improve how you feel physically, mentally, and emotionally. Clinical research supports the potential for CBD oil to improve the following conditions:

• Seizures
• Anxiety
• Addiction
• Arthritis
• Acne
• Autism spectrum disorder
• Depression
• Chronic pain
• Digestive issues
• Insomnia
• Parkinson’s disease
• Eczema and psoriasis

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) even approves CBD as a prescription treatment for epilepsy and seizures.

Taking CBD oil for your cholesterol can offer many advantages without adverse effects. You can reduce the symptoms of other pains you struggle with while lowering your risk of developing dangerous conditions associated with high cholesterol.

Shop Online for CBD From SUPA Naturals Today

Does CBD lower cholesterol? Yes, clinical research supports the efficacy of CBD in managing cholesterol levels and improving the associated symptoms, like high blood sugar, elevated blood pressure, and more. If you suffer from high cholesterol, CBD may be your answer. We recommend speaking with your healthcare provider about the best treatment option for your needs.

When you’re ready to shop for CBD, look no further. Explore the SUPA Naturals online CBD store or contact us today to learn more about our products.