7 Convincing Reasons for You and Your Pet to Try CBD

If you haven’t tried CBD yet, you have almost certainly heard of it. CBD is one of the hottest and most popular new supplements available on the market today, with millions of Americans having tried the product. Its popularity is based on its purported benefits, as some studies and countless anecdotal reports have shown that CBD appears to have a real benefit to people.

CBD works by impacting the functioning of your body’s Endocannabinoid System. Every human and animal has an Endocannabinoid System. That system contains multiple components, including:

• Naturally-produced cannabinoids
• Cannabinoid receptors that are studded throughout your body, including in your skin, muscles, and organs
• Enzymes that break down cannabinoids

Your body will produce cannabinoids that then bind with cannabinoid receptors. This, in turn, has a variety of impacts on numerous physical and emotional sensations in your body.

While questions remain about CBD, it is clear that the compound holds a real benefit for its users. More to the point, there is also evidence to suggest that CBD can help our beloved pets with some of their problems as well.

Why should you or your pet try CBD? Here are 7 reasons.

Seizure Treatment

While some evidence and the testimony of many exist for the treatment of all of the below, the United States Food & Drug Administration has made it clear that no one can make medical claims about CBD…with one exception.

That exception is seizures. At the moment, the FDA has approved one CBD-based medical treatment: Epidiolex, a medicine produced by G.W. Pharmaceuticals which is used for the treatment of two rare seizure disorders in children. As an FDA-approved prescription drug, Epidiolex can be prescribed by doctors, covered by insurance, and obtained at a pharmacy, just like any other medication.

Furthermore, it appears that there may be evidence to suggest that CBD can help dogs battle seizures as well. A small study, conducted in May 2019, examined whether or not CBD could help dogs with epilepsy. The study took sixteen dogs and gave nine of them CBD while treating seven with a placebo. The dogs who were given CBD showed a reduction in seizures.

For animals, more evidence is still needed, and there are no currently approved CBD-based medical treatments. However, the news is certainly positive, and additional research will likely reveal more information.

Mental Health Benefits

Perhaps one of the most interesting benefits of CBD may be its ability to help a person feel better and battle any number of mental illnesses. As noted in an article in Psychology Today, research shows that CBD has the potential to relieve a wide array of mental illnesses and generally improve someone’s mood while providing them with real stress relief. The exact mechanism behind this is currently unknown, but some researchers think it is possible that CBD has a positive impact on serotonin receptors in your brain.

For example, some research has found that CBD can have depression-reducing effects on animals, making them appear more active and more social. Interestingly, these impacts have been described as both quick-acting and sustained over a longer period of time, meaning that it is highly possible that CBD’s impacts could be more than just a brief boost to one’s mental health.

There is even more evidence to suggest that CBD can help with anxiety reduction. Studies have shown that CBD can help to reduce anxiety-related problems and discuss the biological mechanisms by which this has occurred. Even more interesting is that studies in both humans and animals have found that CBD has the potential to help reduce a wide array of anxiety disorders. For example:

• An overview and review of available evidence noted that CBD may be able to reduce symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
• Another study found that CBD can help to reduce performance anxiety.
• A small study of eleven patients with PTSD found that ten found reduced symptom severity when given CBD.
• Multiple studies have found that CBD may be able to reduce social anxiety.

When it comes to our beloved pets, the evidence is less clear. Again, some people have found that their pets show fewer signs of anxiety or stress when given CBD, but that assertation has yet to be backed up by scientific research.

Skincare

Another commonly experienced benefit of CBD is skincare. There are many reasons for this, but it chiefly appears to be tied to the fact that CBD seems to have the ability to reduce inflammation of the skin. The reasons for this are currently unknown, although one theory holds that CBD can help to inhibit enzymes that are responsible for inflammation within the body. Interestingly, CBD’s anti-inflammatory benefits are believed to impact more than just the skin: Some research has found that CBD may even be able to reduce inflammation of the brain, potentially providing benefits to a series of other brain disorders, such as dementia and Alzheimer’s.

CBD’s potential skincare benefits are numerous. Many studies have found that it has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial impacts, potentially allowing it to improve the overall appearance and youth of the skin. It also seems to be able to reduce redness and potentially control and remove acne.

However, CBD may be able to help more than just the appearance of skin: It seems that it may be able to reduce the impact of numerous skin disorders:

• Eczema: One study found that topical CBD use can help to improve the appearance of people who suffer from eczema. It can also reduce the pain and irritation associated with the disorder while increasing the time between flare-ups. Indeed, the National Eczema Foundation has written favorably about the potential ability of CBD to help control eczema flare-ups.
• Psoriasis: Studies have found that when CBD is applied topically, it can reduce the irritation and pain that comes with psoriasis. The National Psoriasis Foundation has also made recommendations for how people who use CBD can safely do so.

Pain Relief

Numerous reviews and studies have found that CBD may be helpful at controlling for pain and muscle soreness while helping to address chronic pain issues. There is evidence to suggest that, thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties, CBD can help the body recover quicker from a workout and address overall muscle soreness and tightness.

Furthermore, some studies have found that CBD can help reduce chronic pain. For example:

A study in rats with arthritis found that CBD can reduce pain symptoms and increase movement when CBD gel was applied topically.

One study found that CBD can reduce pain and nausea in patients who were undergoing cancer treatment.

Another study found that CBD could reduce the pain associated with Multiple Sclerosis spasticity, a condition in which someone who has multiple sclerosis suffers from muscle spasms, causing their muscles to lock and become extremely painful.

Some evidence also suggests that our pets can find pain relief thanks to CBD, with one study finding that dogs with osteoarthritis who were given CBD showed fewer pain signs and increase movement.

Improved Sleep

Many have found that CBD can help them sleep better. Indeed, there is some evidence to suggest that CBD can be used to treat some sleep disorders.

One review of the available literature and studies found there to be supporting evidence for the idea that CBD can help people sleep better. The exact mechanism for this is not yet fully understood, but there are some theories.

For one thing, as noted in this article, CBD can help someone emotionally feel better and can also help to reduce pain. CBD may also help to reduce the body’s stress response. One study found that CBD can literally reduce the physiological reactions that occur during the body’s fight or flight response, an evolutionary reaction to a stressful situation. When out of control, the body’s fight or flight response can result in a massive spike in anxiety, causing serious mental anguish and distress.

If CBD can help reduce pain and anxiety, while improving one’s mood, it follows that sleep can be improved, as there is ample evidence to suggest that sleep and mood disorders are closely tied together.

Furthermore, sleep may be helpful in reducing certain types of sleep disorders. Individuals with Parkinson’s Disease are known to suffer from RBD, or Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder. During normal sleep, your body will stop itself from thrashing violently during dreams; however, individuals with RBD have no such controls and may injure themselves or others in their sleep.

One small study found that, when given CBD, individuals who suffered from RBD showed improved symptoms and a reduction of RBD-related behavior.

Fast-Acting and Mild Side Effects

One of the most frustrating things about taking any pain medication is that it can take time to work – and potentially a long time. Furthermore, many medications come with a variety of highly problematic side effects that can leave you feeling loopy and out of it throughout the day.

Fortunately, depending on your body and the method of CBD use you try, CBD doesn’t come with these problems. CBD can take anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours before you begin to feel its impacts. However, this depends on a variety of factors, including your metabolism, height, and weight, experience with cannabis, and the method in which you consume the CBD. Tinctures taken sublingually tend to work faster than methods of ingestion that require digestion or absorption through the skin, as this allows for the CBD to get to your bloodstream faster.

Furthermore, as noted in a report from the World Health Organization, CBD is generally safe, non-addictive, and comes with tolerable side effects. These side effects include an upset stomach, dizziness, and light-headedness. To be sure, you should be prepared to deal with these side effects the first few times you try using CBD. Furthermore, make sure you consult with a doctor before trying CBD, just like you would with any other supplement.

Highly Flexible Uses

Perhaps one of the greatest benefits of CBD is that it comes with a wide array of flexibility. Indeed, no matter what your preference is, there are opportunities for you to find a CBD product that works for you.

For example, CBD tinctures come in a liquid-like format that you can place under your tongue or in a food or drink. Consuming them sublingually is a great way of speeding up the amount of time that it will take before the CBD starts to work.

CBD edibles allow for you to eat your CBD like a snack treat. Gummies are one of the most popular forms of CBD edibles currently available on the market.

CBD topicals have become wildly popular for helping people deal with skin issues or physical pain in certain spots. They come in a variety of formats, including cooling gels or massage oils.

CBD soft gels are also available that can be swallowed like any other medicine.

Furthermore, there are specific CBD solutions that have been formulated just for pets. These CBD products have been formulated to be animal-friendly and a great way of making sure that you can take care of your beloved pet.

To be clear, all CBD is not created equal. There are a few things you should do before trying CBD:

• Make sure that your product comes with a Certificate of Analysis. This is a test that comes from a third-party vendor that will provide an appropriate analysis of your CBD, confirming that the product contains exactly what the manufacturer says it does. All SUPA Naturals products come with Certificates of Analysis.
• Check with your doctor or medical professional, as some drugs may interact poorly with CBD. You should do this before starting any other health supplement.
• Determine if you want Full or Broad Spectrum CBD. Full Spectrum CBD contains low levels of THC, a specific type of cannabinoid. This amount if not enough to result in any sort of intoxication but will ensure the presence of the Entourage Effect, ensuring a more positive experience. All SUPA Naturals products are Full Spectrum.

CBD has many potential positive uses, is generally safe, and has minimal side effects. The reasons above are some of the many reasons you can try CBD, but you may find your own one as well. Indeed, countless people have seen their lives improved as a result of CBD use.