Using CBD Oil for Autism: Does It Help?
Research into cannabidiol, referred to as “CBD” for short, is ongoing and still relatively new compared to other common therapeutic treatments. However, much of the research that has taken place around CBD strongly suggests that the chemical compound provides relief for several physical and mental health issues.
Among the conditions that studies suggest CBD products effectively treat are anxiety, epilepsy, and trouble sleeping. Many of those conditions are identified in people with an autism spectrum disorder, leading some researchers to believe that using CBD for autism can be effective for those with the developmental disorder.
That inspires a question: Can CBD products be used to make autism spectrum disorder more manageable in daily life? This blog post examines how standard cannabidiol products might lessen the presence of severe symptoms associated with autism.
What Is CBD?
Many states still consider the recreational use of marijuana a criminal offense. However, in much of the United States, marijuana use has been approved for medicinal purposes in recent years. One of the most approved and accessible forms of cannabis is CBD, one of the chemical compounds found in cannabis plants.
CBD products made from hemp plants are widely available relative to other forms of marijuana because they typically contain low amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol, THC for short, the central psychoactive component in marijuana. Without the presence of THC, CBD products do not induce a feeling of intoxication in users. Instead, the CBD compound is used explicitly for medicinal and therapeutic purposes.
Despite the Food and Drug Administration not yet having approved any over-the-counter CBD products, there has been much research into the health and wellness benefits that cannabidiol can potentially provide.
In addition to the commonly understood benefits like stress relief and lessened symptoms for anxiety disorders, recent studies have suggested that cannabidiol can help limit symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, muscle spasms, inflammation, and more.
CBD might be beneficial for various medical afflictions and symptoms, but not all products are the same. For cannabidiol oils, there are three primary forms:
- CBD Isolate: Isolate oils use only cannabidiol from cannabis plants rather than combining THC or any other compounds.
- Broad Spectrum CBD: Broad Spectrum CBD oils use cannabidiol and all other compounds from cannabis plants except for THC.
- Full Spectrum CBD: Full Spectrum CBD products contain all compounds within the cannabis plant, including THC. While the amount of THC will vary from product to product, the federally legal amount of tetrahydrocannabinol permitted in CBD oils is 0.3% or lower.
What Is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, is a developmental disability often diagnosed in young children. Children with autism often show symptoms in their first one to two years of life. These symptoms commonly include a lack of engagement with people or activities, constant repetitive behaviors, and difficulty adapting to environmental or routine changes.
As they get older, people with autism might have communication issues or struggle feeling comfortable in social interactions. As a result, many autistic children and adults face anxiety and stress throughout their lives.
Beyond the social and emotional challenges associated with autism spectrum disorder, some people with the disability have epilepsy, seizures, and sleep issues.
Autism spectrum disorder can affect many aspects of a person’s life and has no cure. However, there are common treatments for ASD that can help those afflicted lessen their symptoms. Many of the standard treatment options for people with autism include specialized therapies, medical prescriptions, and, more recently, CBD products.
How CBD Might Be Helpful for People with ASD
Like any other established therapies and medications for autism spectrum disorder, CBD cannot permanently remove any of the associated signs or symptoms. However, with the research conducted around CBD suggesting that the compound has many wellness benefits, there is reason to believe that cannabidiol can help people with autism manage their symptoms.
Two of the most common challenges people with autism spectrum disorder face are anxiety and stress, often surrounding communication and social situations. Results from various studies indicate that CBD is a helpful treatment for anyone who must deal with anxiety disorders and high degrees of stress. In addition, lowered anxiety levels could also improve sleep, as sleeplessness is another challenge some people with autism face.
Lowering stress and anxiety in people with ASD could provide secondary treatment benefits as well. Some adults and children with autism experience aggressive behaviors in certain situations. Those behaviors can lessen if CBD products are effectively treating feelings of anxiety.
With some of the more prevalent symptoms of autism spectrum disorder treated, children with the developmental disability could overcome some difficulties learning social communication skills. For example, research from a 2019 study showed that children with autism slightly improved their communication and social interaction skills following months of CBD treatment for autism spectrum disorder.
The research into exactly how effective using CBD oil for autism treatment can be is still ongoing, but many studies have recorded positive results from patients. In addition, studies suggest that CBD treatment for people with autism is as safe and well-tolerated and is effective for minimizing symptoms.
How to Use CBD Products for Autism Spectrum Disorder
Topicals
A topical is a kind of lotion, cream, or balm infused with CBD. One of the benefits of CBD is that it is effective as an anti-inflammatory or muscle soreness reducer. Topicals are ideal products for these ailments because they can be applied directly to the trouble areas to provide relief.
Topicals can be effective ways to reduce some symptoms of autism as well. Some people with autism experience epilepsy and seizures, which can lead to muscle contractions and soreness. A CBD topical applied to specific sore areas can help reduce pain.
SUPA Naturals offers a selection of three CBD topicals: cooling gel, massage oil, and body butter. Each product comes in various sizes and strengths and has practical applications for boosting sleep quality, reducing anxiety, and relieving muscle soreness.
Capsules
A CBD capsule is an oral ingestible designed to deliver health and wellness benefits through the digestive system. CBD capsules work slower than a product like CBD oil but offer complete relief to many areas.
The primary uses for CBD capsules are to soothe feelings of anxiety and stress and relieve aching muscles – two common symptoms experienced by some people with autism. In addition, CBD capsules can help with weight loss and chronic pain and limit Crohn’s disease and Parkinson’s disease symptoms.
CBD capsules are another product offered by SUPA Naturals. Our soft-gel capsules contain 25 milligrams of CBD and come in 30-count bottles, enough to last one month for most users. With the SUPA Naturals line of capsules, users will be receiving a product made from organically farmed, non-GMO hemp grown in Kentucky. The capsules are vegan-friendly and easy to swallow, and they provide consistent results due to their identical dosages.
Edibles
CBD edibles are a lot like capsules. After ingestion, they provide CBD wellness benefits through the digestive tract and relief in a wide range of areas. Edibles come in consistent milligram doses.
The areas of relief that CBD edibles target are also similar to those of CBD capsules. Edibles aim to lower stress and anxiety and relieve muscle pain. However, edibles can also help with sleeplessness and trouble focusing, two symptoms many people with autism experience.
Another significant difference between CBD capsules and edibles is the variance in strength and flavor. With SUPA Naturals, CBD edibles come in either a citrus or strawberry flavor, with options for 25 milligrams of CBD or 10 for lower pain levels.
Oils and tinctures
CBD oils and tinctures are liquids infused with CBD. These liquids are safe to take orally and can provide high-potency wellness effects to a range of ailments.
Among their many uses, CBD oils can lower feelings of stress, stimulate appetite, and ease chronic pain and inflammation. In addition to those general uses, using CBD oil for autism treatment can also be effective. Oils and tinctures infused with CBD can help improve sleep quality and lower chronic anxiety.
Full-spectrum CBD oils from SUPA Naturals are non-psychoactive and designed to deliver fast results. CBD oils and tinctures are available in three strengths, ranging from 500 to 2000 milligrams. Additionally, unflavored and mint-flavored options are available.
Frequently Asked Questions About CBD
Despite the research conducted on CBD, the FDA has still not officially approved any products containing the compound.
As such, many people have questions about what exactly CBD products do and how they work.
What else can CBD products treat?
Using CBD oil for autism spectrum disorder treatment can be an effective option because cannabidiol is potent in relieving many common autism symptoms, such as anxiety, sleeplessness, muscle soreness, and stress.
However, many of those afflictions are present in people with other disabilities as well. For example, stiff muscles and issues sleeping are typical experiences for people with Parkinson’s disease and Crohn’s disease, while anxiety and stress can affect anyone, including physically healthy people. CBD oil and other cannabidiol products can have benefits beyond those well-documented ones, as well.
Recent studies have shown that CBD can reliably soothe skin and reduce acne, reduce blood pressure, and limit severe symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, aka PTSD.
Is CBD oil legal?
The short answer is, yes, CBD products are legal according to federal law in the United States if they contain 0.3% THC or less. However, the specific rules and legality surrounding medical cannabis vary from state to state.
Many states have legalized marijuana for medical and recreational purposes, making CBD products of any form or strength easily accessible. However, that legalization is not universal across the country. Some states strictly abide by federal law and have legalized CBD products at or below only a 0.3% THC level. Others are a little more flexible but still regulate the specific contents of CBD to an extent other states don’t.
While CBD is legal on a country-wide level, it is still essential to check your state’s specific regulations to ensure the state you live in has approved the products you purchase.
Can I use CBD oil every day?
CBD is entirely safe for daily use. Many CBD products encourage everyday use to achieve desired results.
For example, CBD capsules from SUPA Naturals bring optimal health and wellness results when taken at least once per day. Users can even take SUPA Naturals’ CBD capsules three times a day for severe pain and symptoms without any adverse health effects.
Can CBD make you fail a drug test?
Most drug tests are testing for THC, so most CBD products will not cause failure on a drug test.
For example, isolate and broad-spectrum CBD oils do not use the THC compound from the cannabis plant and should not appear on any drug tests. On the other hand, full-spectrum CBD oil might appear on a drug examination, but only in trace amounts.
Are there any proven benefits of taking CBD?
According to multiple studies, using CBD products can be beneficial for a variety of applications.
Anxiety and stress relief are some of the most well-known and researched benefits. In addition, research around the cannabis plant compound is expanding to show that it can be a helpful anti-inflammatory and sleep aid.
CBD Products from SUPA Naturals
At SUPA Naturals, our goal is to offer quality health and wellness products that people can trust to help relieve their physical and emotional ailments.
So when you trust CBD oil from our shop to help with autism spectrum disorder treatment, you can take comfort in the knowledge that we have become a reliable CBD provider for a reason. We make our products from non-GMO hemp while keeping costs low so that you can enjoy the benefits at an affordable rate.
Email us at [email protected] to learn more about how CBD oil can be helpful for autism treatment or to find out more about our products.
