Huttons CBD
CBD and Mental Health
Feb
World Mental Health Day 2021
As it is World Mental Health Day this Sunday, we have written a handy guide explaining how CBD can be beneficial to mental health. Of course, CBD isn’t a cure for mental health problems, but it can work with the body to promote a better state of balance known as homeostasis, which refers to the stability of your internal environment.
How does it work?
CBD will work with cannabinoid receptors that make up the Endocannabinoid system (ECS) which was founded by researchers early 1990s. These receptors are located in various places in the body. Endocannabinoids bind and will send a signal the ECS needs to take place. Here are the central endocannabinoid receptors:
- CB1 receptors, which are primarily found in the central nervous system
- CB2 receptors, which are primarily found in your peripheral nervous system, especially immune cells
While we are still discovering the full extent of the ECS, we are aware it plays a role in multiple functions such as:
- appetite and digestion
- metabolism
- chronic pain
- inflammation and other immune system responses
- mood
- learning and memory
- motor control
- sleep
- cardiovascular system function
- muscle formation
- liver function
- reproductive system function
- stress
- skin and nerve function
How can it help?
CBD impacts all the processes listed above by interacting with the body’s internal endocannabinoid receptors. This means that stress, anxiety, pain, mood, sleep and many more systems which contribute to mental health can be affected by CBD. Studies have shown CBD could be particularly effective for people with anxiety and mental health issues exacerbated by sleep or pain.
To successfully reach homeostasis, our body must find a balance. To explain this point, if an athlete applies stress to their body through a workout which leads to pain and inflammation, This will send homeostasis into effect, and the endocannabinoid system will begin to try to balance the body. Taking CBD can assist the process.
If you are affected by anything in this article, please speak to someone or reach out to your GP.
