Wondering if CBD oils could be the best option for you? Whether you’re looking for pain relief, a way to enhance sleep, options for helping with your mood or anxiety, or just help relaxing after a hard day, there’s no denying the benefits of CBD oils and other products.
However, before you start taking CBD, it’s important to know exactly what it entails. Not all CBD products are created equal, and different types of CBD can absorb into and affect your system differently.
It’s critical to make sure you’re getting CBD oil from a company that strictly controls the sourcing, manufacturing, and labeling processes. There can be a lot of variance from brand to brand, and you’ll want to know exactly what is in your CBD oil. Otherwise, you could end up getting a slightly different product every time, with vastly different results. That can make it hard to dose accurately and track your results.
Bottomline: Make sure you do your research first, so you can get the full benefit of CBD oils!
What’s in CBD?
The “CBD” in CBD oil stands for cannabidiol, which is a cannabinoid (specific type of chemical compound) found in the Cannabis sativa plant. The Cannabis sativa plant comes in different varieties and strains, and is separated into two main classifications by the U.S. government.
These two classifications determine whether or not anything derived from the plant is legal at a federal level. The classification hinges on another cannabinoid, tetrahydrochloride, also known as THC. Cannabis plants with less than 0.3% THC are classed as “industrial hemp.” Plants with more are classed as “marijuana.”
The big difference between THC and CBD or other cannabinoids is that THC is psychoactive. That means when you get THC in your bloodstream (whether by smoking or ingesting it), it can cause feelings of euphoria or paranoia – sometimes both!
This is because our bodies have an endocannabinoid system (ECS) that allows natural cannabinoids made by our body to interact with receptors on our central and peripheral nervous systems. Cannabinoids from plants like Cannabis sativa are phytocannabinoids, not endocannabinoids, but they can interact in the human body the same way.
THC in particular can connect with those same receptors in the body, which is why it’s able to alter a person’s perception (in other words, it can make you high). In contrast, the other cannabinoids (such as CBD) just boost the efficiency and lifespan of natural endocannabinoids made by your body, which can affect things like your mood, sleep, anxiety, and pain signals.
To sum up, legal CBD oil is made from hemp that contains less than 0.3% THC. It won’t get you high, but can positively affect certain functions in your body. Here’s what else you need to know about the CBD oils.
Different Types of CBD Oils
Once a manufacturer has identified an industrial hemp grower (organic growers are the best bet for uncontaminated plants), it’s time to decide what type of CBD extract to create. There are three types of extract:
CBD Isolate
CBD isolate means that the CBD has been extracted from the hemp plant then purified until that’s all that is left. All of the other compounds are stripped away, including any trace amount of THC, all other cannabinoids, the terpenes (which have cannabinoid boosting properties), and any other substances.
Broad-spectrum CBD
Broad-spectrum CBD is refined to remove all THC, but does include some other cannabinoids and terpenes from the hemp plant. This typically works better than CBD isolate because of a phenomenon known as the “entourage effect.” Basically, the other compounds make the CBD itself work better in the human body.
Full-spectrum CBD
Full-spectrum CBD has it all. It’s the complete essence of the CBD plant extracted and distilled, including trace amounts of THC. This allows for the maximum entourage effect and optimal results thanks to the synergistic effect of all the compounds from the plant working together. So you’ll see the benefits of CBD oil increase with a full-spectrum product and you won’t get high.
The desired CBD extract is mixed with a carrier oil. Yummy CBD uses full-spectrum CBD infused into a medium-chain triglyceride (MTC) coconut oil. The advantage of this type of oil is that MCTs don’t get immediately stored away as fat; instead the body is able to break them down and metabolize them, so you don’t gain weight but gain energy instead. CBD works better when you have some fat in your system, so it’s a win-win option.
Now you have all of the information about CBD, it’s time to talk about the benefits of CBD oils for regulating your bodily functions and the messages that go between your nerves and your brain.
Benefits of CBD Oils
There are many benefits of using CBD oils. However, since CBD only recently became legal federally, and some states still have regulations on it, the research is still in the early stages. The good news is that there seems to be hard evidence that CBD can produce a positive effect for many different people with many different types of health and wellness goals.
Anxiety and Depression
Several studies in mice and humans have indicated that CBD can help with anxiety and depression. In one study, participants were given either a placebo or a varying dose of CBD and then made to perform public speaking, a source of anxiety for the group. The ones who got the largest dose of CBD were much less anxious. In a study with mice, CBD seemed to have a similar effect in the system as an antidepressant. More studies are needed, but there is also a wealth of anecdotal evidence from people saying their anxiety is less when they use CBD.
Relaxation
Outside of commonly studied benefits of CBD are the hundreds of thousands of people who take CBD who say there are additional benefits of CBD oils. Many people who take CBD say it’s easier to wind down after a stressful day and relax. This might be connected to the anti-anxiety properties of CBD.
Sleep
Another commonly self-reported benefit of CBD is how it can help regulate sleep. There is a lot of overlap between people who can’t seem to fall asleep or stay asleep and those who suffer anxiety or pain, so in some cases it could be connected to alleviating those other problems that leads to better sleep. However, even among people who report poor sleep as their only real issue, CBD seems to help. The benefits of CBD for sleep are enhanced when the natural sleep aid melatonin is added.
Appetite
CBD can feel like a lifesaver for people who suffer from appetite loss. This includes patients who are undergoing chemotherapy or radiation, who often experience terrible nausea leading to a suppressed appetite. It can also mean people with eating disorders, who cringe at the thought of food. Full-spectrum CBD’s ability to boost appetite and make food taste better may be partially attributed to terpenes, which are closely related to how things smell and taste.
Topical Uses
Many people use CBD oil topically to help with skin problems like rashes, dry skin, irritation, rosacea, acne, dermatitis, eczema or psoriasis. It’s unknown whether taking CBD orally can also help with these conditions.
Arthritis
Arthritis affects millions of Americans, as a natural part of the aging process. As joint materials deteriorate, the substances preventing bones from directly rubbing together – including cartilage and synovial fluid – decrease, leading to grating, grinding pain. A UK study showed that a CBD-based botanical was able to promote improvement in arthritis symptoms including pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility. As either a byproduct of reduced pain or another benefit of the CBD, patients reported being able to sleep better as well.
Chronic or Unmanageable Pain
There are many people who suffer from ongoing pain or pain that has proven unresponsive to other mitigation efforts. CBD has been shown to help alleviate some pain when given to patients with various issues, including neuropathy (nerve pain caused by nerve or spinal cord damage), pain caused by cancer or cancer treatment, chronic pain from arthritis or rheumatism, and other types of intense or aggravating unremitting pain.
Addiction Recovery
There have been several preclinical animal and human clinical trials that have led to results suggestive of a potential benefit of CBD for opioid addiction recovery. When CBD was given to a group of people with a heroin use disorder they reported reductions in salivary cortisol levels, cue-induced cravings, resting heart rate, and withdrawal anxiety. Other studies of patients subject to addiction or withdrawal have noted similar effects as well as reductions in anxiety, insomnia, and pain.
PTSD
In a small study of PTSD patients, 11 people were given CBD as a supplementary therapy in addition to their regular psychiatric outpatient care for eight weeks. Amazingly, 10 of the 11 experienced reduced PTSD symptoms. Since PTSD symptoms are closely related to and include anxiety, this probably shouldn’t be a surprise.
Diabetes / Insulin Resistance
Interestingly, tests on human cells show that CBD may be able to reduce the effects of high glucose by lowering insulin resistance. A problem many diabetics have is that their cells won’t let the insulin in to deal with the built up glucose within the cell. This causes high blood sugar levels, which can lead to peripheral neuropathy, retinal damage, loss of vision, wounds that won’t heal, heart complication, and other serious medical issues.
Progressive Diseases
Preclinical and clinical studies have suggested that CBD holds multiple antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These may be able to provide a level of protection against pathological disorders, including diseases that attack the brain and nervous system and those that are caused by inflammation and compromised immune systems. It appears that CBD might produce beneficial effects against Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), fibromyalgia, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gherigs’ disease.)
Epilepsy
This is one health condition for which a specific formulation containing CBD has even been FDA approved. Several studies show that the medication can reduce the frequency and severity of seizures. This has led parents in many states to demand access to CBD for children who suffer from continual seizures due to epileptic conditions or rare diseases.
Taking CBD Oils
Many people choose to take their CBD orally to start receiving its beneficial effects as quickly as possible. The fastest way to get CBD into your bloodstream is to use a CBD oil tincture. Yummy CBD offers two types of CBD oils, both of them sourced from organic industrial hemp and both containing full-spectrum CBD extract in a MCT coconut oil base.
We package our CBD oil in an opaque glass bottle to prevent the contents from breaking down when exposed to light. The bottle comes with a dropper clearly marked for dosing. Your bottle will contain 30 mL of CBD oil, and the typical dose is 1 mL, which is approximately half a dropperful.
Put the dose under your tongue and hold it there for 30-60 seconds, then swallow. You should start feeling the effects in 30 minutes to an hour.
Orange Zest CBD Oil for Daily Use
Our standard CBD oil tincture contains 33 mg of CBD per mL, so the bottle holds about 1000 mg. It has a delicious natural orange flavor, and you can use it anytime to enjoy its benefits. Take when you need some daytime pain relief, a reduction in stress or anxiety, or any other reason.
Mellow Mint CBD Oil
Our CBD oil sleep formula contains 67 mg of CBD per mL, plus we have added 1 mg of melatonin per mL. Every bottle holds about 2000 mg of CBD plus 30 mg of melatonin in a smooth mint-flavored oil. Take it before bed when you need to get some much desired sleep, and especially if you have pain at night that keeps you up.
Want more information? Review our helpful CBD Buyer’s Guide, then head over to our SHOP page to check out our full-spectrum Yummy CBD products, including both of our oil varieties and our popular CBD gummies.