Did you ever have to go through an excessively stressful time in your life? You probably did because the entire world had to put up with the pangs of the pandemic and all the uncertainties it brought. A lot of people are entirely oblivious to the fact that stress and anxiety can contribute to unhealthy weight gain. When your body is under extreme stress, it starts gaining unnecessary weight. The condition releases a hormone to counter the effects of stress called cortisol, and it can remain elevated for prolonged periods. Cortisol aims to provide your body with energy. As a result, it increases your appetite, particularly for food items you shouldn’t eat. Cortisol also contributes to fat deposition around the stomach and hip that can be extremely difficult for you to get rid of.
Cortisol and CBD
When it comes to controlling cortisol, exercise is one of the most effective strategies. It releases endorphins with the power to fight stress naturally and reduce cortisol simultaneously. CBD also does the same thing. It interferes with cortisol secretion by improving your mood and eliminating stress. An excessively high level of cortisol can increase inflammation response, apart from reducing sleep and causing other problems. Your brain releases it as a response to “fight or flight” situations. That’s why overworked professionals who don’t get enough sleep usually end up being the worst sufferers. While medical science doesn’t have anything conclusive regarding the effects of CBD on cortisol, there are a few convincing theories. For instance, the body produces cannabinoids through the endocannabinoid system. These cannabinoids are also similar to CBD in terms of chemical composition. Therefore, by consuming CBD, you take the same thing externally that your body produces internally.
The perks of CBD
As already mentioned earlier, high quantities of cortisol can result in a variety of problems. Heath problems can increase cortisol, but the quantity of this hormone can also increase in your body from sleep deprivation. If you continue reading, you’ll find the benefits of CBD for cortisol.
- Encourages sleep: When cortisol levels affect sleep and poor sleep amplifies cortisol production, it forms a trap. Getting out of this trap can be a challenge for anyone. CBD treats this condition by encouraging sleep. Medical researchers tested the effects of CBD on 72 people who chose to participate in a study. These people were adults, and they couldn’t sleep properly at night. However, as soon as they started using CBD, about 50% of the participants managed to reduce stress by sleeping better.
- Relief from anxiety: The next piece of the puzzle is stress, which is a byproduct of high cortisol levels. Hundreds and thousands of people are now self-medicating with CBD. One study utilized simulated public speaking as the means to measure the effect of CBD on patients that suffered from social anxiety disorder. The group that didn’t receive CBD struggled to cope with the situation, while the other group on CBD didn’t exhibit as much discomfort as the previous group.
- Inflammation reduction: Cortisol is often the cause of inflammation, but this issue, along with chronic pain, can sometimes lead to the release of cortisol. Therefore, by taking CBD, you can take care of this toxic feedback loop in such a way that you’ll reign over cortisol levels. There’s a report generated by the NCBI that can tell you everything you need to know about how cannabidiol works as an anti-inflammatory solution.
- Cortisol level reduction: Studies prove that CBD can act on cortisol through many indirect mechanisms. While the holistic approach of reducing the root causes of cortisol production is valuable, CBD can do a lot more. Another study indicates that CBD can interfere directly with cortisol production without any negative side effects.
Final considerations
Well, there you have it – an all-inclusive discussion concerning the connection of CBD with cortisol. If you wish to learn more about cannabidiol or how it works against cortisol, you can speak to your doctor or consult someone who specializes in supplementing with alternative medical substances.
