CBD - ShFit Talk #10
Talk about what is all the rage at the moment. It seems like every insta fitness model, MMA Fighter and Athlete is using it and promoting it, but what is the research behind this. Well today on our 15 min ShFit talk we are going to take a little bit of a closer look at this product.
The first thing….How is CBD oil different from smoking a joint?
Well, first off CBD stands for cannabidiol. CBD is one of many ingredients in cannabis marijuana, NOT marijuana itself. This means that CBD does in fact come from the hemp plant, a cousin of the marijuana plant. Although people want to relate CBD and marijuana saying they are the same thing...they are in fact not. Related yet, but are we all the same as that ONE crazy cousin we all have??
CBD by itself does not cause that “weed high.” According to WHO (The World Health Organization), “In humans, CBD exhibits no effects indicative of any abuse or dependence potential. To date, there is no evidence of public health related problems associated with the use of pure CBD.”
This is great, right...because CBD is exploding in the market. We are talking beyond pharmaceuticals and into and beyond. CBD is now in everything from cosmetics, to food and beverage and more. According to the BDS Analytics and Arcview Market Research, the CBD in the US market is expected to surpass $20 BILLION by 2024! Yes folks you read me right. 20 BILLION! Even if Trump does try to crack down on CBD and Marijuana, the industry forecast of a “27% annual growth rate through 2021 remain”.
Although this area in the medical industry is still on rocky ground, the FDA approved the first ever cannabis-derived medicine in 2018 called Epidiolex. Epidiolex is used to treat childhood epilepsy syndromes including Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS). While rare these are both server conditions that usually appear in early childhood or infancy. Before I get any angry messages….remember CBD is NOT the weed marijuana and Epidiolex does not contain any THC.
OK, back to Our CBD Oils. Since we just talked about the first ever FDA approved product, I guess it goes without saying that all the products on the market at the moment, besides the above mentioned, are NOT FDA approved. However, there are a number of studies showing some really nice benefits including:
Relieve Pain. Studies have shown cannabis (mostly THC - the weed stuff is more effective at this then just CBD)
Alternative to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs & opioids
Reduce inflammation
Help with digestive issues such as IBS
Improve Sleep Quality
A study done on animals from the European Journal of Pain showed CBD applied on the skin could help lower pain and inflammation due to arthritis.
Other possible health benefits (more research and testing needs to be done first) include:
Acne
Anxiety
Depression
And more
As with everything there are always side effects, and CBD is no different. Although much less than so so many other pharmaceutical high dollar drugs.
Side effects include:
nausea
fatigue
irritability
CBD can increase the level in your blood of the blood thinner coumadin (Warfarin)
May very slightly raise levels of certain other medications.
Basically nothing nearly as bad as some of the pharmaceutical drugs.
To be honest, one of the really safety concerns with DBD right now is that it is primarily marketed and sold as a supplement, not a medication. So currently, the FDA does not regulate the safety and purity of dietary supplements. A recent study of 84 CBD products bought online showed that more than a quarter of the products contained less CBD than labeled. In addition, THC was found in 18 products. Nothing like going for a drug test and losing that dream job because you bought something that no one is regulating.
CBD is relatively new in the fitness industry and Without sufficient high-quality evidence in human studies we can’t pinpoint effective doses, and because CBD is currently mostly available as an unregulated supplement, it’s difficult to know exactly what you are getting.
If you are just looking to reduce inflammation, delayed muscle soreness and improve brain function, you could always try something a little more organic, cheaper and easier to get….Turmeric.
Supplements available at your local GNC or Vitamin Shoppe.
References:
Comments