The Very Many Health Benefits of CBD Oil

Cannabidiol – better known as CBD – has been a health store staple for a number of years now. You can find CBD in everything from drinks and snacks to sports bras (yes, really).

Do these over-the-counter items ever deliver on their bold claims – of pain relief and life improvement? Quite often, they do not. 

But wait. When you scratch beneath the hype and noisy marketing of consumer products, the truth of medical CBD is very different. 

When prescribed by a specialist doctor or purchased from a reputable, trusted source, CBD oil is an evidence-backed natural remedy for a wide range of physical and mental health conditions.

First though, let’s first explain a thing or two.

What is CBD Oil? And How Is It Different From THC?

CBD is one of more than 100 cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. After tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), it is the second most common active ingredient. 

Once extracted from the cannabis plant, CBD can be added to a carrier oil (olive, coconut or hemp seed, for example) to make a medical oil. 

Most often, this is taken sublingually (under the tongue, which makes for fast absorption into the bloodstream, and an effect within 30 minutes). Yet you can also mix CBD oil  into food, drink, creams, balms and more.

CBD oil is non-psychoactive and can be used for therapeutic benefits like pain relief and anxiety reduction, while THC oil is psychoactive, capable of producing a euphoric high, when consumed recreationally. While CBD is beneficial for a variety of symptoms, there are conditions and needs where THC can also play a crucial role. 

THC’s unique properties can offer additional therapeutic benefits, such as enhanced pain relief, appetite stimulation, anti-nausea effects and more.

For certain medical conditions, the synergistic effect of THC and CBD, often referred to as the "entourage effect," can be more effective than CBD alone. 

However, many people are consuming CBD oil in the UK, why is this and how can it help?

5 Different Ways CBD Oil Can Improve Health

Pain Relief

The evidence that CBD can help chronic pain sufferers is growing. 

For instance, recent studies have shown promising signs for CBD as a treatment for arthritis and migraines. Each called for more high-quality research to further validate the findings, however.

Elsewhere, a 2022 systematic review (that is, a paper that reviews all available primary research on a given topic) championed CBD as “an excellent alternative” to heavy-duty painkillers.

The paper states CBD treatment may provide a safer, natural and non-intoxicating option versus opioids – which, though effective, come with a known risk of addiction and accidental overdose.  

However, for some patients and conditions, CBD alone may not be sufficient. In such cases, THC is often required due to its stronger analgesic properties. 

Medication that contains THC is only available in the UK when prescribed by a specialist doctor through a private clinic like Alternaleaf.

Mental Well-being

In a recent trial of 300 adults with anxiety, both THC and CBD-dominant medical cannabis helped lower people’s anxiety, compared to a non-cannabis control group.

On CBD’s impact on insomnia, the data is more mixed. 

A 2024 randomised control trial (RCT) showed little difference between CBD and placebo, however a systematic review from 2023 is more optimistic. It said that “CBD alone or with equal quantities of THC may be beneficial in alleviating the symptoms of insomnia.”

Neurological Impact

Without question, the strongest scientific evidence for CBD is treating drug-resistant epilepsy in children. 

Study after study has backed up the positive impact CBD can have among kids with epilepsy, and research from 2023 hints at how. 

While more research is needed to confirm it, the paper suggests CBD effectively blocks signals carried by a particular molecule (lysophosphatidylinositol) that triggers a seizure.

Anti-inflammatory 

CBD oil can be an effective tool to treat inflammation, with the impact potentially shaped by both dosage and delivery system. 

For example, in a four-week RCT, 250mg of topical CBD oil made a “statistically significant” difference among participants. Another study (this time, in rats) showed a clear effect on inflammation without any side-effects.

The understanding here is that, by applying CBD oil directly to the skin, it can bring targeted help to an aching joint or muscle, rather than enter the bloodstream (when taken orally) and affect the whole body.

Skin Health

When used topically, there’s some data to suggest that CBD oil can ease the irritation caused by skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis and pruritus. This is due to CBD’s antioxidant properties, which can help soothe and revitalise skin.

Meanwhile, a Journal of Clinical Investigation study found CBD can reduce the production of sebum, which can help manage acne. 

Please note, you should never use a CBD oil (or any medical product as a rule of thumb) topically if it has not been formulated for that specific use. 

Dosage Guidelines and Advice

It’s hard to find a one-size-fits-all approach when recommending CBD dosage. 

Why? Because, just like any medicine, different people will react to medical cannabis differently. Not only that, there are a host of factors that will determine your dose.

These include:

• Height and weight: bigger people, broadly speaking, are more likely to have a higher tolerance.
• Metabolism: if you have a fast metabolism, you may need a higher – or more frequent – dose.
• Your health condition: Easing chronic pain could require a higher dose of CBD oil than anxiety, for instance. 
• The strength of your CBD oil prescription.
• Existing tolerance: That is, whether you are new to medical cannabis or are an experienced user.
• Delivery method: Applying CBD oil as a topical cream will absorb, and work, differently than drops under your tongue.

The single best piece of advice when taking CBD oil for the first time: start low and go slow. This way, you can see how it affects you personally, before gradually increasing your dose, if needed.

But don’t worry, if your Alternaleaf doctor determines that a CBD product is needed within your treatment plan, they will help you figure out the prescription, dose and delivery method that suits you, and your health condition, best.

Potential Side Effects and Risks

Some people experience side effects from their medicine, and CBD oil is no different.

These can include fatigue, dry mouth, dizziness, changes in appetite and diarrhoea. 

Luckily, side effects are rare (especially versus some alternatives, like opioids), with these more likely at high doses.

There have also been claims that CBD can harm your liver, yet recent research has cast doubt on this. 

It’s important to highlight that although CBD is considered safe and available over the counter, it can interact negatively with some medications, so it is vital to check with your GP or a specialist before you add it to your treatment plan.

Summary

• Once extracted from a cannabis plant, CBD –can be added to a carrier oil (e.g. coconut, olive, coconut or hemp seed) to make a medical-grade oil.

• Studies show that CBD oil can ease symptoms of a wide range of health conditions – from chronic pain to mental wellbeing, plus issues that cause inflammation, or affect the skin and brain. However, for some conditions and symptoms, products containing THC may also be required to achieve full relief.

• The right dose is linked to numerous factors – including your height and weight, previous consumption of medical cannabis, and what it is you are trying to treat.

• Some side effects, though rare, are possible. 

For more information, or to find out if CBD oil may be the right treatment for you, get in touch with Alternaleaf today.