The world of health and well-being is always coming up with new products, which experts claim will change your life and make you healthier. So, you could be forgiven for thinking that CBD is just another fad. But is it?
There is good reason why people around the world are singing CBD’s praises, whether suffering physical or mental ill-health or leading an active and sporty life. Although there are some particular ailments that scientists believe that CBD can help, one of its main strengths is its ability to help to keep your general health and well-being in top form.
What is CBD?
Cannabidiol – or CBD as it is more commonly known – is a compound that is naturally present in the cannabis plant. It has no properties that will make you high, but it can have other significant effects on the human body, as well as animals.
CBD works by interacting with the endocannabinoid system in the body. This is a system that is concentrated in a number of areas around the body and which is responsible for keeping certain aspects in a state of homeostasis – or regulated and balanced. Some of these aspects include the immune system, the central nervous system and mood.
The endocannabinoid system consists of a set of cannabinoid receptors and endocannabinoids, which then interact with each other. Endocannabinoids are made by the body and CBD is what is known as a Phyto cannabinoid – a cannabinoid that is made by a plant.
There are a number of cannabinoid receptors (the parts that interact with CBD and other cannabinoids) near to the surface of the skin.
This means it can be good for reducing some inflammation, which is one of the reasons it can be so useful to people with a sporty or active lifestyle.
CBD and sports people
There are increasing numbers of people who live active lifestyles or regularly take part in sports, who use CBD to help with a number of issues. Generally speaking, CBD is legal for sportspeople to use although it is advised to double-check with your particular sports body if you plan to compete.
CBD is particularly used by sports people for its anti-inflammatory assistance and, consequently, pain-relieving properties.
CBD can often be used on joints and muscles to reduce inflammation and therefore aid in a quicker and less painful recovery.
How to use CBD
CBD can be bought in many forms – from under the tongue drops, to edibles, to vape to capsules. However, if you are physically active and looking to use it on sore muscles and joints, CBD creams and balms might be more beneficial.
When a CBD cream is rubbed into the skin, it becomes absorbed into the area where it is applied and directly interacts with the cannabinoid receptors and gets to work at reducing inflammation. This reduction will then have the knock-on effect of reducing pain.
CBD applied as a cream does not enter directly into your bloodstream and you can apply it only to the area which is causing you trouble. It means that you can apply as much as you want, as often as you want, before, during or after your workout.
If you were to be taking CBD through an alternative method, it enters into the bloodstream and you would need to take more care over the dose that you are taking.
CBD cream will usually start to come into effect between about 20 minutes and an hour after you have applied it.
There are no noticeable side effects from using CBD cream, although it is important that you test it on your skin first – as with most products – for the possibility of skin allergies.
For those of you interested in trying or learning more about CBD cream, here is a good article from CBD Shopy on the top CBD creams in UK.
The legalities
Just because CBD is a compound that is present in cannabis doesn’t mean that it is illegal. In fact, it is another compound, THC (or tetrahydrocannabinol), which is illegal. This is the compound that makes you high.
This means that as long as you are using CBD products that contain no or very little (less than 0.2% in the UK) THC, you are doing nothing illegal.
The CBD used in products is usually extracted from the hemp plant – a specific variety of cannabis that has very low levels of THC. This means that it won’t make you high and shouldn’t show up in drug tests.
If you are a professional athlete or are subject to drug testing, however, you should be aware of the different kinds of CBD.
CBD can usually be bought in three types: Full spectrum, broad spectrum and CBD isolate.
- It is agreed that CBD can be more effective when it is taken in conjunction with the other compounds of the plant. This CBD is known as full spectrum CBD and means that the product will include all of the other cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids found in the plant. However, there will almost certainly be some traces of THC, which, although levels will be very low, may still be present. We recommend buying your CBD oil products from Blessed CBD – a family run business based in the UK (who were also recently voted the #1 UK CBD oil by Mirror).
- Broad spectrum CBD is essentially full spectrum CBD with the THC removed. This will give you all of the goodness of full spectrum CBD but without the THC, reducing still the levels of THC in the product.
- CBD isolate is as pure a form of CBD that you can get. Although not necessarily as effective as the full and broad spectrum CBD, isolate is really the best guarantee that you will have no THC show up in a drug test.
Living an active or sporty lifestyle is not only fun, but it’s also great for your health. And CBD can mean that your recovery is quicker and less painful. By using CBD cream, you can apply as much as you wish to, when and where you want and get it working straight away into those sore and aching muscles and joints.
