These days CBD is all over the media and with good reason. Studies show consuming CBD oil on a regular basis, whether orally, intranasally, sublingually, or topically, can help with a variety of health conditions.
Of course, according to Penguin CBD, the method of consumption you use and the dose you take do have an effect on its usefulness. it doesn’t do any good to apply CBD topicals to the skin if you are looking to address things like glaucoma or anxiety. In those situations, vaping CBD or consuming it orally through a gummy or pill is better.
Let’s take a look at the ways CBD oil can help with aging.
1. Visibly Reduce Signs of Aging Skin
By the time we hit our 30s, acne protection and UV protection are no longer our top skincare priorities. We become more focused on fighting the effects of aging and maintaining our skin health as much as possible. Treatment such as Botox and invasive methods like plastic surgery are becoming more popular, but many of us prefer all-natural anti-aging options.
As a biological process, aging is a result of the loss of firmness in the skin as it produces less collagen – approximately 1% less collagen every year after age 20. That gradual loss of firmness causes their skin to become more thin and delicate and the slow decline of natural oil production reduces moisture. This combination causes elastin to decrease as well which diminishes the skin’s healing capabilities.
Environmental conditions also contribute to the signs of aging and affect your skin health. External pollutants and sun damage can also reduce collagen and elastin production to cause more fragile skin, deep lines, sun spots, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation. The external causes aging are responsible for as much as 90% of how our skin ages compared to the biological causes.
Using CBD for skincare combats, prevents, and treats the signs of aging to give you more youthful-looking skin. Not only does it visibly reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, but it also helps to counteract free radical damage, naturally reduce inflammation, improve moisture retention, promote oil production, and slows collagen breakdown and loss to improve firmness and elasticity.
2. Relieve Arthritis Aches and Pains
Chronic pain and arthritic pain are common in the general population, but as we age, our joints don’t work as well as they used to. Multiple studies suggest that CBD can not only relieve arthritis aches and pains but can also be effective in addressing other types of pain. A 2018 review published in Frontiers in Pharmacology notes there’s a fair amount of evidence to support the claim that CBD can provide pain relief.
3. Keep Bones Healthy and Strong
Low bone mass and osteoporosis are a major public health threat in the United States as they affect more than 53 million American men and women over the age of 50. Though this may not seem like a lot, it does represent more than half of the people in the age group.
The biggest issue associated with osteoporosis is the increased risk of bone fracture. While many factors contribute to abnormal thinning of bone such as inadequate vitamin intake and weight-bearing exercise, new research is showing the actual mechanisms that degrade bone. Bone density, to a significant degree, is the balance between the activity of two types of cells – the osteoblasts that are involved in producing bone, and the osteoclasts that are the cells that degrade the bone.
New research has identified a cell receptor on the osteoclasts that once activated increases their activity and feeds the bone degeneration process. In lab animals, the administration of chemicals that stimulate the receptor turn on the action of osteoclasts and subsequent loss of bone density.
And a study published in the proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers demonstrated that using the best CBD oil specifically blocked the activation of this receptor which dramatically reduced osteoclast activity to slow the rate of bone degradation. Other research has shown that bone healing after a fracture occurs faster when exposed to CBD.
Though more human studies need to be conducted to confirm these conclusions, the results are promising
4. Soothe and Relax the Body and Mind
Anxiety and depression are two of the most common mental health disorders and when they are left untreated, they can have devastating effects on health and well-being. According to the World Health Organization, depression is the single most significant contributor to disability globally.
Conditions such as depression and anxiety are typically treated using pharmaceutical drugs which cause a barrage of side effects such as insomnia, drowsiness, headache, as a vacation, and sexual dysfunction. Certain classes of medications can be addictive and lead to substance abuse.
Multiple studies have shown that CBD has antidepressant-like effects, suggesting that it can act on the brain serotonin receptors. Serotonin is a crucial neurotransmitter involved in regulating mood, social behavior, appetite, and more.
5. Fight Insomnia
Insomnia can be caused by a number of things including mental health disorders such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety. Insomnia may also be a side effect of medication that disturbs your sleep wake cycle, caffeine if it is consumed too late in the day, environmental factors, and physical condition. For insomnia caused by external factors are related conditions, CBD may be helpful because it can treat the causes of the sleeplessness.
A 2014 small scale study examining for patients with Parkinson’s disease found that CBD affects the sleep cycle. Using CBD and prove the symptoms of REM sleep behavior disorder. RBD, as it is also known, is a disorder where a person and acts out their dreams. It is often associated with nightmares and poor sleep. A 2017 review also indicated that CBD may be a helpful treatment for RBD and then it shows potential for treating excessive daytime sleepiness.
The body needs sleep to reset and repair itself – and sleep is important at all ages. As we get older we may not require as much sleep as we did when our bodies were growing, but it’s still crucial to keep ourselves as healthy as possible.
