Cannabidiol or CBD Health Benefits: CBD to Treat PMS?
What is Cannabidiol or CBD?
The world-wide interest in marijuana is not its psychotropic abilities to make you high. It's the chemical that is derived from the plant's stalks called Cannabidiol, or CBD.
The psychotropic chemical, THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is derived from the flowers and leaves of the marijuana plant. CBD is extracted from the fibrous part of the plant which is known as hemp.
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| The Cannabis Plant |
Naturally Occurring Cannabinoids in Our Body
Our bodies produce their own cannabinoids are are part of the body's endocannabinoid system. Our bodies have two receptors that are affected by cannabinoids, CB1 and CB2.CB1 receptors are located in the brain and spinal cord and CB2 receptors are located on cells in our immune system. CB2 receptors are involved in our immune response. When CB2 receptors are activated by our body's own cannabinoids, our immune response is inhibited.
CBD is Anti-Inflammatory
CBD helps our body fight inflammation by allowing our body's own cannabinoids to linger in our system longer. CBD inhibits enzymes that break down our body's cannabinoids. Thus, CBD can help reduce the symptoms of inflammation, such as pain and stiff joints.CBD and Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
80% of women suffer from PMS and 15% to 20% of women have severe PMS symptoms that they need to seek medical advice. That's 20,000,000 women who are suffering from a severe form of PMS!PMS Personal Experience
Since I was a teen, I have suffered from premenstrual syndrome. I would have the classic symptoms of bloating and cramps once a month. I would occasionally suffer headaches and migraines during my period.Today, as I near menapause, my PMS symptoms are more extreme. Once a month, I suffer from migraines, extreme nausea, and moodiness. As our bodies get older, we are more affected by the monthly swing of hormones.
CBD for PMS?
Current CBD research is focusing on its positive effects on the symptoms of epilepsy, chronic inflammation, and even cancer. There is no research that I could find about CBD and premenstrual syndrome. However, there is a link between PMS and inflammation.University of California Study Confirms PMS Caused by Inflammation
In 2016, a groundbreaking study on the causes of PMS was conducted by the University of California, Davis Campus. The data of 3000 women was analyzed and the study concluded that an increase of the protein related to inflammation, CRP (C-reactive protein ), was elevated in women who suffer from PMS.I wondered if CBD, given it's anti-inflammatory properties, would help with my PMS symptoms?
CBD Lip Balm
CBD is often administered by placing drops of oil under your tongue, waiting a minute for it to absorb into your system, them swallowing the oil. The bioavailability of CBD taken orally is 6%, according to an a study published in Scientific Journal Clinical Chemistry. Based on this research and others, I concluded that acids in our stomach can destroy most of the CBD is taken orally. Better absorption methods were intravenous and vaping.I decided that giving myself injections of CBD or vaping CBD through an e-cigarette would not be options for me. However, there was another option that I could try, CBD lip balm.
Most CBD skin products, including lip balm, contain very little CBD (25 mg or less). I decided to formulate my own CBD lip balm by using CBD isolate, which is 99% pure CBD with no THC. Why lip balm? CBD is absorbed into our body through our mucous membranes, like your tongue, and our lips are a mucous membrane. I rationalized that a lip balm will sit on your lips for an hour which would allow your body to slowly absorb the CBD.
Results
After three months of using CBD lip balm, most of my PMS symptoms have disappeared. Although I experience minor bloating, I no longer suffer from nausea, headaches or migraines. What a relief!PMS continues to be minimized by medical professionals and the general public. PMS and the more serious form, PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder) can be debilitating, affecting your personal life and career. CBD can be a relief to your symptoms as it is for me.
Will CBD work for you? The only way to find out is if you try it.
More Reading
Everything you need to know about CBD oil
How CBD Works & What It Does?
