How does CBD oil relieve stress?

Knowing how your body responds to stress and how CBD oil can help your body is so important. Knowing that CBD oil is good for stress is one thing but actually understanding why and how just puts it all together.

What is stress?

Stress is your body’s way of keeping you safe. When your body recognises a situation as being stressful, it communicates this throughout the body. This allows your body to take the right steps so it can respond to the situation in the best way possible.

When your mind picks up on a stressful situation it relies on the Hypothalamus pituitary adrenal axis (HPA) which allows a release of hormones though your body known as the ‘flight or fight’ response. Your adrenal gland produces a stress hormone called cortisol. This tells your body to mobilize the energy your body needs to cope with this threatening situation, making sure you have the energy needed to run or to fight.

Your body sees your immediate survival as its top priority so it takes the energy it needs from other important areas in your body, such as your immune system and your reproductive system.

All these reactions are great, they are there to keep you safe. It’s an appropriate response to a stressful situation, especially if you are being chased by a wild animal and you need to getaway. In this situation who cares that your body has redirected the energy that is allocated to your immune system to help you run away!

Your endocannabinoid system is involved with how you perceive stress. The region in the brain involved with the processing of stress, houses cannabinoid receptors which assist in defining how big of a threat there is and determining the correct behavioural response.

The neuronal reactions (reactions in your brain) that follow exposure to stress can sometimes be overwhelming. Your endocannabinoid system helps reduce or enhance the number of messages your brain receives around stress, anxiety and fear. In essence, your endocannabinoid system can fine-tune your body’s reaction to a stress response. If your endocannabinoid system is constantly challenged by stress and lifestyle choices over long periods of time it can impact the effectiveness of this system.  

CBDs have also been shown to help shield your cells from the effects of stress, by offering protection to your adrenal glands, thyroid and your brain.

If you have chronic stress and anxiety supplementing with CBD is recommended as part of a comprehensive anxiety treatment plan that your medical practitioner will be able to assist with.

Written by Nourish Move Heal www.nourishmoveheal.co.za

References

Bagar, T. 2020, Endocannabinoid system and stress response (implication in fatigue and burn-out) Found at: https://www.fundacion-canna.es/en/endocannabinoid-system-and-stress-response-implication-fatigue-and-burn-out

Moore, G. 2019. CBD for Stress & Anxiety. Found at: https://www.foriawellness.com/blogs/learn/how-cbd-oil-vape-helps-stress-anxiety

Is there and Antidote to Stress? With Dr. Rangan Chatterjee. The Doctor’s Farmacy with Mark Hyman, MD. Found at: https://drhyman.com/blog/2019/12/31/podcast-ep87/.

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