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What is Hemp Oil Good For?
As CBD begins to become more mainstream, more and more people will begin to inquire what hemp oil is good for. While CBD still remains in a gray area between being able to sell CBD products, and the FDA not fully giving CBD its full blessing, many studies have been completed that show CBD, and hemp oil may have health benefits for you.
The benefits of hemp oil vary, from assisting in the treatment of health issues ranging from skin to digestive issues. It may also have the potential to enhance several aspects of your life, like allowing you to get a better night’s rest, to relaxing you a bit in stressful situations.
Moisturizing Skin
Hemp oil contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. The omega-3s help reduce inflammation, and the omega-6 fatty acids help repair damaged cells.
It also has vitamins A, C, D, and E, which are antioxidants that protect your body from free radicals (which cause aging).
It also contains gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), an essential fatty acid in many oils and nuts like borage seed oil, evening primrose oil, and black currant seed oil.
GLA helps to soothe inflamed or irritated areas such as eczema or psoriasis by acting as an anti-inflammatory agent that reduces pain and itching associated with these conditions.
And when you apply hemp oil, or CBD oil, to your skin, with CBD topicals, it coats the skin and forms a barrier that protects against environmental damage. This helps keep moisture in your skin, preventing dryness and flaking.
In addition to moisturizing and protecting your skin from free radicals and inflammation, hemp seed oil is also known for reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. This makes it an excellent choice for those looking for an alternative to over-the-counter wrinkle creams or Botox injections.
Relieving Anxiety and Stress
Anxiety and stress are among the most common reasons for taking hemp oil. It can help reduce feelings of anxiety, panic attacks, and stress.
The effects of hemp oil on anxiety are attributed to its ability to interact with the endocannabinoid system. The endocannabinoid system plays a role in regulating the brain’s response to stress and anxiety.1
And hemp oil has been shown to improve mood by acting on the CB1 receptors in our brains. This means that it helps balance our moods naturally without causing any side effects, unlike other antidepressants, which can have unpleasant side effects like nausea, vomiting, or drowsiness.
Moreover, CBD oil has shown itself to possibly assist those that deal with depression by reducing the symptoms of depression and improving cognitive function by increasing blood flow within the brain. This is because hemp contains fatty acids that help support healthy cell membranes in your brain cells.
These fatty acids also help maintain their fluidity and permeability, which are essential for cell signaling and communication between neurons.
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Reducing Symptoms of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
Related: CBD for Menstrual Cramps and PMS – What you Need to Know
Since hemp oil contains fatty acids and amino acids, it also helps lessen the uncomfortable symptoms of PMS. This can include:
Nausea, Headaches, and Cramps
PMS can cause painful cramps in your abdomen, as well as headaches and nausea. These are all symptoms that hemp oil may be able to assist with more naturally. The fatty acids found in hemp oil help reduce inflammation, and inflammation is one of the leading causes of cramps.
Hemp oil also contains amino acids that improve muscle tone and strength, which can help relieve cramping pains more effectively than over-the-counter pain medications like aspirin or ibuprofen (Advil).
Low Serotonin Levels Cause Fatigue
Many women experience fatigue during their periods due to low serotonin levels caused by decreased progesterone production. And research shows that hemp oil helps improve serotonin production by increasing tryptophan levels in the brain, naturally increasing serotonin production without a prescription.2
Bloating or Water Retention
Hemp oil can also reduce bloating and water retention by helping your body absorb nutrients more efficiently and effectively.3 Since hemp oil contains anti-inflammatory properties, it can minimize swelling after eating certain foods that cause bloating, such as dairy products or gluten-containing grains like wheat, rye, or barley.
Lowering Blood Sugar and Cholesterol Levels
Another main benefit of hemp oil is its potential ability to lower blood sugar levels by minimizing glucose absorption and improving insulin sensitivity. This is important because high blood sugar levels can increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Moreover, hemp seed oil also helps lower cholesterol levels by reducing LDL (bad) cholesterol while increasing HDL (good) cholesterol. This works by lowering triglyceride levels, fatty molecules that can cause inflammation in your blood vessels and damage them over time.
The body breaks down fats into fatty acids and glycerol for energy production, but when there are too many fatty acids in your body, they build up and cause damage to the arteries and other organs. And lowered triglycerides reduce this risk.
Improving Digestion & Nutrient Absorption.
Fiber is vital for healthy digestion because it helps you feel fuller with fewer calories, preventing overeating and weight gain. It also helps keep waste products moving through your intestines so they don’t get impacted in your colon or rectum — both of which can lead to severe medical conditions such as diverticulitis or colon cancer.
And hemp seeds are full of fiber that helps keep your digestive system moving smoothly while supporting your immune system health and nutrient absorption.
This means more vitamins and minerals end up in your bloodstream. This is especially important for vegans and vegetarians who don’t eat meat because they may be lacking certain nutrients like vitamin B12 which are only found in animal products.
Seizures and Epilepsy
CBD oil has also shown that it may be some relief for those that deal with seizures and epilepsy. As mentioned, the body comprises an endocannabinoid system with receptors in the brain, organs, and connective tissues. When these receptors are stimulated, they control various processes such as pain, memory, and mood.
There’s no one explanation for how cannabis works for epilepsy and seizure disorders, but the most promising theories focus on the brain’s endocannabinoid system. It helps maintain homeostasis in the body by regulating sleep, appetite, inflammation, and other functions. It’s also involved in mood disorders like depression and anxiety and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Too much activity at one point or another in this system — which often happens during a seizure — can negatively affect health. For example, suppose too many endocannabinoids are produced when there isn’t enough oxygen in the brain. In that case, they can lead to hypoxia (a lack of oxygen) which can cause further damage to neurons.
Conclusion
Hemp oil, and CBD oil, are natural products that may have a wide array of health benefits. While there have been many studies that have shown the potential benefits, more studies need to be performed to see how the long-term effect may affect the body.
We’ve seen that hemp oil is something to consider utilizing daily for the many benefits it may bring you.
Lucky for you, there are many forms that CBD oil comes in which can be beneficial for you, including CBD topicals, CBD gummies, CBD capsules, CBD cigarettes, and CBD flower.
The possibilities seem somewhat endless for how this amazing natural product can assist you. You can ingest it or be used in skin care products to provide moisture or temporary relief from common ailments.
references
1Zou, S., & Kumar, U. (2018). Cannabinoid Receptors and the Endocannabinoid System: Signaling and Function in the Central Nervous System. International journal of molecular sciences, 19(3), 833. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19030833
2De Gregorio, D., McLaughlin, R. J., Posa, L., Ochoa-Sanchez, R., Enns, J., Lopez-Canul, M., Aboud, M., Maione, S., Comai, S., & Gobbi, G. (2019). Cannabidiol modulates serotonergic transmission and reverses both allodynia and anxiety-like behavior in a model of neuropathic pain. Pain, 160(1), 136–150. https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001386
3Brugnatelli, V., Turco, F., Freo, U., & Zanette, G. (2020). Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Manipulating the Endocannabinoid System as First-Line Treatment. Frontiers in neuroscience, 14, 371. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2020.00371
