CBD can help relieve pain, boost your mood and make you feel better overall. But what’s the best way to take it?
There are so many different types of CBD products on the market today that you might not be sure which one is going to serve your needs most effectively. There are delicious gummies, beverages, topical salves and creams, easy-to-swallow capsules, and so much more. Products are all over the web and in local shops, and each of them has something different to offer.
Figuring out the best way to take CBD isn’t always easy when you’re just beginning your journey with the products. Everyone is going to have something different that works for them because everyone is going to have a unique relationship with CBD. You may not experience the same symptoms as other people who are making product recommendations to you, and you may have a different taste or prefer a simpler grab-and-go method of getting your CBD.
In this article, we’re going to explore the best methods for taking CBD based on what you’d like to achieve with this wellness product.
What Can CBD Be Used For?
CBD can be used for a variety of different ailments. It is most often chosen for its pain-relieving properties and its ability to fight inflammation. Many people who deal with chronic pain favor CBD over other products that help reduce pain and help muscles to recover, as opposed to pharmaceuticals and other products on the market that contain a lot of unnatural ingredients. Even many natural products are out-performed by CBD.
CBD has analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties that are well-documented through research. The antioxidants in CBD also help with muscle repair and soreness after a workout. It’s also frequently used for mental ailments as well. People who deal with anxiety, depression, or PTSD, or who could use a mood booster, have found that CBD helps calm their mind and improve their mood.
It interacts with a lot of the same neurotransmitters that psychiatric medications do, reducing anxiety and helping to regulate serotonin to ease other mental health problems. It can also help regulate your sleep schedule, boost your weight-loss routine, and more.
CBD is incredibly versatile! The way that you choose to take it is going to be based on a few factors, like what you’d like to use it for, how you prefer to take it, and personal preference.
Why Is CBD So Versatile?
The fact that CBD oil can be used for so many different things leaves a lot of people thinking that this product is just too good to be true. In fact, the reason why CBD is so versatile comes down to science. All mammals have something called an endocannabinoid system, or ECS. Your ECS is part of your central nervous system and peripheral nervous system. It is a network of receptors in your body (known as cannabinoid receptors) that the CBD and any other cannabinoids can bind to.
The endocannabinoid system was discovered in the early 1990s. It is a richly complex system in your body that plays a big part in a lot of different processes like mood, pain, appetite, immunity, stress, reproduction, sleep, memory, and metabolism. The general consensus among researchers today is that the main function of the ECS is to help your body to maintain homeostasis.
Homeostasis is a fancy scientific term that means, at its simplest, balance. The reason that CBD is so versatile is that the ECS helps your body to maintain balance among a variety of bodily functions. Adding cannabinoids like CBD into your daily regimen can help you to restore and maintain that balance that helps you to feel well. Even if you aren’t struggling with any particular ailment, boosting balance in your body can help you feel even better.
Your ECS is made up of two types of receptors that are known as CB1 and CB2 receptors. They can be found throughout your body: in the brain, gastrointestinal tract, immune system, and more. These two different types of receptors allow you to take CBD in a variety of ways.
The Best Way to Take CBD Based on Your Needs
Acute Pain and Chronic Pain
If you’re dealing with acute or chronic pain, products that are designed to be applied externally might be your best bet. You can take CBD for a variety of different types of pain ranging from headaches to injuries, neuropathy, and even fibromyalgia. Applying a cream externally helps deliver targeted relief to that area of your body using the cannabinoid receptors in your skin.
Taking CBD oil under the tongue as drops (also known as tinctures) can also be a great choice if you have chronic pain. This allows you to take higher doses and keep a regular stream of cannabinoids in your body to help regulate that pain on an ongoing basis. There are also CBD patches that you just stick on to your skin, which deliver a stream of CBD over time.
Anxiety, Depression, and Mood
If you want to use CBD to help with anxiety and boost your mood, or you have some other mental health concern and you think you’d like to explore CBD as an option to help relieve those symptoms, taking it orally may be the easiest option. There are CBD oils, capsules, gummies, and even beverages that include other ingredients like B vitamins, melatonin, and other feel-good herbs, vitamins, and minerals.
Taking CBD this way will help target the cannabinoid receptors in your brain by helping you deliver CBD straight to the bloodstream through the gut. This is a surefire way to help keep a steady amount in your body. Taking CBD that contains a melatonin supplement right before bed can be great for sleep.
The Easiest Way to Take CBD
The easiest way to take CBD is through something like a capsule, tablet, or gummy product. The reason that this method is so easy is that you do not have to measure anything out. These types of products contain a pre-measured dose and are ready to go.
There are a variety of flavorful and fun gummies on the market that come in small, medium, and large doses. Some gummies contain terpenes so they have a very earthy taste, though. If you don’t think you would like the earthy taste that the terpenes and cannabinoids provide, you can get ones with a milder flavor or choose to take your CBD in a pill format.
The Fastest Way to Take CBD
The fastest way to take CBD, by far, is vaping. There are tons of different CBD vape juices for refillable systems on the market, as well as disposable CBD pods for closed pod systems. You can even purchase disposable CBD vape pens. There is a broad range of fruity, dessert-like, and natural flavors to choose from.
Vaping is the fastest way to get your CBD into the bloodstream. This is because inhaling CBD delivers this cannabinoid directly to the bloodstream after reaching the lungs. This is a great choice if you want to get smaller amounts of CBD throughout the day, or if you like to use it as a quick way to stave off a headache or anxiety attack.
The only drawback of this method is that your body will metabolize the CBD faster than it would if you ingested it orally, because it reaches the bloodstream faster. However, if you’re someone who puffs on your vape several times throughout the day, this is the fastest way to deliver it to your cannabinoid receptors.
