CBD products have become extremely popular globally for their broad spectrum of healing, health-promoting and rejuvenating powers. CBD is a term for cannabidiol. It's a natural compound produced by cannabis that has a range of properties making it ideal in treating health problems like arthritis and anxiety. In Australia it has been legalized by the TGA after being banned for many years. Multiple clinical studies have proven its safe, non addictive, highly therapeutic and very helpful for health. It's even being used today as a supplement simply to improve day to day health and recovery. CBD is anti-inflammatory in the body. Because of this it helps to soothe aches and pains, plus inflammatory issues resulting from exercise or conditions like colitis. Let’s take a look at how CBD is made and its effects.
How is CBD Oil Made?
Fundamentally all of these oils are from the same source - the cannabis sativa plant. This may include the plant's buds, leaves, stems, and seeds. Where they diverge in production however is the extraction method used. There are a few different methods that can be used to draw the nourishing oil from the plant. Firstly CO2 extraction. This is likely the most common method. It’s also the best in terms of purity and minimization of contaminants in the final product. Once the raw oil is extracted and pressed from the plant, it's passed through a high-pressure CO2 gas mix. This cools the oil and extracts the higher density plant particulates and waste from the lower density pure full spectrum CBD oil.
Generally, this is accepted to be the current optimal methodology however can cost more than more simple approaches and take longer to process. Ethanol or butane can also be used as extraction mediums. In these cases, the oil is passed through the liquid to dissolve it and draw out the nutrient-dense oils. Both of these substances are strong solvents meaning they can react with and dissolve many different compounds they come into contact with. The biggest downside is they can also destroy many of the healthy omegas and bioavailable flavonoids in the oil which reduces its overall health benefits. It can also create a distasteful flavor to many, as well as cause contamination of the final extract oil itself in some cases. While typically used as a carrier oil, olive oil or MCT can be leveraged to heat the extracted CBD oil, stratifying it and enabling the removal of a pure refined product. We typically avoid this method as it can be low in final purity and effectiveness of filtration. Olive oil does have many other health benefits and nutrients noted as polyunsaturated acids, long-chain fatty acids, and a high level of vitamins.
Does CBD get you high?
So you’ve come across CBD oil. But what is it? This all-natural plant-based product is seeing massive uptake. Plus, hugely glowing reviews online. In one line, it's a nutrient-rich oil extracted from plants. It's simple right? Well, not exactly - while the huge growth in the popularity of full-spectrum CBD oil and similar products is not disputed, describing what it is and isn't might be. We want to clear the air and give you the full explanation. We want you to leave this read-through more informed and able to understand what both full spectrum, broad spectrum, and standard isolate oils are. We'll also touch on how these may differ from hemp seed oil, as well as how it is made.
The nutritious and therapeutic products derived from hemp are many and varied. Indeed nearly as varied as the cultivars of cannabis sativa. Hemp is just one of these cultivars, with its key distinguishing characteristic being its 0% THC content. Despite this, it retains critical cannabinoids and nutrients like terpenes, cannaflavins, flavonoids, and many other useful compounds like beta-carotene. When grown in quality-controlled oxygen and nitrogen-rich organic soils, the ancient plant can flourish and create a high abundance of these compounds. Such unique properties haven't gone unnoticed. Many cultures from Asia and the Middle East have carefully harvested and used it for a variety of purposes including anti-inflammatory ointments and to relieve pain.
Does it help with arthritis?
Now that you've gotten across what all the fuss is about and what makes up CBD oil let's take a look at a question we get asked frequently. This question centres on whether or not CBD oil can help with pain and arthritis. To our knowledge, the answer is certainly yes. It's the endocannabinoid system in the body that helps to deal with these two often related problems. Arthritis is a degenerative disease affecting the sheaths which encapsulate our joints. This could mean the knee, shoulder, elbow, or any of the joints within our bodies. When it degrades it causes friction between the bones and resultantly pain. As many as 1 in 7 adults in Australia will experience arthritis in their lifetime.
It's a frustrating problem. Tendons, joints, and tissue can become inflamed and irritated due to the new friction. Chronic pain is often a result. If the arthritis is considered 'chronic' and doesn't appear to reduce or resolve from treatment it may be considered osteoarthritis. So how does this oil come into the picture? Well, arthritis is a condition caused and worsened by inflammation. Bacteria and other irritants can infect the joint and lead to the degradation of its sheath. Over time symptoms generally worsen from age and wear. CBD can help both with the pain arthritis causes as well as its underlying inflammatory causes.
CBD as well as CBN and CBG act similarly in the body to many synthetic anti-inflammatory medicines, acting along similar metabolic pathways. In combination with antioxidants, these cannabinoids help reduce overall stress and inflammatory markers across the body’s organs, tissues, and joints. This type of damage is caused by free radicals from pollutants and toxic chemicals we may come into contact with over time that can cause damage to cells. Antioxidants like beta carotene and flavonoids can help to protect from inflammatory problems like arthritis. Further to this, CBD is analgesic or pain-relieving. It can assist in mitigating the pain signals that are sent to the brain when nerve pain is triggered. Arthritis can be very painful and suppressing these signals is key to minimizing this uncomfortable feeling.
Credits:
Created with an image by Esther Sweeney - "Woman with her head in the sky"