Just because you’ve passed the big 4-0 doesn’t mean you’re past your prime. You’ve worked hard and why shouldn’t your best years still be ahead of you?
Reading time: 9 Minutes
Let’s face it, aches and pains are a pretty normal part of getting a little older. Suddenly those stairs you used to fly up and down make your knees scream. The music you used to listen to gets paused a lot because of the migraine you sense coming on. And your hormones…yikes. It’s just not fair! But what if CBD could ease some of those problems?
You may be a little unsure about the marijuana plant because of everything you were conditioned to believe growing up. That’s understandable, but we’re specifically talking about the hemp plant. The hemp part is the non psychoactive part that won’t get you high or cause you to fail a drug test. Even more specifically, we’re talking about cannabidiol (CBD). This compound can provide users with a host of health benefits; and older men and women should definitely be paying attention. So we’ve put together some of the benefits for you to consider.
Is CBD Good at Any Age?
Absolutely!! CBD interacts with your endocannabinoid system (ECS) to help your body come into homeostasis (balance). Your ECS is your body’s natural communication system and it helps regulate other systems too! How CBD affects you can depend on several different factors, but mostly it just helps where the body needs it most! Isn’t that convenient?
If your sleep cycle is off, CBD can help bring your circadian rhythm back into balance. Find yourself prone to panic attacks at inopportune times? CBD might be what you need to help get your fight-or-flight response under control. Health and wellness is all about balance, and CBD can help with that at any age.
Fortunately, since CBD is made from industrial hemp and doesn’t have the same psychoactive properties that THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) has, it’s next to impossible to get high from using CBD. Although, the relief it brings can feel wonderfully euphoric.
While certain ages should use higher and lower doses of CBD products, everyone can benefit from it. As always, we recommend speaking with a medical professional before adding any supplement to your regimen. We’ll be covering some of the more common benefits, risks, and potential prescription drug interactions, but caution is always best.
CBD Benefits
One of the best things about CBD is that it can subtly improve different aspects of your life. Its healing properties may not completely turn back the clock, but it can definitely improve your overall quality of life. There are even specific benefits for both men and women.
CBD Can Help with Joint Pain and Arthritis
Arthritis and Joint Pain don’t discriminate by gender, but they do tend to become more prominent as we get older. In fact, according to the Arthritis Foundation, roughly 54 million adults have diagnosed arthritis or another rheumatic disease that leads to joint pain. However, that’s just those who’ve actually been diagnosed, so the actual number is probably much higher.
There’s help though. The two most well known receptors in the ECS are CB1 and CB2 receptors. The ECS has receptors all over the body, but some are more common in certain places than others. THC affects CB1 receptors which are more prevalent in the brain. CBD, on the other hand, attaches to the CB2 receptors. The CB2 receptors can have a big impact on your immune system–this means they influence the way the body responds to pain and inflammation.
Research published in the journal Pain showed that not only was CBD able to decrease arthritis pain, it was able to reduce joint neuropathy as well. The ability CBD has to influence your brain’s response to pain and inflammation is why it’s able to help people with so many different issues!
CBD Can Reduce Back Pain
Another way that CBD can make your life better is by reducing back pain. This is the kind of pain that can make it impossible to get out of bed. Sometimes it’s chronic, sometimes it progressively gets worse throughout the day, and sometimes it hits you out of the blue. No matter when or how it strikes though, it’s bad.
Whether you’re dealing with spinal inflammation or muscle tension, CBD helps combat back pain. Plain and simple. Experts atSpine-Health.com say that CBD can provide back pain relief in three ways: reducing inflammation, reducing anxiety associated with chronic pain, and by helping people get better sleep. Honestly, we’re more relaxed just thinking about those things.
For any type of severe chronic pain, we recommend using CBD oil. It’s one of the more powerful, long-lasting CBD products and can make a world of difference.
Osteoporosis Can be Slowed Down with CBD
In an article printed in early 2019 by Dr. Perlmutter, he said that osteoporosis affects, “over 53 million American women and men aged 50 and older.” That’s an insane statistic! Basically, it means that more than half of the people in that age group have osteoporosis. Thankfully, CBD can help slow down the progression of osteoporosis.
Researchers are finding that CBD may inhibit certain cell receptors associated with bone degradation. Other studies are showing that after a bone fracture has occurred, healing begins much faster after using CBD. So if you’re already feeling the effects of osteoporosis, get a dose of CBD in you immediately!
Sometimes osteoporosis is caused by hormonal fluctuations. Which leads us to…
Benefits of CBD for Women over 40
Honestly, women of all ages can benefit from CBD. In fact, we’ve already written a blog about it! We’ll probably continue to write about it as well. But if you deal with age related hormonal imbalances, then CBD is going to change your life. If this sounds like you, then here’s a short list of items that CBD might help you with:
- Hormone related osteoporosis
- Low libido
- Vaginal Dryness
- Menopause discomforts
- Mood Swings
- Migraines
- Insomnia
- Blood Pressure
Remember when we talked about how your ECS is in charge of keeping things in balance? That includes your hormones! As women age, their hormones can fluctuate wildly, and all of the above items can be heavily influenced by your hormones. Seriously, do yourself a favor and give CBD a try for a month or two.
Benefits of CBD for Men over 40
Don’t worry, there are plenty of male benefits as well. As men age some of the biggest lifestyle complaints heard are in relation to cholesterol, weight, and libido. As wide as that range of issues may seem, CBD can actually offer relief for ALL of them. Here’s our short list of CBD benefits for men:
- Reduced obesity,
- Better cholesterol
- Better stamina
- Stronger erectile functions
- Blood pressure
- Better sleep
There are also several human studies trying to discern whether or not CBD can increase testosterone in men. While the results look quite promising, a lot of those studies use THC CBD together. There haven’t been enough clinical trials studying purely CBDs influence on testosterone. So if you’ve successfully used just CBD and seen an increase in your testosterone levels, contact us and let us know about it!
Websites like Gearhungry note that a lot of these benefits come from the powerful anti-inflammatory properties of CBD. Whatever it is, it will leave you with better health and overall wellness.
CBD Side-Effects
You can probably tell by now that we’re obsessed with CBD. It can reduce pain, increase serotonin levels, improve blood pressure, and everyday there’s a new study showing its ability to treat epilepsy or cancer. It’s amazing! The effects of CBD could even help treat diseases like dravet syndrome and multiple sclerosis.
But we have to be realistic about the possible side-effects of this chemical. We’re still in the early stages of research when it comes to CBD. While the results we’re finding are downright miraculous, safety and caution are needed for progress. The human brain is complex, and everyone is wired a little differently.
So long as you’re purchasing pure, organic CBD from reputable distributors then you can avoid any of the side-effects associated with poorly manufactured products. The side-effects of low quality products, the Mayo Clinic says could be:
- Dry mouth
- Diarrhea
- Reduced appetite
- Drowsiness and fatigue
CBD and Prescription Drugs
One of the great things about CBD is that it can be used in place of some prescription medications. While that’s between you and you’re doctor, you should know right away that CBD does interact with some prescriptions.
You know how you’re not supposed to eat grapefruit when taking certain prescriptions? That’s because grapefruit inhibits activity of cytochrome P450. This liver enzyme affects the way your body breaks down drugs and toxins. Well, CBD effects that same enzyme. This means that CBD, along with grapefruit, can change the way your body metabolizes certain medications.
In one study, CBD increased the effectiveness of blood thinners (like Warfarin). Other drugs that can cause blood thinning, like ibuprofen, could also be affected. Potentially, CBD could prolong the influence of these drugs and lead to an increased risk of bleeding.
There are also documented interactions between CBD and sedatives, anti-seizure medications, and chemotherapy drugs. You can always use the grapefruit method and just not use CBD with any prescription drug that says not to consume grapefruit. However, it’s always best to consult with your doctor first. We would never recommend that someone trade CBD for their medications with talking with a medical professional first.
What Dose of CBD Should You Take?
The best rule to follow is “start low and go slow.” You may not need a very high dose of CBD to get the results you’re looking for, and if you’re worried about side-effects then starting with a very low dose may help you avoid them.
In an interview with Forbes, one physician said he has patients taking doses as low as 5mg a day and others taking 1500 mgs a day. There have been no overdoses associated with CBD, so toxicity is almost a non-issue. His starting point for healthy adults is usually around 5mg.
But for those who are on medications or who are sensitive to medication side-effects, he recommends starting even lower at 2.5 mgs. When it comes to increasing that dose, he says, “we encourage people to start at a very low dose – 2.5 mgs – and then increase in 2.5 mg increments – depending on how aggressive they want to be – over anywhere between 2 days and one week.” Just remember to always use caution.
Conclusion
While you’re more than welcome to consult a whole host of experts and researchers about the medicinal qualities of the hemp plant, you can also just hear it from our very happy customers! We believe that CBD can improve people’s lives in a myriad of ways.
For those just needing a little boost it can reduce pain, improve quality of sleep, soothe muscle tension, and ease some of the general pressure from anxiety. But there are more and more studies everyday where we’re discovering the amazing potential that CBD can have for those who suffer from epilepsy, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and more.
If you’re ready to improve your quality of life, then contact us today and ask us about our CBD products. We’ll work with you to find a product that not only fits your lifestyle, but enhances your lifestyle as well.