9 Benefits of CBD Oil for Pain, Anxiety, Inflammation

1. Relief for Chronic Pain

People suffering from chronic pain from diseases like fibromyalgia are finding relief with CBD. Using CBD reduce chronic pain and prevent nervous system degeneration. This has been approved in Canada for multiple sclerosis and cancer pain.

Under the general category of medications, there are both oral and topical therapies for the treatment of chronic pain. Oral medications include those that can be taken by mouth, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, acetaminophen, and opioids.

2. Calms Childhood Epilepsy

This oil has anti-seizure properties that have been shown to successfully treat drug-resistant children who have epilepsy. It was found in the New England Journal of Medicine, CBD decreased frequency of seizures by 23 percentage points more than those taking a placebo.

Most children with epilepsy live full, active lives that include school, friends, sports, and other activities. How much epilepsy interrupts a child's life depends upon the kind of epilepsy, the success of treatment, and many other factors. Talk to your child's doctor about what activities your child can do and encourage your child to participate.

As your child grows, help him become more independent. Driving, college, career, marriage, and raising a family are possible for the vast majority of people with epilepsy.

3. Reduces Anxiety and Depression

Depression affects 6% and anxiety affects 18% of the U.S. population each year, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. It was found shows that CBD oil can help with both.

CBD reduce levels of stress and anxiety in those suffering from conditions such as PTSD, social anxiety disorder, and obsessive compulsive disorder.

Depression (major depressive disorder) is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Fortunately, it is also treatable. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed.

• Persistent depressive disorder (also called dysthymia) is a depressed mood that lasts for at least two years. A person diagnosed with persistent depressive disorder may have episodes of major depression along with periods of less severe symptoms, but symptoms must last for two years to be considered persistent depressive disorder.
• Postpartum depression is much more serious than the “baby blues” (relatively mild depressive and anxiety symptoms that typically clear within two weeks after delivery) that many women experience after giving birth. Women with postpartum depression experience full-blown major depression during pregnancy or after delivery (postpartum depression). The feelings of extreme sadness, anxiety, and exhaustion that accompany postpartum depression may make it difficult for these new mothers to complete daily care activities for themselves and/or for their babies.
• Psychotic depression occurs when a person has severe depression plus some form of psychosis, such as having disturbing false fixed beliefs (delusions) or hearing or seeing upsetting things that others cannot hear or see (hallucinations). The psychotic symptoms typically have a depressive “theme,” such as delusions of guilt, poverty, or illness.

      4. Reduces Inflammation

In our society chronic inflammation is a huge problem that contributes to many non-infectious diseases including heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, autoimmune disease, and more, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

It was shown that CBD oil can reduce chronic inflammation that leads to disease.

• Inflammation is the body's attempt at self-protection to remove
• harmful stimuli and begin the healing process.
• Inflammation is part of the body's immune response.
• Infections, wounds, and any damage to tissue would not 
• be able to heal without an inflammatory response.
• Chronic inflammation can eventually cause several diseases 
• and conditions, including some cancers and rheumatoid arthritis.

5. Reduces Oxidative Stress

For many ailments today oxidative stress is responsible. That is when the body has too many free radicals and can’t keep up with neutralizing them. CBD reduce neurological damage caused by free radicals.

Stress is your body's way of responding to any kind of demand or threat. When you sense danger—whether it's real or imagined—the body's defenses kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic process known as the “fight-or-flight” reaction or the "stress response."

Stress generally refers to two things: the psychological perception of pressure, on the one hand, and the body's response to it, on the other, which involves multiple systems, from metabolism to muscles to memory. Through hormonal signaling, the perception of danger sets off an automatic response system, known as the fight-or-flight response, that prepares all animals to meet a challenge or flee from it. A stressful event—whether an external phenomenon like the sudden appearance of a snake on your path or an internal event like fear of losing your job when the boss yells at you—triggers a cascade of hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol, that surge through the body, speeding heartbeat and the circulation of blood, mobilizing fat and sugar for fast energy, focusing attention, preparing muscles for action, and more. It generally takes some time for the body to calm down after the stress response has been triggered.

6. Promotes Healthy Weight

This oil can maintain healthy blood sugar, stimulates genes and proteins that helps break down fat, and increase mitochondria that helps burn calories.

The truth is that cancer cells thrive in an acidic environment but cease to exist in Alkaline environments.

A high amount of body fat can lead to weight-related diseases and other health issues and being underweight can also put one at risk for health issues. BMI and waist circumference are two measures that can be used as screening tools to estimate weight status in relation to potential disease risk. However, BMI and waist circumference are not diagnostic tools for disease risks. A trained healthcare provider should perform other health assessments in order to evaluate disease risk and diagnose disease status.

Height and weight must be measured in order to calculate BMI. It is most accurate to measure height in meters and weight in kilograms. However, the BMI formula has been adapted for height measured in inches and weight measured in pounds. These measurements can be taken in a healthcare provider’s office, or at home using a tape measure and scale.

7. Improves Heart Health

Top priority for heart health is healthy diet and lifestyle, but CBD oil can also help. According to some researches CBD oil reduces artery blockage, reduces stress induced cardiovascular response, and can reduce blood pressure. It may also reduce cholesterol.

Your heart is a strong muscle about the size of the palm of your hand. Just like an engine makes a car go, the heart keeps your body running. The heart has two pumps. The stronger pump uses arteries to send blood with oxygen away from the heart, throughout the body. The other pump uses veins to bring blood back to the heart and sends it to the lungs to get more oxygen. An electrical system in the heart controls the heart’s pumps (the heart beat or pulse).

Heart Disease

There are many different kinds of heart disease. The most common is atherosclerosis (ath-uh-roh-skluh-roh-sis), the buildup of fatty deposits or plaques in the walls of arteries. As plaque builds up, there is less space for blood to flow normally and deliver oxygen through­out the body, including to the heart. Depending on where the buildup is, it can cause a heart attack, leg pain, or a stroke. Atherosclerosis is not part of normal aging and can be serious. There are choices you can make to prevent or delay heart disease, including:

8. Improves Skin Conditions

This oil can be used to treat skin conditions. It was found that this oil can help treat conditions like eczema by encouraging abnormal cell death. This oil regulates the skin’s oil production, reducing acne. CBD has many nutrients like vitamin E that help improve and protect the skin.

The skin is an organ that provides the outer protective wrapping for all the body parts. It is the largest organ in the body. It is a waterproof, airtight and flexible barrier between the environment and internal organs. It keeps the internal environment of our body stable. The skin is divided into 3 layers, the epidermis, the dermis and the subcutaneous layer.

The epidermis is the outer layer of the skin. It is a mosaic of cells glued together and its thickness depends on the location on the body. On the palms and soles the epidermis is thick, flexible and resists mechanical injury. On the eyelids it is very thin and allows maximum movement. The epidermis prevents loss of water and body fluids, resists mechanical and chemical injury and protects against bacteria, viruses and parasite infections. The pigment in the epidermis plays an important role in protecting the skin from ultraviolet radiation.

The hair follicles, sweat glands, sebaceous (oil) glands and apocrine glands develop from the epidermal cells, but their deeper parts extend into the dermis. The glands open onto the surface of the skin via small ducts.

Hair grows from the hair follicle, which is found in all skin except the palms and soles.

Nails are specialised plates of hard keratin that develop from the epidermis overlying the small bones at the ends of the fingers and toes.

There are 3 main groups of cells in the epidermis:

1. Keratinocytes (skin cells)
2. Melanocytes (pigment cells)
3. Langerhans cells (immune cells).

The main cell in the epidermis is the keratinocyte, which develops from the bottom or basal layer and then migrates upwards over a period of about four weeks to the outer surface (stratum corneum) where it is shed.

Langerhans cells are specialised immune cells that are an important part of the body’s immune response to foreign materials and infections.

The melanocytes produce pigment. All humans have the same number of melanocytes. The difference in skin colour occurs because in darker skin melanocytes produce more pigment. The melanin pigment protects the cells of the epidermis and the tissues in the dermis from sun damage. Lighter skinned people are more susceptible to developing sun damaged skin because their melanocytes produce less melanin (skin pigment).

Dermo-epidermal junction

This is a complex region where the dermis and epidermis are attached to each other via specialised cells and molecules. It contains the basement membrane.

Dermis

The dermis lies beneath the epidermis and is 20 to 30 times thicker than the epidermis. It is composed of a dense network of specialised proteins (collagen and elastin) organised into fibres of differing sizes and properties.  A complex gel of different proteins surrounds these fibres. All together this is known as the extracellular matrix.

Within the extracellular matrix are blood and lymphatic vessels, nerves, the bottom part of the hair follicles and sweat glands.

Subcutis (subcutaneous layer)

This is a specialised area under the dermis, which contains a network of collagen fibres and fat cells (adipocytes). It protects the body from external trauma and insulates from cold. It acts as a main storage site for fat and therefore energy. There are many blood and lymphatic vessels and nerves passing through the subcutis.

9. Fights Cancer

CBD oil can slow growth and spread of some kinds of cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. Because this oil fights oxidative stress and inflammation it makes sense that CBD oil could help fight cancer cells.

Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread to other parts of the body.

Cancer prevention is action taken to lower the risk of getting cancer. This can include maintaining a healthy lifestyle, avoiding exposure to known cancer-causing substances, and taking medicines or vaccines that can prevent cancer from developing.

Cancer is a class of diseases characterized by out-of-control cell growth. There are over 100 different types of cancer, and each is classified by the type of cell that is initially affected.

Cancer harms the body when altered cells divide uncontrollably to form lumps or masses of tissue called tumors (except in the case of leukemia where cancer prohibits normal blood function by abnormal cell division in the blood stream). Tumors can grow and interfere with the digestive, nervous, and circulatory systems, and they can release hormones that alter body function. Tumors that stay in one spot and demonstrate limited growth are generally considered to be benign.

More dangerous, or malignant, tumors form when two things occur:

1. a cancerous cell manages to move throughout the body using the blood or lymphatic systems, destroying healthy tissue in a process called invasion
2. that cell manages to divide and grow, making new blood vessels to feed itself in a process called angiogenesis.

When a tumor successfully spreads to other parts of the body and grows, invading and destroying other healthy tissues, it is said to have metastasized. This process itself is called metastasis, and the result is a serious condition that is very difficult to treat.

According to the American Cancer Society, Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the US and accounts for nearly 1 of every 4 deaths. The World Health Organisation estimates that, worldwide, there were 14 million new cancer cases and 8.2 million cancer-related deaths in 2012 (their most recent data).

How cancer spreads

Scientists reported in Nature Communications(October 2012 issue) that they have discovered an important clue as to why cancer cells spread. It has something to do with their adhesion (stickiness) properties. Certain molecular interactions between cells and the scaffolding that holds them in place (extracellular matrix) cause them to become unstuck at the original tumor site, they become dislodged, move on and then reattach themselves at a new site.

The researchers say this discovery is important because cancer mortality is mainly due to metastatic tumors, those that grow from cells that have traveled from their original site to another part of the body. These are called secondary tumors. Only 10% of cancer deaths are caused by the primary tumors.

The scientists, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, say that finding a way to stop cancer cells from sticking to new sites could interfere with metastatic disease, and halt the growth of secondary tumors.

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Dancing can reverse the signs of aging in the brain

As we grow older we suffer a decline in mental and physical fitness, which can be made worse by conditions like Alzheimer's disease. A new study, published in the open-access journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, shows that older people who routinely partake in physical exercise can reverse the signs of aging in the brain, and dancing has the most profound effect.

"Exercise has the beneficial effect of slowing down or even counteracting age-related decline in mental and physical capacity," says Dr Kathrin Rehfeld, lead author of the study, based at the German center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Magdeburg, Germany. "In this study, we show that two different types of physical exercise (dancing and endurance training) both increase the area of the brain that declines with age. In comparison, it was only dancing that lead to noticeable behavioral changes in terms of improved balance."

Elderly volunteers, with an average age of 68, were recruited to the study and assigned either an eighteen-month weekly course of learning dance routines, or endurance and flexibility training. Both groups showed an increase in the hippocampus region of the brain. This is important because this area can be prone to age-related declineand is affected by diseases like Alzheimer's. It also plays a key role in memory and learning, as well as keeping one's balance.

While previous research has shown that physical exercise can combat age-related brain decline, it is not known if one type of exercise can be better than another. To assess this, the exercise routines given to the volunteers differed. The traditional fitness training program conducted mainly repetitive exercises, such as cycling or Nordic walking, but the dance group were challenged with something new each week.

Dr Rehfeld explains, "We tried to provide our seniors in the dance group with constantly changing dance routines of different genres (Jazz, Square, Latin-American and Line Dance). Steps, arm-patterns, formations, speed and rhythms were changed every second week to keep them in a constant learning process. The most challenging aspect for them was to recall the routines under the pressure of time and without any cues from the instructor."

These extra challenges are thought to account for the noticeable difference in balance displayed by those participants in dancing group. Dr Rehfeld and her colleagues are building on this research to trial new fitness programs that have the potential of maximizing anti-aging effects on the brain.

"Right now, we are evaluating a new system called "Jymmin" (jamming and gymnastic). This is a sensor-based system which generates sounds (melodies, rhythm) based on physical activity. We know that dementia patients react strongly when listening to music. We want to combine the promising aspects of physical activity and active music making in a feasibility study with dementia patients."

Dr Rehfeld concludes with advice that could get us up out of our seats and dancing to our favorite beat.

"I believe that everybody would like to live an independent and healthy life, for as long as possible. Physical activity is one of the lifestyle factors that can contribute to this, counteracting several risk factors and slowing down age-related decline. I think dancing is a powerful tool to set new challenges for body and mind, especially in older age."

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Finds Marijuana 100X Less Toxic Than Alcohol, Safer Than Tobacco

Science once again catching up with what many already knew – but this is progress: A new scientific study has investigated the toxicity of various drugs and found Marijuana the clear winner. It’s been found significantly less toxic than all the other substances on the list – including not only illegal drugs but the LEGAL alcohol and tobacco. Here’s our full report.

Marijuana Use in the United States
Marijuana, colloquially referred to as weed or pot, is made up of dried leaves and flowers of the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. Statistics released by the National Institute of Drug Abuse reveal that in respondents aged 18 to 25, more than half (exactly 51.90 percent) have used marijuana. Percentages are lower in the other two age groups, with 16.40 percent of respondents aged 12 to 17 and 45.70 percent of respondents aged 26 and older reporting marijuana use. [1]

On the other hand, there have also been studies on the adverse effects of marijuana. One of these was published in mid-2014, focusing the negative health effects of smoking marijuana, particularly on the increased risk for lung cancer. [5] Of course, the study was only able to reveal how it was smoke (not cannabis itself) that damages lung tissue. This problem could easily be solved by changing the method in which marijuana is administered.

The results of the study were conclusive: The highest spot belonged to alcohol, while the succeeding spots were filled by heroin, cocaine, nicotine, MDMA, methamphetamine, methadone, amphetamine, diazepam, and THC (or marijuana). With marijuana in the lowest spot (over 100 times less toxic than alcohol), it can be surmised that its effects on health and society have been largely overestimated. If there was a plant that couldn’t be more misunderstood – or was it perhaps intentionally maligned – it has to be marijuana.

It’s important to note that the study measured toxic effects and does not consider any social effects of the use of the drug. However, this result is a clear indication that policies on marijuana are outdated and need re-evaluation – which is something that is gradually happening. It’s good news for the herband for the use of herbs in general.

Claims on marijuana’s medicinal values have been widely debated despite support from medical research and study. Federal legislations that govern marijuana use aim to restrict rather than regulate – and this has posed a problem to people seeking the medicinal and recreational effects of the herb, very far from intentions of abusing its effects. What is it about marijuana that scares the government – and the public – so much?

Risk Assessment of Marijuana and Other Substances

But is marijuana use as dangerous as the law makes it out to be? The intoxicating effects of marijuana, although different, are not thought more severe than that of mild to moderate alcohol intake – a substance that is not illegal anywhere in the United States, or most countries all over the world. A study published in January 2015 by Lechenmeier and Rehm [6] assessed the comparative risk between different “mind-altering” substances, specifically alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and other illicit drugs like heroin. Surprisingly, the study revealed that cannabis was the least risky substance, belonging to the other end of the spectrum. Do you know what substance was revealed the most risky? Alcohol.

How is this possible? The study used an approach called the Margin of Exposure (MOE) which is drastically different from other studies that simply attempted to find causational relationship between two factors – (1) substance use/abuse and (2) mortality. MOE is different; it’s a ratio between the estimated (average) human intake and the benchmark dose (or toxicological threshold). Basically, it’s a ratio between how much humans typically intake and the dose at which the substance becomes dangerous – which is a better judge of how risky a substance can be. The higher the MOE is, the higher its spot on the list.

The results of the study were conclusive: The highest spot belonged to alcohol, while the succeeding spots were filled by heroin, cocaine, nicotine, MDMA, methamphetamine, methadone, amphetamine, diazepam, and THC (or marijuana). With marijuana in the lowest spot (over 100 times less toxic than alcohol), it can be surmised that its effects on health and society have been largely overestimated. If there was a plant that couldn’t be more misunderstood – or was it perhaps intentionally maligned – it has to be marijuana.

It’s important to note that the study measured toxic effects and does not consider any social effects of the use of the drug. However, this result is a clear indication that policies on marijuana are outdated and need re-evaluation – which is something that is gradually happening. It’s good news for the herband for the use of herbs in general.

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Effect of Walking

Staying in shape can be difficult, but it’s something that everyone should do to ensure their health. However, you don’t need to join a gym or run five kilometers every day. Regular walks can be enough to improve your health and keep you fit. The health benefits of walking regularly are numerous.

Aside from improving your mental and cardiovascular health, as well as aiding in weight loss, walking regularly can just be a great way to get some fresh air into your lungs and get some much-needed vitamin D from direct sunlight. Even just getting out of your home and moving around can be enough to improve your mood and well-being.

These are eight benefits of walking that you may experience if you walk even just 30 minutes each day, you’ll start to experience improvements in your physical and mental health. Walking is recommended by the Mayo Clinic as a low impact exercise, and it is bound to benefit you in the following ways:

1. Highly benefits cardiovascular health:

 One of the benefits of walking is promoting heart health. A study from the Harvard Medical School found that walking roughly 20 minutes a day can reduce the risk of heart disease by 30%.

2. Helps to boost your immune system: 

Walking at least 30 minutes a day was shown to increase the level of cells in the body’s immune system in a study done at Appalachian State University in North Carolina.

3. Improves mental health:

 One of the main benefits of walking is that it can improve your mood. According to the Mayo Clinic, walking can help improve symptoms of depression and anxiety.

4. Helps with mobility into advanced age:

 A study by the American Medical Association concluded that one of the greatest benefits of walking is that it promoted better physical health in people aged 70 to 89. Those who got regular exercise in their younger years dramatically decreased their chances of having any physical disability.

5. Can be effective in preventing diabetes:

 The American Diabetes Association states that “aerobic exercise helps your body use insulin better,” and this can include a daily brisk walk after meals.

6. Effectively aids in weight loss: 

Researchers at Harvard Medical School found that walking regularly can reduce the effects of 32 obesity-promoting genes in the human body.

7. Reduces cravings for sweets and the need for “stress eating”:

 Studies from the University of Exeter found that walking for just 15 minutes can help to curb cravings for sugary foods. It was also found to reduce cravings during stressful situations.

8. Decreases the risk of certain cancers:

 Two studies from the American Society for Clinical Oncology showed that walking three hours a week can reduce the risk of dying from breast or bowel cancer by half.

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