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There has been many conversations regarding the effects of CBD and mental health in this blog we discuss the top 5 mental health benefits of CBD.

CBD has been around for a while now, the resreach and benefits keep building up and the hype of CBD seems to be staying for good. 

In 2018, the UK government announced CBD prescriptions (1) for epilepsy sufferers are now available.

This announcement has come after years of research into the positive effects of CBD, so is this the start of a wave of acceptance for the somewhat controversial Cannabidiol? 

Current research has already delved into the potential health benefits of CBD, and that includes mental health benefits too. 

Here are 5 of the most prominent studies on the benefits of CBD for Mental Health:

1. Seasonal Affective Disorder 

If you notice that you become slugglish, down, or downright depressed in the winter months, you may suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, or aptly named SAD for short. You may have tried wake up lamps, sunlight lamps, or holidays in the winter to disrupt the SAD cycle.

However, This Study (2) suggest that CBD reduces anxiety & depression in SAD and that this is related to its effects on activity in limbic and paralimbic brain areas, effecting wakefulness and circadian rhythms. 

2. Anxiety 

Cannabidiol oil has become an increasingly popular treatment of anxiety and sleep issues, and has been shown to be an effective natural alternative to pharmaceutical medications.

The main finding from this study (3) is that CBD oil can be an effective compound to reduce anxiety and insomnia secondary for even PTSD Sufferers. 

The calming effects are sure to help the anxiety sufferer to drift off into a peaceful sleep. 

Anxiety often acts as a catylist for mood disorders, and further research (4) has shown CBD to have "Antidepressant-like and anxiolytic-like effects". 

In 2017, research (5) found a potential for CBD to be used in emotional memory processing and substance abuse disorders. 

3. Mood Disorders 

Clinical depression is a serious mood disorder characterised by persistent sadness and loss of interest, sometimes leading to decreased appetite and energy and even suicidal thoughts.

Commonly used antidepressants target serotonin, the mood stabilising neuro-chemical. The neural network of the endocannabinoid system works similarly to these medications, increasing supplies of serotonin in the brain, according to research. 

Authors of a 2016 study (6) wrote that “CBD could represent a novel fast antidepressant drug, via enhancing both serotonergic and glutamate cortical signaling through a 5-HT1A receptor-dependent mechanism.”

Maybe it's time to give CBD a go if you've tried Antidepressants or Anti-Anxiety medications but want to switch to a natural and research-backed alternative.

4. Psychosis

Perhaps most impressively, CBD has even shown effectiveness in reducing symptoms of Psychosis. 

In an excerpt from this recent article from the Independent outlining a King College London study, researchers found that "a single dose of CBD could significantly reduce the abnormal brain activity that causes these (psychotic) effects." 

Not only that, the researchers went on to conclude that “One of the main advantages of (CBD) is that it is safe and seems to be very well tolerated, making it in some ways an ideal treatment.”

5. Addiction

By now you may be thinking, "what can't CBD treat?" 

Well, new research (7) shows CBD is effective in treating heroin addicted mice into sobriety. Animal studies are usually carried out in the preliminary stages of a research hypothesis to avoid potential human harm, but usually once something has "worked" with mice, in most cases the effects will carry over to humans too (i.e, penicillin). We've put this one in here just to give an idea of how far-reaching the research of the potential benefits are. 

So what does this mean for you?

CBD is popping up in bath bombs, massage oils, and even lattes in local coffee shops... but what better way to use CBD than concentrated oil, for any use? 

At Peak Supps CBD, we stock certified CBD Oil in three different concentration strengths. Most of the studies outlined above use high concentrations of CBD; we stock 1500mg strength CBD Oil, with free UK delivery.

Or, why not start out with our Medium (1000mg) or Low (500mg) concentration oils? We currently have 2 Bottles of 5% CBD Oil for £39.99 (RRP £49.98). Discount automatically applied at checkout when two 5% CBD oils are in the basket.

Check out our website here & social media here

References

1. BBC News. (2018). Cannabis products available on prescription. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-46045487 [Accessed 2 Nov. 2018].

2. Crippa, J., Derenusson, G., et al. (2010). Neural basis of anxiolytic effects of cannabidiol (CBD) in generalized social anxiety disorder: a preliminary report. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 25(1), pp.121-130.

3. Shannon, S. (2016). Effectiveness of Cannabidiol Oil for Pediatric Anxiety and Insomnia as Part of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Case Report. The Permanente Journal.

4. Schier, A. and Ribeiro, N. (2014). Antidepressant-Like and Anxiolytic-Like Effects of Cannabidiol: A Chemical Compound of Cannabis sativa. CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets, 13(6), pp.953-960.

5. Lee, J. and Bertoglio, L. (2017). Cannabidiol regulation of emotion and emotional memory processing: relevance for treating anxiety-related and substance abuse disorders. British Journal of Pharmacology, 174(19), pp.3242-3256.

6. Linge, R. and Jiménez-Sánchez, L. (2016). Cannabidiol induces rapid-acting antidepressant-like effects and enhances cortical 5-HT/glutamate neurotransmission: role of 5-HT1A receptors. Neuropharmacology, 103, pp.16-26.

7. Iffland, K., & Grotenhermen, F. (2017). An Update on Safety and Side Effects of Cannabidiol: A Review of Clinical Data and Relevant Animal Studies. Cannabis And Cannabinoid Research, 2(1), 139-154. doi: 10.1089/can.2016.0034