These times are stressful, no question.
If you would have guessed on January 1, 2020 that we’d all be in the middle of a pandemic, most of us wouldn’t have believed it. I know I wouldn’t have!
But that is then…and this is now.
Life is different for us and for the whole world. The sooner we can get back to our normal lives, the better…but, we do not know exactly when that will be.
Needless to say, the current situation is creating additional stress with most everyone. I hear this from my patients on a daily basis. From home schooling, to loss of a job, to staying at home to work, to no open gyms/limited gyms, and the list goes on, we are all having to adapt to significant life changes. I wish we could just wake up one day and find this was all a bad dream, but that’s not the case.
So, what can we do for the stress these days?
We know that there are several ways to reduce stress, and we should be aware of the benefits and pitfalls of each.
Most people prefer a way to help them cope better with additional stress that also has the fewest side effects.
This makes sense and this is where Hemp Extract, or CBD, comes in.
We cannot make absolute claims about CBD, but we can discuss medical research on the topic.
The good news is, there is plenty of research that discusses how CBD can be a part of a plan to help with stress and anxiety.
For this discussion, I’ll point to the new study out by Gulbransen, et. al, in BJGP Open, titled “Cannabidiol prescription in clinical practice: an audit on the first 400 patients in New Zealand.” This study was just published in February, 2020. This is a great study as it evaluated the effects of CBD on 397 people for a variety of conditions. The study found that “there may be analgesic and anxiolytic benefits of CBD in patients with non-cancer chronic pain and mental health conditions such as anxiety. CBD is well tolerated, making it safe to trial for noncancer chronic pain, mental health, neurological, and cancer symptoms.”
This is great information! There are many other studies that discuss the topic of stress and CBD, but this one is great as it is new and it evaluates 400 people (high N number). This study should pique the interest of other researchers to conduct more research on CBD…
One thing we need to remember is that if you, or someone you care about, takes medications for stress, it is imperative that you discuss your condition with your PCP or mental health provider before stopping any medications and/or starting with CBD.
Although CBD has been found to be very safe, if you are taking medications, your physician needs to know what you are doing. Nowadays, many physicians are familiar with CBD and its benefits. There is no need be embarrassed to have a discussion with your physician about CBD. If he/she is not well-versed on the topic, present this or other studies, so that your physician can learn more and help you work a plan that can introduce CBD into your treatment regimen. It’s likely your physician will be okay with you using CBD alone or in combination with medications.
The doctors I work with are mostly concerned with the interaction of CBD and medications and liver enzymes. This is perfectly understandable. For those individuals who are taking medications that require breakdown by the Cytochrome P450 family of enzymes (about 80%), CBD can be more safely administered through ways that do not involve liver “first pass.”
Noetic Nutraceuticals offers two lines of products that allow you to get the benefits of CBD without the dangers of “first pass.” They are the CBD Nano BurstsTM and the CBD Nasal Sprays. Each line also has Products with a PurposeTM, which include Game ChangerTM for more mental acuity, focus, and energy, along with R3, which is great for rest, relaxation, and recovery.
Please contact us if you have any questions and enjoy the NN lifestyle!
The statements in this blog have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. No statement in this blog or specific product discussed are intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This blog is for informational purposes only. We ask you to discuss all matters of this blog with your doctor before beginning use of any products herein discussed.
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