UNDERSTANDING cbd
The medical establishment are excited about CBD for good reason.
Here is why....
The CBD in the United States market is expected to expand by nearly three fold by 2025. Currently a market of $9.3Bn, this is projected to be $25Bn in only a short period of time. There is a very simple reason for this. Firstly, that popularity of these products have grown due to customer demand. Why? Because they work. Which has therefore created strong and consistent demand. It is expected this need and demand will continue to grow, which is why now, larger organisations are looking to enter into the market place. Thus the expected growth.
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A very unique quality of CBD and its related compounds, is that it works in a way in the body that is very different to pharmaceutical medications. Also it is different to other plant extracted medicines. It is understanding this that helps to appreciate why people report it as having been so useful to them and why it also appears to address unrelated human issues so well.
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CBD acts Systemically, not just specificaly
The uniquely beneficial aspect of this plant extract is that it operates within the body across a system of communication that coordinates organs and balance within these organs. It does this through a network called the endocannbinoid system (ECS). This is your bodies natural source of chemicals very similar to CBD, which it produces internally.
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What is quite amazing about this is that it was only discovered relatively recently...in medical knowledge terms at least....in 1992, at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, by Dr. Lumir Hanus along with American researcher Dr. William Devane. It was this discovery which began research and has spawned a whole medical exploration of health applications and study of this crucial regulatory system within the body.
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The ECS system is a molecular communication system responsible for regulating and balancing many processes in the body, including immune response, communication between cells, appetite and metabolism, memory, and more. It is this regulatory understanding of what this system does which is so crucial to appreciating its benefits.
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Rather than a lot of medications which target a singular or specific area of need, CBD is different. It works to help aid balance within and across crucial networks of systems and organs within the body.
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It can be understood through the analogy of your heating system within your home. To keep your home warm, the system is regulated according to temperature. The system switches on and off according to maintaining an optimum ambient temperature automatically. This is what regulation is...maintaining a balance. This is called homeostasis.
This is exactly what your body does also...think about your blood temperature...it maintains a very tightly controlled narrow temperature. If this goes wrong it is a sign something is wrong...if it goes really wrong, it is extremely dangerous.
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So, similarly this is what your ECS is doing also, but across other crucial bodily functions and systems. This is called neuromodulation.
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Experts are still trying to fully understand the ECS. But so far, we know it plays role in regulating a range of functions and processes, including:
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sleep
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mood
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appetite
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memory
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reproduction and fertility
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The ECS is complicated, and experts haven’t yet determined exactly how it works or all of its potential functions.
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Research has linked the ECS to the following processes:
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appetite and digestion
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metabolism
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inflammation and other immune system responses
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mood
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learning and memory
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motor control
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sleep
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cardiovascular system function
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muscle formation
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bone remodeling and growth
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liver function
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reproductive system function
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skin and nerve function
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These functions all contribute to homeostasis, which refers to stability of your internal environment. For example, if an outside force, such as pain from an injury or a fever, throws off your body’s homeostasis, your ECS kicks in to help your body return to its ideal operation.
Today, experts believe that maintaining homeostasis if the primary role of the ECS.
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For an extensive up to date overview of the scientific literature on CBD go here:
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Cannabidiol -CBD- Molecule - The major non-psychoactive component of Cannabis.
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The three most popular needs discussed by CBD users appears to be:
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Anxiety
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Sleep
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Pain
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A Cross-Sectional Study of Cannabidiol Users
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Almost 62% of CBD users reported using CBD to treat a medical condition. The top three medical conditions were pain, anxiety, and depression. Almost 36% of respondents reported that CBD treats their medical condition(s) “very well by itself,” while only 4.3% reported “not very well.” One out of every three users reported a nonserious adverse effect. The odds of using CBD to treat a medical condition were 1.44 (95% confidence interval, 1.16–1.79) times greater among nonregular users of Cannabis than among regular users.
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Conclusion: Consumers are using CBD as a specific therapy for multiple diverse medical conditions—particularly pain, anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders. These data provide a compelling rationale for further research to better understand the therapeutic potential of CBD.