CBD Science | How CBD Works
What exactly is the science behind CBD?
2020 has hardly gone to plan for anyone. Many people’s dreams for the year ahead might have included travelling, seeing friends more and improving our health and wellbeing. Oh well.
The recent period has made maintaining one’s physical and mental health more important than ever. A balanced diet and active lifestyle is crucial to supporting homeostasis.
Nevertheless, it is easier than ever to support this effort with over-the-counter food supplements. In fact, the NHS now recommends people take certain vitamins and supplements during this unusual period in human history. While plant-based options are commonplace, there are perhaps none so revered – and controversial – as cannabidiol (CBD).
Anecdotal accounts and media buzz have done much to promote CBD as a wonder supplement. In spite of this, there remains a lot of confusion around the science behind it. Specifically, what it is, how it works, and how it relates to Cannabis as we know it.
To help navigate the media buzz and push past the controversy, we’ve had a chat to our resident cannabinoid expert, Professor Gary Stephens, about the science behind CBD.
Read on for a look at how CBD affects the body, its mechanisms and what it could do for you.
What is CBD?
‘CBD is one of the two major chemical compounds found in the Cannabis plant, with the other being tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)’, explains Prof Stephens. While ‘CBD does not cause the euphoric ‘high’ associated with recreational cannabis’ – which retains high levels of THC – it can have other, well-documented effects on the human body.
How does the science behind CBD work?
‘CBD is likely to work by having a positive effect on the body’s endocannabinoid system’, according to Prof Stephens. ‘This system is made up of internal cannabinoids (endocannabinoids), cannabinoid (CB1 and CB2) receptors and enzymes responsible for the manufacture and disposal of endocannabinoids’.
To those less familiar with the world of Cannabinoid science, this means we all have a bodily system and receptors that react specifically to Cannabinoids like CBD. It’s best envisaged as a kind of lock and key system.
While compounds such as THC are known to activate CB1 receptors, especially those in the brain to produce a euphoric ‘high’, evidence suggests that CBD may bind at a different site on CB1 receptors and act to switch the receptor off. According to Prof Stephens, ‘this may be beneficial when our endocannabinoid system becomes overactive’ and we suffer associated pressure and tension.
What can CBD do for you?
As well as modulating your endocannabinoid system, CBD can also act an ‘anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent’. These properties may do much to promote feelings of relaxation and calm, and protect against potentially toxic reactions in the body.
How do I take CBD?
The award winning Dragonfly CBD Oil is best absorbed into the body sublingually (under the tongue). For maximum absorption, hold for two minutes before swallowing. For problem areas, Dragonfly CBD Skincare can also be applied topically (directly to the skin).
Read more about the science behind CBD or try the award winning Dragonfly CBD now.