How does CBD affect the brain?
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How does CBD affect the brain?
It’s no secret that many people around the world struggle with thinking clearly and focusing more easily. Feeling like you lack mental clarity can be due to a variety of reasons. The most common reason people may feel a lack of focus and clarity is from the many external pressures and distractions. Many people are turning to CBD to improve their mental performance and health. The question is, can cannabidiol help improve these areas?
How can CBD help?
Cannabidiol supports our endocannabinoid system and has a positive impact on our overall health, including our mental health. It supports the functions of our hormonal and immune systems, leading to a balance that keeps our bodies productive and efficient.
So you may be wondering how this affects our psyche. While CBD does not directly address concentration or focus issues, it does have an indirect impact by addressing and improving the underlying issues that are the root causes of poor concentration and the inability to focus.
The effect of cannabinoids on stress
CBD works well against stress because it reduces cortisol and has sedative properties. Cortisol is a chemical that can make it difficult, and sometimes impossible, to concentrate. Our brains can’t handle that much cortisol, and the more we stress it, the more cortisol levels increase. This can get out of hand and for many people, it becomes difficult to complete even a simple task. CBD also affects serotonin levels in the brain, which is why people believe it can reduce and calm symptoms of anxiety and stress.
This information suggests that using CBD oil, capsules, or tinctures can actually help improve your mental performance and ability to focus, but this is because of the way it works to balance chemicals in the brain.
Besides being an effective stress reducer, CBD serves several other purposes that go hand in hand with improving your mental health.
Improves sleep habits
Good sleep is essential for both your physical and mental well-being. Lack of sleep can affect your mood, make you irritable and exhausted, and of course, hinder your ability to concentrate.
After a while, sleep deprivation will start to lead to anxiety as well as depression. If you already suffer from these problems, sleep deprivation can make them much worse. This is why CBD is used to promote healthy sleep habits.
Because cannabidiol has properties that help reduce anxiety, help you relax, and stabilize your mood, it can be an effective and useful solution to the problem of insomnia.
Something else to note is that CBD can also play a beneficial role in promoting wakefulness depending on the dose, and also in creating rest cycles that lead to much better quality sleep and increased alertness and productivity while awake.
Reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression
CBD has been shown to dramatically help reduce anxiety, which is one of the most common mental health problems in the U.S. It also shows promise for helping with:
- Panic disorder
- OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder)
- PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)
- Generalized anxiety disorder
- Social anxiety
The reason CBD can help people with these issues is that it interacts with serotonin receptors in the brain, giving it remarkable anti-anxiety and antidepressant properties.
When you are anxious or depressed, it can drastically affect your mental functioning. Cannabidiol’s ability to balance serotonin in the brain can help you deal with feelings of depression and anxiety and in turn help you feel more calm, focused, and concentrated.
As you get older, it's common to experience some memory or learning difficulties. Unfortunately, for others, these can be much more serious. In 2018, the number of people suffering from dementia was 50 million, and by 2050, that number is expected to triple.
It's crucial to do everything you can to keep your brain healthy as you age. While cognitive decline can be caused by many different factors, such as genetics or lifestyle habits, decreased neuroplasticity and neurogenesis are also to blame to some extent.
Neurogenesis is the birth of new brain cells, while neuroplasticity is the way your brain can change and reorganize itself, and is the fundamental process by which all memory and learning functions occur. Thus, CBD can help combat cognitive decline and support mental performance.
CBD can be an effective supplement for mental health
Cannabidiol is becoming one of the fastest-growing supplements on the market, and much of this popularity is due to its promising effects on neurological and mental health. Many people around the world are using CBD to help with depression, anxiety, and more.
If you want to try CBD to improve your overall mental performance, find a premium CBD oil and start with small doses. Gradually increase your intake as you get used to how different amounts affect you until you find the best dose to achieve the results you are looking for.