Did you know that as of 2020, at least 33% of the adult American population has tried CBD products or use them regularly? This is up almost 20% from 2019, where only 14% of American adults said they used CBD!
Considering that CBD offers almost all the same benefits as CBD, but without the user getting “high,” it’s really no surprise why CBD has gained such traction. Maybe you’ve recently been curious about whether CBD is right for you.
If you’re interested in using CBD tincture, then you’re in the right place. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about it, including its effects on the brain.
What Is CBD Tincture?
If you’re familiar with how people use cannabis, then you’ll know that it can come in many forms. For example, users might smoke or vape it, or they might eat it in the form of edibles or capsules. The main purpose is to get the effects from THC, the active cannabinoid that gets you high.
The same goes for CBD. It can also be smoked, vaped, or eaten. It can also come in the form of oils or tinctures.
Many people mistakenly use “CBD oil” and “CBD tincture” synonymously, but there’s actually a small difference. While both are liquids, CBD oils are made with a carrier oil while CBD tinctures are made with alcohol and water. People opt for CBD oils if they’re trying to use products free of alcohol.
How Do You Use CBD Tincture?
To use CBD tincture, you use the same method as with CBD oil. Take out the glass dropper that comes with the bottle and then squeeze it to put a few drops underneath your tongue. The dosage will depend on what you’re using the tincture for, but the best course of action is to start small and increase your dosage if needed.
Once the drops are underneath your tongue, hold them there for up to 3 minutes so they can be absorbed through the capillaries there. After 3 minutes, you can then swallow the tincture.
You should then start feeling its effects in about an hour or so.
Effects of CBD Oil Tincture on the Brain
You now know what CBD tincture is and how you can take it. But what exactly are the benefits and how does it work on your brain?
Before we dive into this, here’s a quick lesson on your body’s endocannabinoid system. This system is responsible for many major functions, such as your moods, appetite, fertility, memory, immune system, pain, inflammation, and more.
A delicate balance is struck by regulating your body’s endocannabinoid production. Scientists have found that we make 2 major endocannabinoids and we also have 2 types of receptors. The effects endocannabinoids have on our bodies depend on which receptors they bind to.
While endocannabinoids are naturally made, cannabinoids are found in cannabis plants (hence the name). Most people know about THC and CBD, but in reality, there are over 110 cannabinoids!
So now that you’re familiar with the endocannabinoid system, let’s dive into the effects of CBD tincture on the brain.
Reduction of Inflammation
What many people don’t know is that inflammation isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, we need it at times in the brain for survival.
But if it’s constantly inflamed, this can cause some neurological issues. For example, studies have shown that brain inflammation is present in health conditions like epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, and strokes. It’s also linked to anxiety and depression.
By keeping inflammation down, you’ll be able to have better brain function. This means you might have fewer troubles with memory and brain fog.
If you want to learn more about CBD and epilepsy, theherbalclinicmd.com has more information.
Help With Mental Health Disorders
As we’ve said above, people with anxiety and depression show inflammation in the brain. So it stands to reason that if you can reduce brain inflammation, then you can reduce symptoms with these mental health disorders as well. Tinctures for anxiety are also used to combat insomnia which is another symptom of anxiety.
A small study also showed that CBD might be able to help with PTSD by reducing nightmares and sleep disturbances. However, more research needs to be done before we can get conclusive results on this.
Reduction of Pain
Do note that even the best CBD tincture probably won’t help you with sudden, acute pain. So you shouldn’t be using CBD tincture as a quick pain reliever.
Instead, it’s quite promising for chronic and long-term pain. Most people use opioids to manage this type of pain, but these are highly addictive substances with lots of adverse side effects. So it might be worth it to try CBD for long-term pain before resorting to opioids.
Better Sleep
What’s interesting is that THC is well-known for making people drowsy, so many people like to indulge in cannabis to get better sleep. But CBD has the same properties too!
If you take low doses, CBD can actually help you stay awake better and help regulate your sleep-wake cycle. But if you take larger doses, it can have a similar sedating effect as THC does.
Again, more studies need to be done before we can say CBD does this for sure.
Give CBD Tincture a Try
Now you know more about CBD tincture and what effects it can have on your body and brain.
CBD offers a myriad of benefits and has practically no side effects. When compared to pharmaceutical drugs, it can be a much more attractive choice.
So before you start taking prescription medications to help manage your health, consider giving CBD tincture a try. Of course, you should always speak with your doctor first to make sure this is the right choice for you.
To learn more about CBD tinctures and cannabis, please browse the rest of our blog page.
