Why CBD Should Be a Part of Your Daily Winter Routine

WRITTEN BY LAUREN KATAKOWSKI, MS AND DR. SWATHI

Sticking to a healthy regimen in our busy lives is a challenge. You may be skeptical of CBD, what it is, and what it might do for you. However CBD can offer many benefits to our well-being without the “high” feeling, and it may be worth trying. Whether you are into fitness or just starting your wellness journey, taking CBD daily could be very beneficial to feeling your best. Read on to learn a few possible health benefits of CBD and why you should be taking it every day.

What is CBD?

Cannabidiol or CBD is the naturally occurring, non-intoxicating component of the cannabis sativa plant. CBD works synergistically on your endocannabinoid system to maintain balance or homeostasis. CBD has the potential to relieve a multitude of symptoms related to various different conditions, promote well-being and healthy sleep patterns and help with low mood (1,2).

CBD products are made with CBD oil that is extracted from industrial hemp plants and are often mixed with medium-chain triglyceride oil such as coconut oil. There are several ways to take CBD including but not limited to topical creams/balms, capsules, or oil-based tinctures under the tongue (2).

What is the endocannabinoid system?

In recent history, researchers discovered the endocannabinoid system (ECS) and its receptors that operate for homeostasis to keep a healthy state of balance in the body. The chemical agents involved are called cannabinoids. These compounds work to relay information through  pathways and interact with key receptors in your brain so that body processes such as metabolism, digestion, memory, and cognition are running optimally.

What is endocannabinoid tone?

However, like with vitamins and minerals, cannabinoids can become depleted. CBD is considered one of the most powerful cannabinoids for its health-balancing benefits. CBD helps to prevent and limit the breakdown and deactivation of your body’s natural endocannabinoids and helps increase your brain's endocannabinoids. Instead of healing any specific disease, CBD works to help balance your body’s internal endocannabinoids, and improve endocannabinoid tone and its system responses so that the risk of disease is reduced and conditions are better managed. Dysregulation of the endocannabinoid tone is known as endocannabinoid deficiency and can be caused by various conditions. Endocannabinoid tone describes the overall function or density of cannabinoid receptors, levels of endocannabinoids, and their metabolic enzymes. CBD is helpful for endocannabinoid tone if you are depleted and it will promote overall health and wellness (3,4,5).

Holiday stress & the winter blues

In a post-pandemic era, daily stress can be higher than ever before. Many people suffer from low mood in winter due to lack of sleep, less sunlight, and less activity outside and with others. Struggling to relax or turn off your mind may be an issue and CBD can help with that. A 2019 study concluded that CBD can help with low mood and stress. So whether you use CBD in the morning in your coffee or take a capsule at night to help you sleep, it can offer relaxation benefits (6).

Daily aches & pains

We all experience aches and pains and whether it's from an ongoing condition, winter sports, or shoveling snow, it may be worse on some days versus others. Finding relief can be a challenge especially if you are one of the many consumers that do not want to use prescription drugs or over-the-counter options.

CBD could be a great alternative and check many boxes for you and your needs. CBD is well tolerated. However, not all CBD supplements are created equal when it comes to how it’s made the risk of adulteration and chemical additives. It is important to purchase your CBD from a reputable company that is transparent with its batch testing and ethics (7).

Taking care of your skin

More recently, CBD has become more of a topic in beauty circles. Topical CBD skincare products can also help to nourish dry skin in the winter. CBD acts as an antioxidant to promote healthy, supple, and youthful-looking skin, and could be beneficial in lowering  hyperpigmentation and redness (8).

Evening self-care

There is much evidence that points toward the calming effects of CBD on the central nervous system. As noted above there is evidence that CBD helps with relaxation as well, so introducing CBD to your nightly routine may be beneficial for your sleep physiology (11,12). In a case study of 103 subjects, relaxation, sleep quality, low mood, and stress were improved for 72 of the remaining participants (6).

The bottom line

Taking CBD every day can be a great addition to your daily winter routine. By optimizing your endocannabinoid tone, you are taking steps to balance your overall system, preparing you for any holiday stress or harsh winter air has in store for you.

If you are interested in trying CBD, schedule a free 1:1 with our co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Swathi Varanasi.
 
 
 
 References

1. MacCallum CA, Russo EB. Practical considerations in medical cannabis administration and dosing. European journal of internal medicine. 2018;49:12-19.
2. Russo EB. Taming THC: potential cannabis synergy and phytocannabinoid-terpenoid entourage effects. British journal of pharmacology. 2011;163(7):1344-1364.
3. Henson JD, Vitetta L, Quezada M, Hall S. Enhancing Endocannabinoid Control of Stress with Cannabidiol. Journal of clinical medicine. 2021;10(24).
4.  Zou S, Kumar U. Cannabinoid Receptors and the Endocannabinoid System: Signaling and Function in the Central Nervous System. International journal of molecular sciences. 2018;19(3).
5. Russo EB. Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency Reconsidered: Current Research Supports the Theory in Migraine, Fibromyalgia, Irritable Bowel, and Other Treatment-Resistant Syndromes. Cannabis and cannabinoid research. 2016;1(1):154-165.
6. Shannon S, Lewis N, Lee H, Hughes S. Cannabidiol in Anxiety and Sleep: A Large Case Series. The Permanente journal. 2019;23:18-041.
7. Argueta DA, Ventura CM, Kiven S, Sagi V, Gupta K. A Balanced Approach for Cannabidiol Use in Chronic Pain. Frontiers in pharmacology. 2020;11:561.
8. Oláh A, Tóth BI, Borbíró I, et al. Cannabidiol exerts sebostatic and antiinflammatory effects on human sebocytes. The Journal of clinical investigation. 2014;124(9):3713-3724.
9. McCartney D, Benson MJ, Desbrow B, Irwin C, Suraev A, McGregor IS. Cannabidiol and Sports Performance: a Narrative Review of Relevant Evidence and Recommendations for Future
10. Dattilo M, Antunes HK, Medeiros A, et al. Sleep and muscle recovery: endocrinological and molecular basis for a new and promising hypothesis. Medical hypotheses. 2011;77(2):220-222.
11. Suraev AS, Marshall NS, Vandrey R, et al. Cannabinoid therapies in the management of sleep disorders: A systematic review of preclinical and clinical studies. Sleep medicine reviews. 2020;53:101339.
12. Kaul M, Zee PC, Sahni AS. Effects of Cannabinoids on Sleep and their Therapeutic Potential for Sleep Disorders. Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics. 2021;18(1):217-227.

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This article was edited by Dr. Swathi and was written by Element Apothec Scientific Communications Intern, Lauren Katakowski. She is a published researcher and medical writer. She completed a Masters of Nutrition and Dietetics from Central Michigan University.