14 Things You Didn't Know You Could Use CBD For

Cannabidiol, better known as CBD, has been touted as a "miracle drug" in recent years. After the Farm Bill passed in 2018 making selling CBD legal, the market was almost instantly flooded with products containing the compound, but what is it, really?

According to GoodRx Health, CBD comes from the cannabis Sativa plant, better known as marijuana or hemp. This plant is versatile -– yes, it is the same plant that produces Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) but more than 400 other chemicals can be found in this leafy green. Thanks to THC, which many people smoke or ingest to get high, CBD has a bit of controversy surrounding it. However, this compound does not have psychological effects, instead, it provides many medicinal properties and could help people to manage common conditions like anxiety and pain.

Multiple studies are being conducted to investigate CBD's seemingly endless amount of healing properties. In just about all cases more study is needed, but early results give reason to be hopeful. From its potential to help treat mental health disorders to possibly being a future treatment for certain types of cancer, here are 14 things you didn't know you could use CBD for.

Studies looking at the effect of CBD on epilepsy are still very new, but the results are encouraging. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration approved a CBD drug, Epidiolex, for use in patients who suffer from rarer forms of epilepsy like Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome. These conditions are usually challenging to treat with traditional medication. Patients as young as 2 years old can use the drug if they suffer from either one of these conditions. 

As for how CBD works to alleviate epilepsy symptoms, doctors are still uncertain, according to Healthline. Medical professionals suspect that CBD's efficacy in these cases is because of its ability to affect the receptors in the body that are responsible for the neuron excitability that causes seizures. These findings are still based on animal studies and more research is required.

It is not yet clear whether CBD is as effective at treating other forms of epilepsy, but some studies show CBD could potentially aid existing epilepsy medication in alleviating symptoms. Yet as CBC is a relatively new compound on the market, more research is needed to determine the safety and efficacy of CBD in these cases.

Studies have also shown promising results when it comes to using CBD to help alleviate various anxiety disorders. This is because, according to a 2015 study review published by the NLM, CBD has the ability to interact with the brain and stimulate receptors that are responsible for controlling anxiety and fear. A study published in the Neuropsychopharmacology Journal that looked at the effect CBD has on social anxiety disorders supports these findings. Researchers administered CBD to participants right before they had to do a public speaking simulation and found that it reduced their anxiety, while those who were given a placebo showed signs of anxiousness.

Interestingly, the effect CBD has on the brain can actually be seen on a scan, according to a review published in Frontiers in Pharmacology. This reiterates CBD's ability to physically affect the brain to ease anxiety.

Of course, as with most of these studies, scientists are still learning, but a 2020 review of eight studies found proof to support claims that CBD is successful at treating various anxiety disorders. Now, researchers are trying to figure out the ideal dosage, which could take some time.

Diabetes is a lifelong condition that needs to be monitored and managed carefully. Several medications exist to help treat diabetes and its complications, and CBD might be included as a treatment in the future. For now, studies are being conducted to vet its efficacy. Most of the studies conducted so far have been on animals. Tony Yang, MPH, told Everyday Health that larger, human studies are needed to truly understand whether CBD could be an effective treatment or not. Some of the animal studies have been promising so far –- researchers discovered that CBD actually helped treat diabetes in mice. These findings definitely warrant some further research. 

One human study found that CBD could actually protect cells from the negative effects of high glucose levels (via The National Library of Medicine). To researchers, it is clear that CBD could have a positive impact on the complications associated with diabetes. In another human study conducted with 13 type 2 diabetes patients, researchers discovered that, after taking CBD, there was a significant decline in patients' insulin resistance levels while the hormone that regulates insulin release from food increased, indicating that CBD could potentially serve as a natural remedy for diabetes in the future (via the NLM).

According to Harvard Health, arthritis is a tricky condition to treat -– what works for one patient might not work for another. This is because there exist more than 100 different types of Arthritis, each of which must be approached accordingly when it comes to deciding on treatment. So, can CBD make a dent in this formidable disease? Well, it might depend on your unique body and what type of arthritis you have. 

Three studies published by the National Library of Medicine looked at CBD's possible role in easing the symptoms of arthritis. In 2017 one study found that CBD could aid in easing joint pain caused by osteoarthritis, while another study published in 2016 discovered that applying CBD topically could ease inflammation and pain associated with the condition. CBD interacts with the body's pain receptors, influencing how these receptors respond when they are triggered, a 2011 study found. That is why CBD might be an effective treatment. Still, once again, this has only been observed in rats and still needs to be tested on humans.

There isn't an approved CBD medication available for arthritis yet, but a review article published in 2016 by Scielo Brazil found that a mouth spray called Sativex may help ease symptoms of arthritis. It is important to note, however, that this medication contains both CBD and THC. Patients who want to try CBD as a potential treatment need to discuss it with their doctor before taking it.

Besides possibly treating all the aforementioned illnesses, CBD could help to keep your heart healthy. A small study published by the American Society for Clinical Investigation (via the National Library of Medicine) discovered that CBD could potentially help lower blood pressure in healthy individuals and help keep it that way even when they are exposed to stressors. The British Journal of Pharmacology also published a slightly larger study that found that CBD can help improve blood flow (via the NLM) Both these studies included healthy men.

Other animal studies show that CBD has the potential to aid in heart health and could even help prevent the serious side effects stroke patients experience, but human studies are lacking. The results are promising, however. A study review published by MDPI conducted in 2010 showed that CBD has the potential to protect the brain during a stroke and help it recover afterward. A2017 study by Frontiers in Pharmacology discovered that cerebral blood flow increases during a stroke when CBD is present in the subject's system. Still, patients who experience any issues relating to heart health need to speak to their doctor before trying CBD since human studies are still very limited.

While research on CBD's potential effect on gut issues is still pretty scarce, studies are encouraging. According to Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, some findings show that, because our bodies have several cannabinoid receptors (some of which are located in the stomach) it is possible that CBD can have a positive effect on gut issues like IBD and IBS. CBD has anti-inflammatory properties, which another study published by the NLM found could help treat inflammation in the GI tract. According to the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, there is a chance that taking CBD could result in therapeutic benefits for those suffering from IBS and similar conditions, but more studies are needed to confirm these findings.

As for conditions like Chrons disease, a 2018 study review (via The NML) found that it appears CBD containing traces of THC can help manage the symptoms of the condition and improve overall life quality, but more studies need to be conducted. If you suffer from any of these conditions, speak to your doctor before using CBD.

Whether you constantly have the munchies or have trouble eating because of pain or nausea, CBD could potentially help you out. For those looking to get a grip on the munchies, early research on animals show that CBD could boost your metabolism while also helping you to eat less, which can aid in weight loss (via the National Library of Medicine). 

CBD's ability to turn white fat into brown fat can also be beneficial when it comes to maintaining a healthy body weight, a study published in Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry found. Whereas white fat primarily protects organs and in large amounts can be responsible for many diseases, brown fat burns calories in order to produce heat, according to a study published in the Journal of Cellular Physiology. While studies show that exercising and sleeping well is one of the best ways to ensure your body produces more brown fat, CBD might be able to help with the process, but more research is needed (via the NLM).

For those who struggle to eat enough due to a lack of appetite, CBD might be useful too. Registered dietician Janice Newell Bissex told the Washington Post that CBD could encourage a healthy appetite because of its ability to relieve nausea and put a damper on anxiety. This is especially useful for people who suffer from the side effects of cancer treatment and chronic pain.