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What is CBD?

I am excited to announce that we will be working with Vitality CBD as an affiliate. The company created a range called Vitality Sport and contacted me to try it out. I did a bit of research myself and decided to give it a go and have been taking it daily since February 2020. I decided to take it to help maintain and manage my mental health and I have found it really beneficial so far.

The popularity of CBD is increasing in the UK year on year. There are 1.6 million daily UK users and this looks set to only increase. You might be new to CBD and are unsure what it is, so let’s delve into this a little.

Vitality CBD active

What is CBD, and its benefits

CBD, or Cannabidiol, is one of many naturally occurring chemical compounds in the hemp plant. Unlike the more popular molecule, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), CBD is completely non-psychoactive, meaning it will not make you feel “stoned” or “high.”

Excitement about CBD started when CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta publicly endorsed it.

Gupta, who for a long time stood against the marijuana movement was changed when he discovered how several different families from around the US were able to get relief for their children’s seizures by using CBD Oil. Up until these findings, medical professionals overlooked CBD because it was so closely associated with psychoactive THC. However, now that CBD is proven to be non-psychoactive, there has been a wide range of scientific studies on CBD, revealing its various health benefits.

In addition to CBD’s non-psychoactive properties, research has shown that it contains a lot of antioxidant and neuroprotective properties. Some of the health benefits include:

How Does CBD Work?

According to leading expert Dr. Josh Axe, “research is beginning to show that CBD is different from other well-studied cannabinoids. All cannabinoids act as ligands, meaning they dock onto the binding site of a protein and have the ability to modulate a receptor’s behavior.” There are two primary receptors that cannabinoids affect: CB1 receptors and CBD2 receptors. Dr. Axe notes that “CBD1 receptors are widely distributed, but are particularly abundant in areas of the brain, including those concerned with movement, coordination, pain and sensory perception, emotion, memory, cognition, autonomic and endocrine functions, while CB2 receptors are found mostly in the immune system, and they seem to reduce inflammation and certain kinds of pain.”

It is important to note that while cannabinoids have similar structures, they can affect the CB1 and CBD2 receptors differently.

For example, research has shown that THC positively regulates the CBD1 and CBD2 receptors, giving the “high” or “stoned” feeling. Whereas CBD has a very minimal effect on these receptors, making it non-psychoactive. This is why CBD is able to deliver the healing properties of the marijuana plant, without causing the harmful effects of THC.

How safe is CBD?

CBD has been shown to be extremely safe, even at very high dosages. Studies have been conducted where used upwards of 600mg a day without any severe side effects.

Though CBD is generally well tolerated and considered safe, even at a high dose, like anything that we consume it may cause some adverse reactions in some people.

Side effects noted in studies include:

  • Diarrhea
  • Changes in appetite and weight
  • Fatigue

CBD is also known to interact with several medications. If you’re taking other medications make sure to discuss it with your doctor to ensure your safety and avoid potential harm.

How do you take CBD?

The most widely recognised method of using CBD is CBD oil. These come in either drops or sprays, both of which are used to apply a CBD oil underneath your tongue. CBD oils are just hemp extract blended with a carrier oil.

Applying beneath the tongue allows the CBD to be absorbed into the blood vessels beneath the tongue with it getting into circulation much faster than if you were to swallow, and it passing through the digestion system.

How to use CBD spray

CBD will generally take around thirty minutes to be absorbed properly, and take six hours to leave the bloodstream. This makes CBD oils a great way to dose if you only want to use CBD intermittently.

CBD vaping can also be vaped. By turning your CBD e-liquid into vapour it can be easily absorbed. Since you’re inhaling it into your lungs, CBD vape juice has a simple, fast route to the circulatory system.

How to use CBD drops

Please note, you cannot mix a CBD vape e-liquid with nicotine due to the way nicotine and CBD act as catalysts for one another.

CBD topicals are applied to the skin in the form of a moisturising cream or balm. This method limits how they are absorbed into the body though.

How to use CBD topicals

That means the amount of CBD that actually reaches the circulatory system is very low. However, if you’re looking for a localised external release then a CBD topical will still reach the endocannabinoid receptors in the skin.

One of the most common forms of CBD delivery is through CBD edibles. This can be through CBD Gummy Bears, CBD coffee, and even CBD protein bars, alongside more traditional ingestion methods such as CBD Vitamins and lozenges.

While research has shown that ingesting CBD through your stomach reduces its ability to get into the bloodstream, it does make tracking your dosage through the day much easier and is generally the quickest and most hassle-free way of taking CBD.

Setting your CBD dosage

Finding what dosage works for you is really just a process of trial and error. Vitality CBD recommends starting on a dosage of 70mg a day for a week to get accustomed to it, then adjusting the level up or down by 20mg based on your satisfaction level.

You may find that the dosage will need to be higher in the winter months than in the summer months.

Vitality CBD and DMC Fitness

In transparency, we receive a small amount of commission from any sales that we generate from our affiliate links. I have used Vitality CBD products personally and I wouldn’t recommend a product that I haven’t tried myself.

Vitality CBD

So if you’re interested in trying Vitality CBD, we’d love it if you would follow one of our affiliate links (all of the ones on this page are), and you’ll help DMC Fitness and also get to experience the numerous health benefits that CBD can provide. It’s a win-win!

Until next time, “Strength for Life”

Davie

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Davie McConnachie

Davie McConnachie is Scotland’s leading health and wellness coach, multi-award-winning gym owner, motivational speaker and the founder of DMC Fitness, a fitness education facility known as the premier choice for 1-2-1 personal training. He has inspired thousands of people to fall in love with fitness – his true purpose and mission in life.

Diving into the world of fitness and wellness has helped Davie to deal with his own trauma and inner demons. He, overcame many dark times using his own unique methods to continue his cycle of healing.