BALANCE || CBD benefits

CBD could be the superstar ingredient you need to take your training to the next level

Words Louise Pyne

In recent years, many people have discovered the health and wellbeing benefits of CBD

DO YOUR RESEARCH

We advise you get your CBD from a reputable source

The medicinal benefits of the cannabis plant have been used for centuries to heal and restore health; in ancient times, herbalists and physicians cultivated cannabis extracts to help cure everything from the common cold to indigestion. In the last few years, the active ingredient cannabidiol (CBD), which is found in the plant, has created a major buzz in wellness circles, prompting a whole range of products to spill into the health, fitness and beauty industry. The number of UK CBD oil users has almost doubled in the last year and the global CBD market is expected to be worth almost £18 billion by 2025; forecasts show a growing number of us discovering the cannabisbased product as a natural and easily accessible way to manage health and wellbeing.

Chemical reaction

The cannabis plant contains over 100 different active chemicals (known as cannabinoids), of which CBD is one. It is commonly used for medicinal use because it causes no psychoactive effects; that’s why it has, in recent years, been legalised. Hayley Millbank, founder of CBD brand Cannadox (cannadoxshop.com), explains, “CBD is a nonpsychoactive compound found in the cannabis plant that doesn’t impair brain function like its fellow compound THC does.

As it’s nonintoxicating, you won’t feel high; instead, this impressive and highly unique natural substance is often used to treat many health difficulties.” The human body has its own endocannabinoid system (ECS) that receives and translates signals from cannabinoids. It also manufactures some cannabinoids of its own which help regulate the function of organs and tissues. CBD influences the body to use its own endocannabinoids more effectively by stimulating receptors to produce positive effects. Over to Hayley again to explain: “The endocannabinoids are neurotransmitters that bind to these cannabinoid receptors within our nervous system allowing the CBD to target where it’s needed.”