Indigo Naturals CBD - Frequently Asked Questions (just a sampling)
Frequently Asked Questions - CBD
Here's just a sampling of very basic questions for people new to CBD.
We love to answer specific questions via our CHAT button on the right as we can point you to very targetted research and give direct answers.
It's our favorite thing to do and no question is too small!
So...a quick lay of the land!
What is CBD?
CBD, also know as Cannabidiol, is a member of the the cannabinoid family.
Cannabinoids are a family of chemicals that are found naturally in the hemp and cannabis (Marijuana) plants.
We have a more in-depth review at our What Exactly is CBD page. Must read!
The two most prominent cannabinoids from cannabis are CBD and THC but they operate very differently in the body (see below for more).
What is the difference between CBD and THC?
There are many differences between CBD and THC.
In fact, research is showing that they have opposing effects across many pathways.
The original term "Entourage Effect" from the Godfather of CBD was coined in reference to how CBD protected from many of the issues with THC.
See Why CBD is a must if you use cannabis.
The biggest difference is tolerance.
THC will build tolerance since it pushes a key pathway in one direction (anandamide and CB1 activity). CBD operates more like a feedback mechanism.
If CB1 activity is low, it supports anandamide but doesn't keep pushing it past the balanced range.
That's why you don't see a high or other issues with CBD.
Learn much more at CBD versus THC or CBD and endocannabinoid deficiency
What are the health benefits of CBD?
We have 1 million+ words of research on this site diving into benefits of CBD for health.
In general, it supports the system (endocannabinoid) that balances every other system. Point!
We have a page with links to detailed research at our CBD benefits A-Z page.
CBD has shown to help:
- Sleep
- Arthritis
- Depression
- Anxiety
- PTSD
- Cancer symptoms
- Migranes
- Joint pain
- Muscle pain
- Nausea
Among many others. In fact, with every issue we dive into, we find benefits!
Our favorite thing to do is to send over specific research to enquiries at our chat button on the right!
We do it all day long and would have loved to have had this back when the founder was struggling with a debilitating perimenopause (that story is here).
How Does CBD Work?
We have a deep dive at our How CBD Works page but a quick synopsis...
Every person has an endocannabinoid system.
It dates back about 600 million years and we share it with all animals (including cats and dogs :)
This system is tasked with balancing other key systems:
- Nervous system - neurotransmitters like Serotoin, GABA, Glutamate, etc
- Immune system - inflammation and cell birth/death cycle
- Endocrine system - hormones, both steroidal and metabolic
- Opioid system - pain management (both physical AND psychological!)
CBD's role?
It works like a feedback mechanism to support levels when too low and even bring down levels when too high.
This is really the beauty of CBD compared to THC and most modern medications.
These systems are incredibly complex and interrelated so you don't want to push them in one direction.
That ends up being the "side effect" panel.
Learn all about CBD's role in powerful pathways here.
What is the difference between Full Spectrum CBD and CBD Isolate?
This is a bigger than deal than most people understand.
First, CBD isolate is just CBD by itself, usually with a base oil (we use MCT oil from organic coconut oil).
Full or Broad spectrum is generally CBD (hopefully) with or without other cannabinoids added to hemp oil.
The issue that the whole market is missing is...histamine response!
Roughly 40-60% of the population has histamine issues and all that plant material is going the wrong direction.
The numbers gets worse as we get older (see Vitamin D or longevity) and for women (see progesterone which drops by 50% at age 40).
CBD isolate has actually been shown to calm histamine and allergic response in research .
More on that at CBD and histamine or CBD and mast cell syndrome.
Goodness...the end results are night and day.
Many people have nasty side effects that don't match research with some of the biggest brands of CBD.
Look at our reviews (on product pages) and you'll see how these go away with CBD isolate.
We have a deep dive into CBD isolate versus full spectrum.
Is CBD Oil Safe
There are two considerations here:
- The quality and purity of a given CBD
- CBD safety itself
There's a lot of junk CBD product out there.
A study found that many brands didn't have close to the amount advertised.
You CANNOT buy CBD on Amazon...it's not even an allowed product and even when it is, that's a no-go with the other counterfeit issues on Amazon for products you put in your body.
There are basic requirements we follow (click on picture to learn more):
Again, our guess is that roughly 70% of the market doesn't meet these requirements.
Another big group is selling very over-priced CBD at levels that don't match research!
Check out our review on finding affordable CBD.
Then there's the question of CBD safety by itself!
We have a whole review on CBD safety here but some key takeaways.
In multiple studies:
- CBD does not build tolerance
- CBD is not additive
- CBD does not induce pleasure
- CBD side effect profile is minimal at doses up to 1500 mg
- CBD can be used long term
- CBD does not have withdrawals from stopping use
- CBD does not affect blood work
The one caveat is that CBD is processed by the liver so it may affect other drugs that are also processed in this same pathway.
Check out Can I take CBD with Medications.
Otherwise, we personally take it daily after reading about 1,000 hours of NIH studies into every nook and cranny of the body and brain you can think of.
These FAQs are some of the basics for people brand new to CBD. Again, our favorite endeavor is to answer people's specific questions.
Just send over why you're considering CBD and specific questions via the Chat button or at support@indigonaturals.net on the right.
We try to answer these directly within 24 hours!
Be well. Take care of each other. Take Care of Yourself!