Crying spells, trouble sleeping, emotions all over the place, and to top it all off, you can’t fasten your favorite jeans! You could be experiencing the highs and lows of hormone imbalance.
Hormone imbalances can happen when levels fluctuate from what’s normal for you. These essential compounds affect every cell in your body, meaning that even a minor hormonal imbalance can cause a ripple of undesirable effects.
CBD is an active ingredient found in hemp and cannabis plants that could help with hormone imbalances. CBD products could restore harmony and balance to your hormones and ease the symptoms that make you miserable.
Understanding Hormones
Hormones are chemical messengers. The endocrine glands produce these molecules in microscopic amounts. Hormones enter the bloodstream and travel to specific receptor sites in the organs and tissues where they cause changes to take place. Hormones are essential for every bodily process, including:
Growth
Metabolism
Reproduction and sexual function
Body temperature
Blood pressure
Emotions
What Causes a Hormone Imbalance?
Hormone imbalances can happen if one of the endocrine glands produces too little, too much, or even stops producing hormones entirely. Certain health conditions can trigger imbalances including diabetes, under or over-active thyroid disorders, polycystic ovary syndrome, Cushing’s syndrome, or Addison’s disease. Other lifestyle or environmental factors can also influence your hormone balance, such as being overweight, stressed, taking steroids, menopause, and even consuming high-levels of soy.
Hormone Imbalance Symptoms
Both men and women can experience hormone imbalance. The symptoms you experience can vary greatly and depend on the glands and hormones affected. Symptoms may include:
Blood pressure or heart rate changes
Mood swings/anxiety/depression
Weight loss or gain
Excessive sweating
Difficulty sleeping and fatigue
Blurred vision and headaches
There are medical studies and anecdotal evidence that indicate CBD could help alleviate the symptoms of a hormone imbalance.
CBD, the ECS, & Hormones
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is complex. It has three components: enzymes, endocannabinoids, and two types of receptors, CB1 and CB2. Its primary function is to control how your body releases the neurotransmitters that affect nerve impulses. The ECS could also be involved in regulating fertility and pregnancy, sleep, appetite, mood, memory, and sensations. CBD, or cannabidiol, is one of the main organic compounds found in the Cannabis sativa plant. The medicinal use of CBD oil is growing in popularity because it confers health benefits without a ‘high’. Taking CBD oil boosts your endocannabinoids so that the ECS can work more effectively.
CBD & Hormone Imbalances in Women
CBD might be able to help with the symptoms of normal monthly hormone fluctuations and those that happen during puberty and menopause.
Mood Swings: Many women experience anxiety and depression as part of their menstrual cycle and during menopause. Estrogen and Progesterone affect levels of serotonin, the so-called happy chemical that influences mood. Research shows that CBD activates serotonin receptors and shows anti-anxiety and antidepressant effects in animal models.
Bloating
During menstruation, the uterine contractions that occur throughout your cycle are more intense. This causes food transit through the digestive system to slow down, leading to constipation and bloating. The drop in estrogen and progesterone before your period can also cause water retention. There are cannabinoid receptors in the digestive system, and research confirms that the ECS is involved in the physiological control of colonic motility. CBD could, therefore, help with bloating issues by increasing gut motility.
Pain & Cramps
Some women find the pain associated with menstruation debilitating, others merely uncomfortable. Studies have shown that CBD works to relieve pain and relax cramping muscles. As progesterone declines, prostaglandins increase, peaking during menstruation. These chemicals cause inflammation, heightened sensitivity to pain, blood vessel constriction, and uterine contractions. Although necessary for a regular menstrual cycle, high levels of prostaglandins can lead to more painful or heavier periods.
An enzyme (COX-2) is responsible for prostaglandin production. CBD inhibits COX-2 and can lower the level of COX-2 that you produce, thereby reducing inflammation, pain, and cramps. CBD is widely recognized as having muscle and vascular relaxing effects, which also lead to a decrease in painful period cramps.
The way that CBD and the ECS work is complicated and requires further research, but there is evidence that CBD can help with the symptoms of hormone imbalance. To find the right, quality CBD product for you, please stop in and talk to our supplement specialists or pharmacists.
*These statements are culmination of the knowledge and experience of the team at Norland Pharmacy. The information provided here is for informational purposes only. Please consult your healthcare provider with questions concerning any medical condition or treatment. Compounded medications are not reviewed by the FDA for safety or efficacy. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, and this product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.