Can CBD help balance your hormones?

Estrogen & CBD

CBD might reduce the amount of estrogen in the body, but more research is needed to confirm that.

Up until now, it has been known that CBD could affect estrogen levels because they are both broken down by the same enzyme pathway.

What we know is that CBD may have an effect on estrogen by making enzymes that usually break down estrogen work faster. This could be important after ovulation when progesterone levels rise to help the egg get fertilized.

Estrogen hormones directly affect fertility, sexual development, and the possibility of contracting a female-related illness like breast cancer.

CBD and Growth Hormone

The growth hormone (GH) is responsible for growth and development in our bodies. This is done through the signaling of cell reproduction and regeneration. Increased growth hormone could lead to stronger bones, more muscle mass, and more energy.

GH may change if you use CBD for a long time. A single dose has been shown to have no effect on GH levels. But it has been shown that other cannabinoids, like THC, can lower GH by interacting with the CB1 receptor. Since CBD also has an affinity for the CB1 receptor, this could mean it may affect GH as well. We still don't know if CBD has a good effect or not because we need to do more research.

CBD and Testosterone

Along with oestrogen, testosterone helps bone mass and reproductive tissues in women grow, stay healthy, and heal. It can also change how people act. Having an imbalance of testosterone can make women less sexually driven, especially before and after menopause.

Testosterone is made by the male and female reproductive organs when the hypothalamus sends out the hormones LH and FSH. CBD in high doses may change the levels of LH and FSH, but more evidence is needed to show that it will also change testosterone levels. Some researchers think that if CBD is used in high doses for a long time without exercise, it could even hurt testosterone.

But CBD may help in other ways to make more testosterone. Low testosterone levels can be caused by both physical and mental stress. CBD might stop the production of prolactin and cortisol, which are stress hormones that slow the production of testosterone.

Cortisol & CBD

Cortisol is called the “stress hormone.” Maybe you already knew that. It is also known that CBD may lower stress, so it shouldn't be a surprise that CBD affects cortisol. Through CB1 receptors in the hypothalamus, CBD can stop cortisol from being made.

Cortisol, the well-known stress hormone, tells the body when something stressful is happening. Cortisol is made by the adrenal glands in response to what the hypothalamus feels. Even though this hormone might be helpful in small amounts during an emergency, we wouldn't want it to be around all the time.

Anxiety can make us worry about things like losing our jobs, getting into fights with people we care about, or having a lot of bills to pay. Stress that hasn't been dealt with can cause these stimuli to keep releasing cortisol. CBD is the best way to get rid of stress because it helps with anxiety. CBD can stop Cortisol from being made by blocking CB1 receptors in the hypothalamus. This stops the stress response from happening.

CBD for Insulin

CBD can lower insulin levels and keep blood sugar from getting too high. Because of this, it could help people lose weight. But the latest is not yet proven, so more research needs to be done.

Insulin is a hormone that controls how much energy is used and stored and how much is used. It helps keep our metabolism in check, which affects how much we weigh and how much energy we have.

When our insulin level is normal, our muscles and liver use sugar well, and there isn't much left to store as fat. Because of weight gain and diabetes, insulin levels are high. This is often caused by eating too much sugar.

Some research shows that CBD can keep blood sugar from getting too high and can lower insulin levels. It might tell cells in the muscles and liver to absorb sugar more efficiently, which would keep the blood sugar level steady. Even though it hasn't been proven, it may be possible that CBD could help people lose weight by lowering insulin levels.

Thyroid hormones and cannabidiol

CBD can either stimulate or diminish thyroid hormones, so it is expected that it can adapt to a person's needs. CBD is, therefore, a promising agent to balance thyroid hormones, however, additional research is needed.

At the moment, there is no research on how CBD affects thyroid hormones, but there is information on how endocannabinoids affect them. TSH, T3, and T4 are all thyroid hormones that play important roles in the thyroid. TSH controls how many hormones are made, while T3 and T4 affect things like weight, energy, hair, skin, nails, and more.

To do these things, our metabolism works with the help of these hormones. Endocannabinoids, on the other hand, lower thyroid hormones, which in turn lowers the amount of energy needed to do what needs to be done.

And since CBD can either make the endocannabinoids work harder or make them work less, this could affect the thyroid. When endocannabinoids are blocked, TSH, T3, and T4 go up. This could make the thyroid more active.

The way CBD affects a person may depend on whether their thyroid is too active, not active enough, or just right. CBD is known to raise the levels of the neurotransmitter anandamide, which is a fatty acid. And it has been found that anandamide can lower high TSH levels in hypothyroidism and normal thyroids.

TSH wouldn't go down in people with hyperthyroidism, though, because they already have low TSH. This could mean that CBD could change to fit the needs of each person. More research is needed, but it looks like CBD will be a good way to treat thyroid hormones in the future.