Can CBD lower cortisol?

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

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Cortisol is a hormone that affects almost every organ and tissue in your body. It plays an important role in helping you to how you respond to stress, fight infection, regulate blood sugar, maintain blood pressure and a lot more Cortisol is made by your adrenal glands, two small glands located above the kidneys. Living with high levels of cortisol can have a big impact on your health. Long term, it can give you adrenal fatigue, and you can not function properly in everyday life. But what can you do to lower the levels of cortisol in your body? Should you go to the doctor? Can CBD lower cortisol? How much should you take? Keep reading and we will answer all these questions.

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What is Cortisol?

Cortisol is often called the “stress hormone” because of its connection to the stress response, however, cortisol is much more than just a hormone released during stress. Understanding cortisol and its effect on the body will help you balance your hormones and achieve good health.

The adrenal glands release cortisol in response to stress or fear as part of the body's fight or flight response. When confronted by some type of threat in your environment, your body goes through a series of near-instantaneous reactions that prepare you to either stay and deal with the problem or escape to safety. A brain structure known as the amygdala alerts the hypothalamus, which then signals a range of responses, including the release of hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol.

Cortisol is important for your body to function normally, but too much cortisol can be bad for your health.

Signs of high Cortisol?

Immediate symptoms of high cortisol levels can include:

• Rapid weight gain mainly in the face, chest and abdomen contrasted with slender arms and legs
• A flushed and round face
• High blood pressure
• Osteoporosis
• Skin changes (bruises and purple stretch marks)
• Muscle weakness
• Mood swings, which show as anxiety, depression or irritability
• Increased thirst and frequency of urination.

Long term elevated cortisol levels can show by:

Insomnia

Your cortisol levels should be lower at nighttime, which is what allows your body to relax and recharge. But if your cortisol levels are consistently too high, you may feel wide awake when it's time to go to sleep, even if you've felt sluggish during the day.

Mood changes

Mood swings, irritability, and low libido are commonplace. If the cause is related it Cushing's syndrome it is not uncommon for depression to present itself as one of the leading symptoms.

Belly fat

Cortisol directly affects fat storage and weight gain in stressed individuals. High levels of cortisol are associated with overeating, craving high caloric fatty, and sugary foods, and relocating fat from the circulation and storage depots to the deep internal abdominal area.

Cardiovascular disease

When your body is experiencing the “fight or flight” response, your heart responds by increasing its rate and blood pressure. It can also shut down digestion and direct blood to the arms and legs, where it can fuel fighting/fleeing muscles. If you're constantly stressed, this chronic cycle will eventually take its toll and can contribute to heart disease.

Low sex drive

In men, elevated cortisol levels signal the body to testosterone levels and block the normal response of the testicles to testosterone. In women, cortisol will cause hormonal imbalance during the menstrual cycle, causing irregularity and low libido.

Ulcers and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Ulcers of the stomach and intestine are more common in people who are anxious, depressed, or under stress. The most common stress-related gut disease may be irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which includes a variety of intestinal disorders, including colitis, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, and, occasionally, passing of mucus or blood.

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What can you do to lower cortisol levels?

If the communication between the brain and the adrenal gland is functioning correctly, the body should be able to increase and reduce cortisol production as necessary. However, levels of cortisol can sometimes remain high even after the resolution of a stressful situation. This can have a negative impact on health.

The following are simple tips for you to moderate cortisol levels in a natural way:

• Lowering daily stress
• Eating a healthy diet
• Sleep well and enough hours
• Learn to unwind
• Try meditation
• Exercise
• Avoid caffeine at night
• Getting a pet
• Laugh and have fun
• Be in a good relationship
• Take supplements – we suggest a CBD oil

If the above does not help, we recommend you see your doctor who will test your cortisol levels and possibly have medical advice.

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CBD for lowering cortisol!

So can CBD lower cortisol? Let's first take a look at cannabidiol and what that is…..

What is CBD

We know we have said this a million times before, and you probably already know what CBD is but let's just repeat it one more time…… Cannabidiol (CBD) is a naturally occurring compound found in the resinous flower of cannabis or hemp, a plant with a long history as a medicine, going back thousands of years. Today, the therapeutic properties of CBD are being tested and confirmed by scientists and doctors around the world. A safe, non-addictive substance, CBD is one of more than a hundred “phytocannabinoids,” which are unique to cannabis and honour the plant with its robust therapeutic profile.

How does CBD work?

CBD and THC interact with our bodies in a variety of ways. One of the main ways is by mimicking and augmenting the effects of the compounds in our bodies called “endogenous cannabinoids” These “endocannabinoids” are part of what scientists refer to as the “endocannabinoid system.”

The discovery of the endocannabinoid system has significantly advanced our understanding of health and disease. The endocannabinoid system plays a crucial role in regulating a broad range of physiological processes that affect our everyday experience – our mood, our energy level, our intestinal fortitude, immune activity, blood pressure, bone density, glucose metabolism, how we experience pain, stress, hunger, and more.

What happens if the endocannabinoid system doesn't function properly? In one sentence: It creates unbalance and disease in the body.

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CBD oil for better Cortisol levels!

Cortisol's major role is as a stress hormone and tells the rest of the body that a stressful event is happening. Its produced in the adrenals, in response to sensory inputs to the hypothalamus from our experience of the world around us.

CBD is quite incredible at resolving stress, though. It essentially acts as a braking system on the stress response, by acting (indirectly) through cannabinoid receptors in the hypothalamus. Effectively, CBD tells the adrenals to chill out on cortisol production. Human and rat studies have shown CBD can modulate cortisol output, and it's one of the major reasons why so many people may find it soothing. Creating a sense of relaxation and calm after taking CBD oil.

Best CBD oil to lower cortisol

There are many ways to ingest CBD available on the market today. There are oils, capsules, drops, tea, vapours, candies, and more. Make sure the product you buy indicates how many milligrams of CBD is in a serving; for example, if it comes in capsule form and the bottle says there are 5 mg per capsule. It is also important to make sure your CBD product is full-Spectrum. This means the legal THC content of 0.2% is included in the product, which will be part of the calming effect without being psychoactive or making you feel drowsy.

You can read more about full-spectrum CBD products here

When calculating how many mg of CBD to take for treating any symptoms, including lowering cortisol levels, there are a few aspects to factor in. You will want to consider your body weight, your condition, your treatment, and the concentration of CBD in whatever form you are taking it in. It's important to discuss this with your doctor before taking anything if you are on blood-thinning medication. Read more on our page: CBD and Blood-thinning Medication

CBD can be an effective way to reduce cortisol levels by lowering the body's inflammatory response to stress. This in turn can reduce anxiety, depression, and insomnia, which can lead to a much healthier lifestyle!

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FAQ – Can CBD lower cortisol levels?

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