Inflammation of the joints, muscle aches, general creakiness – despite our best efforts to stay healthy and active, the aches and ouches of age and menopause can make physical activity harder. What if you had a natural remedy that not only dealt with your pain but also helped you sleep and relieved your anxiety (try anxiety games apps)?
It exists. And thanks to changes in laws and public sentiment, it’s finally getting the recognition and research it deserves. It’s CBD.
What is CBD? Isn’t that another name for pot?
Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a naturally occurring compound found in cannabis and hemp plants. Unlike another, more well-known cannabis compound called THC, CBD isn’t psychoactive, meaning it won’t get you high.
In fact, CBD has lots of healthy properties, many of which can provide real relief for women in perimenopause and menopause. Specifically, CBD has been noted to help with joint and muscle pain, sleep, and anxiety. Since those are pretty common complaints for women in midlife and menopause, we thought we’d learn more about our options. CBD for women's health is definitely something to keep your eye on.
To get the real facts about CBD, we talked with Kerrigan Behrens of Sagely Naturals, a company committed to providing high-quality CBD products to support health and wellness.
How does CBD help with joint and muscle pain?
CBD is effective against joint and muscle pain because the pain you’re experiencing is due to inflammation. Fortunately, the areas that hurt also seem to have high levels of cannabinoid receptors, meaning they’re ready to take up CBD with all its wonderful inflammation-fighting properties.
For pain relief, Sagely offers its Relief & Recovery cream and capsules. (We’re runners here at Gennev and can attest to loving the Relief & Recovery Cream for quicker and less painful recovery!)
Does CBD promote better sleep?
Hallelujah, yes. According to Senior Directory, CBD can lengthen deep sleep phases and shorten lighter sleep phases. It’s certainly better for your health than potentially addictive sleeping pills. And because CBD reduces pain and calms anxiety, it promotes better rest indirectly as well.
Wait … CBD lessens anxiety?!
We were pretty excited to hear this too. Nearly a third of adults experience anxiety in their lives, with women experiencing anxiety twice as often as men. Many women in the throes of the perimenopause-to-menopause transition experience anxiety, some having panic attacks for the first time as hormone levels fluctuate. Anxiety can be debilitating, and relief is often hard to find. For this reason, CBD for hormone imbalance and anxiety is one of its primary implementations.
Thanks to specialized receptors in the brain, cannabinoids can often reduce symptoms of a whole heap of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic disorder, OCD, and PTSD. Even better, there are few or no side effects and little fear of developing a dependency.
Specifically, Kerrigan says, CBD may help activate mood-balancing receptors, bumping up the feel-good hormone serotonin. It may help grow the hippocampus, the part of the brain that regulates emotions. And it stops the body from breaking down anandamide – the “bliss molecule” normally present in our bodies that helps us feel relaxed and easy.
Sagely’s Tranquility collection was created with the intention of helping to alleviate stress and anxiety. The cream is particularly popular, Kerrigan says, providing a lovely, soothing end to busy days. Because it’s also moisturizing, it’s a great replacement for whatever lotion you’re using now. The Tranquility Capsules are easy to take and easy for the body to absorb.
What other benefits are there from CBD?
But wait, there’s more!
CBD is being studied for its promotion of better bone health (great for those at risk of osteoporosis), and it may help manage the symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, combat glaucoma, and even improve heart health. And if you’re trying to quit smoking, CBD can help you reduce the cigarettes you smoke until you hit zero.
Many women in perimenopause and menopause deal with more frequent headaches; CBD products like Sagely’s Relief & Recovery Headache Roll-on can help you get free of the head pain.
What about side effects, interactions with medications, and quality control?
Kerrigan says the team at Sagely always recommend consulting with a physician if you are concerned about side effects or interactions with other prescriptions. “While we’d love to say conclusively that it doesn’t interact with other medications, there is still a lot of research that needs to be done on this particular question. Our first priority is the health and well-being of our customers, so we always suggest on erring on the side of caution and checking with an expert.” CBD can interfere with hormone levels, though subtly, and for that reason the interaction between cbd and estrogen should be monitored.
As regards quality, do be choosy when selecting a provider. Sagely prides itself on using only all-natural, sustainably sourced, organic, non-GMO hemp and other co-ingredients like turmeric, ashwagandha, and eucalyptus. Every batch is triple-tested in the lab and made in GMP Certified facilities, Kerrigan says, so you know they consistently meet a high and rigorous standard of quality. Ingredients are free from parabens, synthetic fragrances, artificial colors and dyes, and sulfates.
Is CBD legal even where marijuana is not?
Sagely products are completely free of THC, the psychotropic element of marijuana. For this reason, Sagely Naturals can safely and legally ship its products to all 50 states.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This article is for information purposes only and is not intended to replace care by a qualified health care professional.
If you’ve found relief with CBD, or if you still have reservations about using it, we’d love to hear from you. Please feel free to share with the community by leaving us a comment below, or talking to us on our Facebook page or in Midlife & Menopause Solutions, our closed Facebook group.
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