Adding CBD to your health regimen can have a variety of benefits for women. CBD has the ability to alleviate so many conditions including anxiety, inflammation, chronic pain, nausea, migraines, and more. Some issues that CBD can help alleviate are unique to a woman’s body.

1. Does CBD Alleviate PMS Symptoms?

Premenstrual syndrome, also known as PMS, can occur both before or during your period. It may involve mood swings, cramps, breast tenderness, anxiety/stress, bloating, extreme tiredness or fatigue, constipation, and cravings.

Nothing on that list is fun to experience. The good news is there are options. Unlike many medications some women take to help reduce those symptoms, CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system and can actually alleviate the majority of these symptoms in a more holistic way. Let’s take a look at how CBD can help with all the symptoms of PMS.

• Mood Swings– CBD interacts with receptors in our brain that are known as the limbic system, which are responsible for mood. CBD will act on this system and help moderate any irregularities.
• Digestive Issues – CBD can alleviate digestive issues by acting on the regulation of our bowel movements and reduce any inflammation in the digestive tract. This can also reduce nausea.
• Hormonal Imbalance – CBD can help maintain hormonal balance by interacting with the neurotransmitters that are responsible for the production and regulation of our hormones.
• Anxiety and Stress – CBD can inhibit unnecessary cortisol which is released under high levels of stress and anxiety. CBD acts on our limbic system to regulate stress and anxiety which also regulates the release of cortisol.
• Breast Tenderness – Breast tenderness is caused by inflammation in the breast tissue which CBD can alleviate by acting on the vanilloid receptor located in the brain that regulates inflammation and pain perception.
• Bloating and Cramps – These symptoms are mostly caused by inflammation and irritation in the digestive system. CBD alleviates those digestive issues by reducing inflammation and nausea which in turn alleviates bloating and cramps.

2. CBD can Help Regulate Hormones

Hormones are chemical messengers that are produced in the endocrine system and vital to regulating all the important functions of our body which includes metabolism, growth, and reproduction. If our hormones are out of balance, the impact can be detrimental for our overall health. When our hormones are in balance, we produce them at a regular rate which keeps all our bodily functions in check. The problem arises when we produce too much or too little hormones, also known as a hormonal imbalance.

The National University of Natural Medicine explains that hormonal balance is vital to a healthy, cancer-free mind and body. Unfortunately, a hormonal imbalance can be caused by a variety of things. Fluctuations can occur naturally, such as when we go through puberty, menopause and premenopause. When women experiences an imbalance, this may also be caused by toxins and an unbalanced lifestyle. Imbalances can cause insulin resistance, a higher risk of breast cancer, and obesity. Common symptoms of a hormonal imbalance can include:

• menstrual irregularity
• weight gain
• mood swings
• vaginal atrophy
• hair loss

Researchers in Brazil investigated the effects of CBD on prolactin in the blood, growth hormone, and cortisol on 11 normal volunteers. They received a dose of 300 mg or 600 mg during the duration of the study. Blood was collected from each patient to measure hormones and cortisol. It was found that CBD was able to interfere with cortisol secretion and was able to decrease cortisol levels significantly. This provided evidence that suggests CBD acts as a regulator of hormones.

3. Take CBD to Help Cholesterol Levels

Not all cholesterol is bad. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is known as the “good” cholesterol while low-density (LDL) is known as the “bad” cholesterol. So how do we get more “good” cholesterol and less “bad?” That has a lot to do with your diet, but also a lot to do with your metabolism which is directed impacted by your hormones. The Department of Neurobiology published research which found CBD modulates cholesterol homeostasis, which means that CBD helped manage the level of cholesterol in microglial cells in order to help prevent high levels of LDL cholesterol.

4. CBD for Digestive Issues

Digestive issues are never fun to experience. Both men and women deal with digestive issues, but it seems that in recent research, women are more often times affected than men. The Department of Biostatistics and Office for Nursing Research at the University of Washington focused research on gastrointestinal symptoms and increased psychological distress reported by both genders. Women sought health care services more often than men for IBS. The reports for women seeking health care services for IBS only increased as women went from premenopause to postmenopause.

CBD can help alleviate the symptoms of IBS and other digestive symptoms by acting on the receptors in the brain and digestive tract responsible for causing inflammation. Getting rid of inflammation in the digestive tract alleviates the pain associated with the majority of digestive issues. CBD can also regulate bowel movements which can improve the body’s digestive functions.

5. Benefits of CBD and Hair

You are not alone if you are suffering from hair loss. Many women experience hair loss for a variety of reasons and it can be psychologically devastating. Alopecia is a common form of hair loss which causes bald spots. Women going through chemotherapy often times experience hair loss.

CBD has shown promise in helping with hair loss. The University of Arkansas conducted a study on chemotherapy-induced alopecia on mice. The mice receiving chemotherapy experienced hair loss over 6-12 months. The mice that were pre-treated with CBD did not develop these changes and maintained a normal-appearing coat. Mice that were treated with CBD after they developed hair loss partially recovered. The mice the received CBD before chemotherapy showed a mix of normal-appearing hair follicles, and the mice that received CBD after hair loss showed close to normal appearing hair follicles after treatment. This study presents CBD as a promise form of treatment in the prevention of hair loss.

6. CBD and Skin Care

We may have not yet found the “fountain of youth,” but research does suggest that CBD can be used to help manipulate the endocannabinoid system in a way that regulates the life cycle of basal cells which can create more radiant and youthful skin. The Journal of Investigative Dermatology published an article in 2010 which provided evidence that CBD can be used to treat an array of skin conditions including:

• skin tumors
• psoriasis
• acne
• dry skin
• dermatitis

7. CBD Part of Your Beauty Routine

CBD is packed with all-natural, nutrient-rich properties which can be beneficial for the largest organ in our body-our skin. There is already a market for CBD beauty products which help by enhancing skin repair and cell regeneration, providing anti-aging effects, creating stronger hair follicles and overall healthier hair, and reducing the appearance of dark spots.