6 Ways Men can Benefit From CBD

UPDATED ON FEBRUARY 15TH, 2019
Men often focus on the physical aspects of their health and overlook the social and emotional components. Diet and exercise are common interest areas for men, as opposed to issues such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, or impotence. By adding CBD to a health regimen, men can experience health benefits that help all areas of their health, including the social and emotional areas.
1. Pain Relief
When men experience pain, they often try to overlook it by just “pushing through.” It’s very common for men to go longer without seeking medical attention due to pain alone. The problem with is by the time the source of the pain is discovered, it becomes harder to treat due to the underlying issue having progressed further over time.
Pain medications are commonly prescribed to help alleviate chronic pain. We now are aware that pain medications have become a big problem due to the high risk of addiction. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, men are at a greater risk of using almost all types of illicit drugs and misuse prescription drugs. CBD not only is able to act on the endocannabinoid system in our bodies to help relieve inflammation and help relieve pain, but research has also helped prove CBD doesn’t have addictive properties like many other prescribed pain relievers, and it has been proven to help aid in treating drug addiction. This makes CBD one of the best options for men to treat any pain in both a legal and safe manner.
2. Anxiety
If you are a male who has or is experiencing anxiety, you are not alone. About 1 in 5 males experience anxiety at some point in their life.
There are all sorts of reasons for why someone experiences anxiety. No one is fully immune to experience anxiety or its side effects. Just like with pain, often times men feel as though they are supposed to be tough and just deal with it on their own instead of seeking help or admitting there is a bigger issue. The emotional symptoms of anxiety can be easy to hide since they are going on inside of us. Symptoms of anxiety can include feeling worried, poor sleep, and having a sense of impending doom that can interfere with your ability to focus, work, and maintain relationships. The physical side effects can be less subtle and include pounding or racing heart, excessive sweating, tense muscles, restlessness or agitation, shortness of breathing or a choking sensation, and panic attacks.
CBD has provided relief for many of the emotional and physical side effects of anxiety. The Department of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado conducted research that focused on the effects that CBD has on anxiety and sleep. The results for the sleep and anxiety scores improved for 57 fo the 72 patients within the first month. This research provided evidence that cannabidiol may be beneficial as a form of treatment for anxiety overall.
3. Depression
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, men and women both experience depression but their symptoms can be vastly different. It’s common for men to experience depression and for it to be perceived by both themselves and others as anger or aggression. This makes depression a bit harder to detect and even diagnose by professionals for men in particular.
Men are also less likely to recognize, talk about, or seek treatment for depression compared to women. Depression affects one’s ability to feel, think, and handle daily activities. Some explain depression as a feeling of being very tired and losing interest in work, family, and hobbies. Depression can also affect your ability to sleep. There are also a few physical side effects to be aware of such as a racing heart, tightening chest, chronic headaches, and even digestive issues. Men are often times seeking medical help for these side effects without making the connection to the underlying cause being depression.
Depression for many is hard to talk about. Many people go undiagnosed due to fear of being labeled depressed and not wanting others to know. When depression is left untreated, it can lead to further health problems. Many turn to drugs or alcohol as a way to cope with the emotional symptoms associated with depression. This does not solve the problem, it actually increases the risk of suicide.
The good news is depression can be treated with both medications and psychotherapy. CBD is becoming a popular choice as a form of treatment for depression since it has no known addictive properties like many common medications that are prescribed to treat depression.
CBD was given to animals in a study done by the Institute of Psychiatry. The focus of this study was to review how CBD acted as an antidepressant. This study, in particular, paved the way for CBD to be considered a new drug to be used to treat psychiatric disorders.
4. Insomnia
Have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep? Do you feel tired during the day, have a lack of energy, and find it difficult to concentrate? You might have insomnia. For some, it can come on and last for a few nights, while for others it can last for several weeks and even months.
Sleep is a crucial part of our health. Not getting enough good sleep can impact our hormones, weight, judgment and even digestion. There are several sleep aids on the market, but fixing the root of the problem should be the focus. CBD has often times been believed to be a sedating substance. Research has shown that not to be true. CBD can actually activate the same receptors in the brain that caffeine activates. CBD actually has shown to act as a balancer to facilitate regulating wakefulness and sleepiness.
5. Heart Health
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women, but research has shown that heart disease affects men more often than women. There are many risk factors for heart disease such as diabetes, being overweight or obese, having a poor diet, lack of activity, and excessive alcohol use. Ensuring you are eating a well-balanced diet and exercising regularly are just some of the ways to lower your risk.
CBD has also shown promise in treating cardiovascular diseases by helping lessen inflammation and provide antioxidative effects. The American Society for Clinical Investigation published a study that provided evidence that CBD reduced resting blood pressure of the nine male volunteers in the study. CBD is able to decrease the amount of pressure during a heart contraction, which also reduces the stroke volume (or amount of blood pumped per beat). This is important since individuals with heart disease have high blood pressure due to their heart overworking.
6. Impotence
CBD shows promise in helping men with erectile dysfunction (ED), which is caused by a toxin called dioxin. Dioxin naturally occurs through the aging process in men, and CBD has proven to be able to reverse or rid dioxin from the body.