CBD for stress relief: what we know and what we don’t
If you’re feeling like we’ve reached Peak, you’re not alone. CBD has been touted as a sleep aid, a stress reducer, a pain reliever, and a potential treatment for a number of other maladies. And there’s no limit to the forms CBD comes in: oils, capsules, salves, creams, edibles, smokeable vape cartridges (and the list goes on)
If you’re dealing with high-stress levels and looking for easy lifestyle changes that will help you relax, you might be considering using CBD. But there are a few questions to answer before you add CBD to your routine. Does it actually relieve stress? How should you take it? And are there any risks or side effects?
Read on to learn more about CBD and determine whether it could help you reduce your stress levels.
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What is CBD?
CBD is short for cannabidiol, and it is one of the more than 100 cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant, also known as marijuana or hemp. CBD is typically the second most abundant active ingredient in cannabis after tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the psychoactive component that causes the “high” feeling associated with marijuana. CBD does not contain THC and does not cause a high by itself.
Currently, the only CBD product that has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is Epidiolex, a medication prescribed to treat seizures in people with certain disorders. CBD is currently being studied as a potential treatment for a range of conditions, including anxiety, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, and schizophrenia, but at this point, evidence supporting the drug’s benefits is still limited.
Aside from the FDA-approved Epidiolex, state laws on the use of CBD vary. According to FDA guidelines, the substance cannot be sold as a dietary supplement or for medical uses. However, despite the lack of conclusive research or controlled clinical trials, people use CBD to address a wide variety of health concerns including chronic pain, libido, insomnia, and anxiety.
Can CBD help with stress?
While research is still in its early stages, current evidence indicates that CBD has potential as a treatment option for anxiety conditions including generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder when administered in the short-term. Keep in mind, there isn’t much data on chronic or long-term CBD use since research on this substance is still in its infancy, and more research is needed.
As for what we do know today, that seems promising? A 2020 review analyzed data from 76 articles on the effectiveness of CBD in treating specific disorders, including stress, anxiety, depression, and dementia. The conclusions? CBD seems like a promising option in the treatment of stress and anxiety. But while early research suggests an anxiety-reducing effect --- or something along those lines --- more clinical trials are needed to understand the exact mechanisms of CBD.
A study done on rats with acute stress in 2009 demonstrated that CBD injections reduced the increased blood pressure, heart rate, and general physiological anxiety responses, suggesting that this substance could help users lessen the effect of their stress response.
However, animal trials studying the effects of CBD on anxiety have actually demonstrated conflicting results, especially with regards to dosage and effectiveness, which is part of why more and longer-term research is needed --- to answer questions like, how much CBD is an appropriate dosage? What drug interactions are caused? What are the long-term effects of CBD usage over time?
There is plenty of anecdotal evidence online citing CBD’s effectiveness in treating a wide variety of conditions and symptoms, but scientific evidence is still working to catch up. Of course, it’s best to be skeptical when reading personal accounts of CBD usage.
How does CBD impact cortisol?
Since cortisol is directly related to stress, you may be wondering what effect CBD has on this hormone --- especially if you’ve had your levels tested and you know you have too-high cortisol levels.
The overall messaging here is consistent: more data is needed on CBD before any definitive statements are made, but research so far shows that CBD may play a role in slowing down cortisol secretion.
One small-scale clinical trial in the 1990s tested the effect of cannabidiol on cortisol in humans, demonstrating that CBD does interfere with cortisol secretion. Later, a 2020 study looked into CBD as a stress treatment for patients at risk of developing psychosis, and though the results were inconclusive, they offered a strong case for further study on CBD’s potential to mitigate cortisol and the harmful effects of chronic stress.
What form of CBD is best for stress?
You’ll find CBD products being sold in various forms, but with the lack of clear FDA guidelines on this substance, it can be difficult to determine which option is best for addressing stress. The sales-y, non-medical language surrounding CBD products may lead to confusion, so before you start shopping around, it’s important to understand the difference between the types of CBD products available:
- Sublingual: This includes oils, tinctures, sprays, and lozenges that you can put under your tongue to absorb rather than digest. In general, sublingual substances take effect much more quickly than edible products that absorb through digestion.
- Edible: Many companies infuse CBD into gummies, chocolates, mints, and other foods, which tends to be an approachable way to consume the substance without any cannabis-like flavor. However, research demonstrates that eating CBD means it is partially broken down by the liver and digestive tract, so it can be as long as two hours before it takes effect and you might only absorb 20 to 30% of it.
- Topical: Oral consumption of CBD isn’t the only option. There are also plenty of lotions, creams, and salves infused with cannabidiol that are designed to be applied directly to the skin. Many people choose these topical applications when using CBD to address localized pain or skin conditions. While the bioavailability of topicals is unclear, a 2015 study on rats showed that the application of CBD oil on the skin significantly reduced joint swelling, indicating the potential for relief of arthritis-related pain and inflammation (though more research is needed).
- Inhalable: While you technically can smoke or vape CBD in the form of high-cannabidiol marijuana, CBD oil vaporizer cartridges, or inhalable CBD concentrates, this type of ingestion can cause other negative health effects or expose you to carcinogens, so it’s best to be cautious.
Again, more research is needed on CBD as a whole, but if you’re taking CBD in hopes that it will relieve stress, it’s probably best to stick to edible or sublingual forms. That’s because topical forms are more intended to address physical symptoms like joint pain or swelling, and inhalable forms could have other harmful effects.
In general, when choosing any cannabidiol product, you want to do your research. Since these aren’t FDA regulated, they can potentially be mislabeled or misrepresented. You should always opt for purchasing CBD from companies that are as transparent as possible. This includes products with updated and easily available certificates of analysis; products that pass standardized tests for molds, pesticides, and heavy metals; products that have been third-party tested by ISO 17025-compliant labs; and, ideally, products made from US-grown hemp.
Before you do try CBD for stress, you should talk to your doctor about potential interference with medications or health conditions you may have.
Stress solutions that don’t involve CBD
Taking CBD is just one of many ways to deal with stress. If CBD doesn’t feel right for you, then you might consider one of these other options:
- Get your stress-related hormone levels tested by Base, which will offer you specific data and supplement/lifestyle suggestions tailored to your body’s needs. This takes out the guesswork and helps you pinpoint exactly what’s causing chronic stress or anxiety.
- Try meditation or mindfulness practices. Practicing these regularly can help you manage stress by lowering cortisol levels.
- Take a look at your sleep hygiene. Make sure you have healthy sleep habits and a regular sleep schedule because poor sleep can pretty quickly throw your cortisol levels out of whack.
- Get exercise and time outdoors. Regular, gentle exercise can better prepare your body to deal with stress and can help reduce the body’s cortisol levels, and being outside in nature is connected to drops in cortisol. One note here is that you don’t want to overdo it with working out --- putting too much physical strain on your body can have the opposite of the desired effect, actually raising your cortisol levels.
When you’re looking to reduce stress, remember that even small adjustments can have a significant effect. You don’t have to drastically change your lifestyle to see positive health outcomes. Something as simple as cutting out device usage before bedtime or using Base to determine what supplements you should take can make a difference.
The most important thing to remember is that there’s no cure-all. Pay attention to changes in your stress over time so that you can continue to make adjustments until you find what’s right for you.
Looking for ways to de-stress?
Take our quiz to build a bespoke testing plan that will help you understand your cortisol levels and de-stress.
