CBD, otherwise known as cannabidiol, is a substance that has been said by customers and users to have health benefits that can be utilized to treat different kinds of diseases and conditions. For this reason alone, CBD has grown extremely popular with many everyday users and is attracting all kinds of individuals in the medical and scientific space who are searching for answers as to what CBD is actually capable of accomplishing.
Those who are currently using it, however, may be simply searching for an answer as to whether or not the substance has the potential to help them with diabetes, regardless of the lack of research or definitive application.
If you are struggling with diabetes and have been looking for a natural treatment option that may help to ease your symptoms or work along with your regular course of treatment, use this guide to better understand how CBD may interact with your diabetes and improve your current condition.
WHAT’S DIABETES?
If you’re reading this for a friend or a relative who was recently diagnosed, you may still not be quite sure as to what the symptoms and issues related to diabetes are. The first thing that needs to be mentioned in this section is that there are different kinds of diabetes. They all refer to a disease that results in your blood sugar being too high. Blood sugar is what keeps you going throughout the day but when your body doesn’t produce enough of a hormone known as insulin, it can’t properly take the glucose from your blood and inject it into your cells. This results in diabetes.
As we stated above, diabetes is an umbrella term for any disease that results in the poor absorption of blood glucose. Among these diseases are type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes, and even cystic fibrosis-related diabetes, just to name a few.
Type 1 Diabetes
This occurs as a result of the body’s inability to make insulin due to the immune system attacking the parts of the pancreas that are responsible for insulin production.
Type 2 Diabetes
This is often a result of poor dietary habits, also have an issue with making insulin but may not have to such an extent as those with type 1 diabetes or their body may not be able to utilize the insulin that they do have as well as some other people.
Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes is a condition that may show up in pregnant women and typically lasts for the duration of the pregnancy and cystic fibrosis-related diabetes stems from cystic fibrosis and contains problems found in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
The biggest problem with those who suffer from diabetes is that there may be no symptoms and you may not be able to catch it until it’s too late. That being said, there are some symptoms out there that will present themselves in those suffering from the disease.
Symptoms
Some of these symptoms include feeling thirsty frequently, feeling very hungry even when eating, blurry vision, extreme fatigue, frequent urination, slow healing with cuts and bruises, tingling or numbness in the extremities, or unexplained weight loss. When diabetes is not caught or treated, it has a huge impact on the various organs in the body and may even prove to be fatal in some. In addition, those who have diabetes still may deal with complications throughout their lifetime that can affect the skin, eyes, nerves, and blood pressure. Overall, it’s important for those dealing with any form of this disease to seek help as soon as possible.
Statistics on Diabetes
Another issue with diabetes is that it is such a widespread problem. In fact, there are quite a few troubling statistics out there that properly illuminate this issue. For example, were you aware that approximately 100 million adults in America, which is equivalent to around one-third of the population, have been diagnosed and are suffering from either type 1 or type 2 diabetes? Did you know that, in addition to the large number of individuals above, around 84.1 million individuals are prediabetic and will likely develop type 2 diabetes within the next 5 years? Even scarier, diabetes is very likely to lead to even worse health complications. Diabetics are 3 times likelier to end up with cardiovascular disease, 12 times likelier to end up with end-stage renal failure, and over 20 times more likely to end up having to amputate a limb or many limbs. With statistics like these, it is easy to see why diabetes requires immediate treatment and preventative measures.
How to Use CBD for Diabetes
Until there is more research being conducted regarding the use of CBD in a variety of different diseases, we unfortunately, are unsure as to whether or not CBD can make an impact on the symptoms of diabetes. However, many users and previous customers of ours report that CBD helps with diabetes in various ways by providing some relief in the long-run. Here is how CBD may be able to help you manage your diabetes.
Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance, which often appears in those who are dealing with prediabetes or who have developed type 2 diabetes, occurs when the body rejects the insulin that is being produced. This results in the glucose in the blood not being absorbed. Because of CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties, it is said that a decrease in inflammation throughout the body helps the body to accept insulin and improve other bodily processes that impact diabetes as a whole.
Appetite Control
If you’re someone who is currently dealing with prediabetes and is looking to lose some weight or improve their overall health to avoid developing type 2 diabetes, CBD may be a desirable option. Like many other natural treatment options, CBD may able to help you curb your cravings and control your appetite so that you are not as likely to eat as much as you are currently consuming. This definitely helps when it comes to sweet treats that are more likely to make the overall problem worse.
Energy Balance
When your body is unable to absorb the sugar that is accumulating in your bloodstream, you don’t get the energy that you need to get throughout the day. This is why many of those who are suffering from diabetes have to deal with constant fatigue. Along with the supposed benefits of helping the body to absorb insulin, which will help with the fatigue, CBD is said to increase energy when it is taken in small doses. This gives you the boost that you need to continue even when you feel tired.
Neuropathy
Neuropathy is an undesirable side-effect that manifests mostly in those who have type 2 diabetes. This condition causes nerve damage throughout the organs in the body. However, nerve damage is typically found in the hands and feet of diabetics. Symptoms of neuropathy include pain, numbness, and the sensation of pins and needles in the affected area(s). CBD is said to be effective in treating these issues for several reasons. The first is that CBD studies have shown it is quite effective in treating pain, which helps to combat the symptoms of neuropathy. Beyond that, CBD may be able to improve nerve growth and prevent further oxidative stress on the liver to prevent current neuropathy problems from worsening.
Skin Complications
Diabetes is a disease that has the potential to affect the whole body with one of the affected areas being the skin. Those with diabetes run the risk of developing skin complications such as developing sores, bacterial infections, fungal infections, and other irritating or painful skin issues. CBD may be a great substance for these diabetes-related skin complications as CBD is reported to be able to reduce inflammation and pain, moisturize the skin. It can also prevent further skin complications as it improves healing abilities.
Decreases Inflammation
We’ve repeatedly enforced the idea that CBD helps to reduce inflammation and that is due to the fact that it is one of the main ways that CBD is said to help users. When it comes to inflammation, there are quite a few areas of the body that are affected by it when one is dealing with diabetes. One of the most notable being arterial inflammation. Overall, this is one of the biggest benefits that you may experience when you take CBD as it will help to reduce quite a few of the symptoms and side-effects of diabetes.
How to Use CBD for Diabetes
The best part about CBD is that it comes in a variety of different forms for consumption. If you don’t like one, you have several more at your disposal and many forms will help you to cope with different aspects of your diabetes. There is no exact cbd dosage for diabetes.
If you have made it this far and are interested in CBD as a potential treatment option, here are some of the ways that you can use your CBD for your diabetes.
Tincture Oils
Tincture oils are special CBD oils that are designed for oral use. These oils are found in small bottles with dropper tops that allow you to take a small amount of oil and apply it sublingually as needed. This method is a great way to get your CBD as the oil is absorbed almost instantly when it is used under the tongue and there are plenty of great flavors to choose from when you start searching for your own tincture oil. This form is highly recommended for those who need to receive widespread benefits from their CBD as it is dispersed throughout the whole body once it is absorbed.
Vaping
If you’re not too fond of taking tincture oils due to the flavors or other reasons, you could choose to vape your CBD instead. Vaping, which is a much safer alternative to smoking your CBD, is a process that utilizes a piece of technology known as a vaporizer to heat your CBD up to a certain point so that it can release the active ingredients in the form of a vapor. Vaping your CBD is a very effective way to get your CBD as it is inhaled directly to the lungs and then distributed throughout the body via the bloodstream rather quickly. CBD vape oils come in a variety of fun flavors and concentrations to give you whatever experience you may be seeking. In addition, vaporizers are simple to use and you can get a vaporizer and the corresponding vape oil for an affordable price.
Along with the option of choosing a CBD vaporizer and getting your CBD through vape oils, you could also choose to get a dab rig and find CBD concentrates. CBD concentrates are purer forms of CBD that contain only the substance. When you use these hardened concentrates with a dab rig, all you have to do is superheat the substance and take hits through a water pipe, which will deliver more potent hits of CBD for those who need larger doses of the substance.
Edibles
Edibles are another form in which you can get your CBD and function in the same way that marijuana edibles do. With CBD edibles, you have a ton of choices of delicious snacks and foods that have been pre-dosed with a specific amount of CBD. While these products are a tasty and simple way to get your CBD, you need to be careful as to which one you choose as many may contain high amounts of sugar.
Capsules
If you’re not worried about how your CBD tastes and are just looking for an easy way to get your CBD, you could always reach for CBD capsules. CBD capsules are just CBD products in pill form. All you have to do is seek out a bag or box of capsules that provides you with the dose that you are looking for and then begin taking the CBD as often as you need to help you with whatever symptoms you may be seeking to reduce.
Conclusion
Although most people are no strangers to diabetes, it can truly be an eye-opening experience to learn more about the disease and how it impacts those who have it. If you are suffering from diabetes or you have a close friend or relative who is dealing with it, use the guide above to see how CBD may be able to help you, either on its own or in combination with other treatment plans