Sleeplessness, mood swings, weight gain, and hot flashes – a woman over 45 is probably familiar with these common yet challenging symptoms of menopause. If you are experiencing menopausal symptoms, finding relief can be a challenge.
Unfortunately, not everyone with menopause is a candidate for pharmaceutical treatment options, such as hormone replacement therapy (HRT). So, many women consider natural herbs and supplements as an alternative. One such natural choice is cannabidiol or CBD.
Could CBD be a Panacea?
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Research shows that CBD might ease some of the menopause symptoms. The therapeutic product is gradually gaining popularity among women to treat symptoms of menopause.
The best part is that you can get CBD products from various websites or marijuana dispensaries that offer high-quality products, and the choices are endless.
Let’s look at how CBD impacts the body and mind of menopausal women.
Menopause and CBD
Menopause starts when a woman no longer has a menstrual cycle. It does not occur suddenly. A phase called perimenopause begins a few years before the final menstrual cycle that gives rise to the various unpleasant and occasionally debilitating symptoms.
Menopause has a range of symptoms that include night sweats, difficulty sleeping, hot flashes, and mood changes. Decreased sexual drive and function, joint problems, vaginal dryness, and urine leakage are other symptoms.
The excellent reputation of NuLeaf Naturals CBD for treating pre- and post-menopausal symptoms is based not only on testimonials but also on scientific research indicating that CBD is useful for these symptoms.
A recent study surveyed 1,281 women in Washington, California, Colorado, and Oregon found that sex, menstruation, and menopause are the top three reasons women use cannabis for self-care.
CBD works closely with our endocannabinoid system (EC system) to provide beneficial aspects for menopause. The EC system is a network of cell receptors that helps to regulate all of our body’s systems — reproductive cycles, immune function, appetite, pain, temperature, sleep, and moods
. Many of these systems directly tie to menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, fatigue, anxiety, pain, insomnia, irritability, etc.
CBD interacts and supports the endocannabinoid system through two sets of receptors (CB1 and CB2) to ensure the body’s chemical balance whenever body functions become compromised during menopause. It’s no wonder women across the globe are experiencing the benefits of CBD.
How does CBD help menopausal women?
CBD can manage some of the symptoms of menopause. Let’s discuss some of them.
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Night Sweats & Hot Flashes
Women going through menopause frequently experience night sweats and hot flashes triggered by altered chemistry in the hypothalamus (our body’s own thermoregulator).
During menopause, the thermoregulator gets activated when the body temperature rises by only 1.5 degrees, which is not the case before menopause, wherein the cooling system remains switched off unless the body temperature increases by almost three degrees.
In this case, CBD can calm the nervous system by interacting with the body’s serotonin system. Low serotonin levels are known to trigger hot flashes and night sweats. CBD’s effects can provide similar calming effects like any other relaxation techniques, hypnosis, or behavioral therapy.
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Anxiety & Depression
Anxiety, depression, and mood swings are common for women experiencing menopause. During menopause, hormones like estrogen and progesterone decrease rapidly and change neurochemistry since they regulate the activity of serotonin and other neurotransmitters in your brain.
This change directly affects the mood and hence the emotional distress.
CBD facilitates serotonin neurotransmission through its 5-HT1A receptors that make serotonin available for the brain, thus regulating the mood.
During a panic attack, CBD slows down the neurological activity by improving the binding ability of a neurotransmitter known as GABA that helps us relax.
In the case of depression, CBD offers remarkable benefits by maintaining the serotonin levels in the central nervous system. CBD is also known for its healing effects for Postpartum Depression.
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Insomnia
Menopause disrupts sleep drastically, mainly through increased night sweats and anxiety. Insomnia or sleep deprivation can take a severe toll on your health, triggering fatigue, and various other health conditions. In these cases, one should identify the factors that hamper your sleep.
So, you can switch to CBD Oil Canada for a good night’s sleep. In addition to its anxiolytic effects, CBD helps to regulate the sleep-wake cycle when it gets disturbed. It reduces the time you stay in the REM stage, thus resulting in restorative sleep.
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Weight Gain & Diabetes
Without hormones like estrogen, our bodies won’t burn calories. The hormonal change during menopause tells your body to sacrifice lean muscle mass in favor of abdominal fat. This fat storage, eventually, exposes you to cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, and diabetes.
CBD is found to have smaller waist circumferences and lower insulin levels than those who refrain from cannabinoids. CBD even helps increase the production of natural endocannabinoids, which can mitigate insulin resistance, especially during menopause.
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Genitourinary Syndrome
Estrogen plays a significant role in the woman’s body. It helps maintain blood flow to the pelvic region that brings fresh oxygen to the tissues in the urinary tract and sexual organs. But the moment menopause hits, these functions get compromised and eventually lead to unpleasant conditions like muscle stress, inflammation, and oversensitivity in those intimate regions.
Cannabinoids are potent vasodilators that funnel more blood to the pelvic region, thus moisturizing the vaginal canal. Hence, it is recommended to use CBD topical lubricants. CBD also reduces inflammation, calms the nerves, and relaxes muscles within the vagina.
Conclusion
When you begin to experience the first menopause symptoms, make sure to monitor the physical and mental changes happening within your body and life.
This will help you understand the cause of the signs and find the best solutions for alleviating them.
We hope this will assist you in your endeavor to make a well-informed CBD purchase.
Remember, it is always recommended to consult a medical expert regarding its safe usage to ensure you have a successful plan to manage these symptoms.
