Hypertension is the medicinal term for high blood pressure. It can induce serious health problems, including a high risk of stroke, heart disease, and even death. Having hypertension is dangerous because it forces the heart to work harder to pump blood to the body. It also possibly leads to kidney infection, thickening of the veins, and heart failure.
Analysis of the effects of cannabis on high blood pressure is nearly limited. However, as stress is the leading cause of hypertension, some cannabis strains for high blood pressure might help.
Cannabidiol, also known as CBD, is a non-psychoactive phytocannabinoid. It is a cannabinoid found in two kinds of marijuana, cannabis and hemp plants. Commercially-available CBD oil is cannabidiol derived from the hemp plant, often infused with coconut or hemp oil.
Can CBD Oil Lower Blood Pressure?
The smallest answer to this would be Yes. In a 2017 report published in the JCI Insight Journal, experts noted that a single dose of CBD decreased blood pressure and the blood pressure response to anxiety. Thus, the researchers concluded that the results reflected the anti-anxiety and analgesic effects of CBD.
So, How Does CBD Work to Control Hypertension?
Cannabidiol (CBD) doesn’t just work in one way to reduce high blood pressure. There are a few CBD effects in the body that have a direct role in blood pressure levels. First, some factors associated with high blood pressure are anxiety, stress, lack of sleep, and tiredness. Some reports suggest that CBD can help control and lower these symptoms.
Increasing clarity and focus, reducing anxiety levels, and helping to reduce stress could also help balance blood pressure levels to some extent.
CBD can produce soothing effects. When you can relax and stay peaceful, your blood pressure levels decrease with time, with your heart rate responding accordingly. Vasodilators are pills that make the blood flow more easily throughout the body by dilating or stretching the blood vessels.
As a natural vasodilator, CBD can help promote positive cardiovascular health. As high blood pressure can damage the heart and veins, cannabidiol works as a natural remedy to let the blood flow naturally and efficiently.
Finally, many studies have revealed that cannabidiol has anti-inflammatory qualities. Since inflammation can trigger hypertension or vice versa, something that fights inflammation is great to have on your team. You can use a CBD topical lotion to relieve particular target areas or a CBD oil tincture, or other cannabis ingestible products that provide overall and full-body comfort.
Things To Consider While Choosing CBD Products For Hypertension
To ensure the safety and authenticity of the CBD products you want to buy, consider the following factors in mind:
- Find out the exact legal requirements applicable to CBD in the area where you’re going to buy and consume it.
- Buy only from authentic and legal companies. The majority of firms that produce the best CBD oil products get their hemp from their field or buy from licensed hemp producers.
- When ordering from an online site, verify the company and read the product reviews first. When buying from a physical store or dispensary, check whether the state allows the store to sell CBD products.
- One crucial factor to look for in CBD products is certification codes. Many certification authorities allow certain products only after they clear particular lab tests.
- Analyze the potency of the product claimed by the company with that of the third-party laboratory reports.
Experts recommend that you consult a doctor who’s an expert at medical marijuana before buying and trying any CBD product.
CBD Dosage For High Blood Pressure
In a 2019 report, Mayo Clinic prescribes CBD dosages based on scientific research, publications, traditional use, and expert opinion.
As with any medicine, the dose would depend on the user’s genetics, metabolism, and body weight. The dosages and duration of therapy also rely essentially on the disease. However, there is no particular dose recommended for high blood pressure.
Results of a 2017 survey issued in the Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research Journal gave proof that a dose of up to 1,500 mg of CBD a day is well-tolerated by people*. Another analysis also discovered that CBD at lower doses presented physiological effects that could improve and maintain health, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and neuroprotection effects.
Following the dosage instructions on the CBD product you bought and beginning with a low dose is the best action plan for those who would like to try CBD for the first time. Taking high doses, in the beginning, may produce adverse reactions in the body.
So, have patience, you would eventually find your sweet spot after some trial and error.
Benefits of Using CBD Oil To Lower Blood Pressure
Many health benefits of CBD could indirectly help with hypertension. Here they are:
Anti-Anxiety
Anxiety can lead to rapid heart rate and throbbings, leaving you at a chance for high blood pressure and heart attack.
CBD oil helped reduce anxiety in animal trials by the National Institute for Drug Abuse (NIDA). This study confirmed that symptoms that follow stress, like high blood pressure and rapid heart rate, were recovered using CBD.
Reduces Inflammation
Inflammation doesn’t only happen in your cells. Research reveals that CBD oil can lower inflammation in the heart and blood veins in the brain.
The anti-inflammatory properties of CBD called ‘vasorelaxant’ may help lower blood pressure by providing the free flow of blood in your heart, arteries, and nerves.
Analgesic Properties
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), intense pain can lead to hypertension. Because CBD operates on the pain receptors in the brain, the pain-relieving qualities of cannabidiol could lead to reduced blood pressure.
CBD Improves Sleep
As CBD reduces anxiety, you may see a change in your quality of sleep and overall well-being.
Sarah Polansky, the owner, and developer of a CBD company named Prismatic Plants, once stated that the more you use CBD to control your adrenals, the less likely you’ll feel tired as the body retreats to a state of equilibrium rather than constant despair.*
Risks Using CBD Oil For Hypertension
As much as CBD oil is useful for therapeutic purposes, it also has some side effects, given that it contains hints of THC. THC concentrations are higher in other varieties of cannabis and lower in hemp from which CBD oil is derived. It generates anxiety, panic attacks, dizziness, mood swings, and lightheadedness.
Some of the adverse effects can be intense, and if that is the case, you should consult your doctor and get a prescription instead of trying home remedies on your own.
Pregnant ladies and nursing moms should avoid CBD medicine as it may affect the placental wall by increasing permeability, making the fetus vulnerable to hazardous elements and other harmful consequences.
