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CBD stands for cannabidiol, a natural compound extracted from the hemp plant. Ingesting CBD extract through oil, capsule or topical form reacts with your body’s regulatory system, the endocannabinoid system (ECS) and can help to keep your body in balance. For more information about what CBD is take a look at our What is CBD guide.

Just as people take vitamins to supplement their body, CBD is taken to support the endocannabinoid system. The ECS helps to regulate the immune system, bodily functions such as sleeping and is integral in balancing mood, anxiety and even sex drive.

No, CBD isn’t addictive as it does not produce an excessive amount of dopamine for the body to crave. CBD doesn’t produce intoxicating effects unlike that of other varieties of cannabis, meaning that it does not have addiction-related effects.

No, CBD products do not get you high. As CBD is extracted from the cannabis plant, people often wrongly assume products that include it will make you feel high. However, it is the THC component of the cannabis plant that gives you a euphoric feeling of being high and this is why it is strictly regulated in the UK, giving rise to frequent claims that some products are “THC Free”. On the other hand, the CBD component actually helps your body’s regulating system to keep it balanced. Find out more with our guide: Does CBD get you high?

Now you know a bit about what it is and what the potential benefits are you might be wondering how to take it.

At fourfive we have a range of products that makes taking CBD easy:

CBD Oils

CBD Capsules 

Topicals

We’ve got a blog with more information if you are interested in finding out more about how to take it take a look: ‘What’s the Best Way to Use CBD’.

Now you know a bit about what it is and what the potential benefits are you might be wondering how to take it.

At fourfive we have a range of products that makes taking CBD easy:

CBD Oils

CBD Capsules 

Topicals

We’ve got a blog with more information if you are interested in finding out more about how to take it take a look: ‘What’s the Best Way to Use CBD’.

There are lots of ways to use cannabidiol (CBD), but when applied to the skin, CBD Joint Gel works in several ways. First is the rubbing action associated with massaging it in. This soothing motion stimulates the nerve endings which helps reduce discomfort by overwhelming the pain signals. When combined with active ingredients such as menthol this can work wonders and providing a natural alternative to help support the highs and lows of an active lifestyle.

CBD also interacts with the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) which has receptors throughout the body, including in skin cells and nerve fibres. This distribution of cannabinoid receptors in the skin allows topical CBD products to have a localised effect. Our CBD Joint Gel can be used in addition to CBD capsules or oils but it can also be used on its own if you’re not a fan of the taste and flavour of CBD Oils.

The membrane under our tongue is a bit like a gateway to the bloodstream for oils. When you put a few drops of CBD oil in your mouth, it will head straight to your bloodstream without having to pass through the digestive system or liver first. This means that the CBD compounds don’t get broken down by enzymes the way they would if they were ingested.

This rapid absorption means that oils take effect almost immediately after administration. However, this rapid absorption rate means that the effects from entering into the body more quickly don’t last as long. As such, different strengths of CBD oil (e.g. 500mg, 1000mg or 2000mg) can have varying effects.

Unlike CBD oil, capsules are swallowed and as such, they are absorbed into the body differently. Where oil sprays or droppers bypass the digestive system, capsules run headlong into it. First, the CBD compounds enter the stomach and then travels to the liver where it is metabolised. This process reduces the concentration of CBD compounds but there is still enough CBD at an effective concentration that then passes into the bloodstream. The rate of absorption of capsules can be increased by taking them alongside natural fatty foods such as dairy, avocado, nuts and seeds.

What are the consequences of this kind of absorption? Taking a capsule will not show the same level of immediate effects as taking CBD oil, and the overall benefits may be less acute but they may be longer-lasting. It’s a slow and steady method of using CBD and is easily incorporated into a wellness routine with other supplements.

Many individuals who have used CBD feel it is a great natural alternative when maintaining an active lifestyle. Read more about how our customers have found taking it here. The result you feel depends on different factors like the dosage, the strength, the size and body mass of the person, and the type of product. This means that people may have different experiences, too.

Hemp derived CBD has a naturally lower amount of THC and using advanced extraction methods we are able to reduce that amount to below the legally required limit of 0.2%. This low level of THC does not affect the body or mind.

Not all CBD products are made equal. Some contain contaminants, which are most likely unintentional but exist nonetheless. These can include mould, heavy metals, or pesticides. Some companies have been known to add synthetic cannabinoids to increase the weight or strength of a product.

Thankfully, in today’s market, you can test the credibility of a brand by their third party lab tests. If a company doesn’t have one, then we recommend looking elsewhere. We provide a third-party lab report with all of our products for complete transparency. This same practice should be present for each CBD company that wishes to sell to a consumer. If they don’t, you could be rolling the dice on your health.

When a company doesn’t provide a visible report, it’s up to the consumer to ask them if they have a third party lab test to make sure. While we have nothing to hide, other companies may not share this information so openly.

Take a look at our lab reports for our products here.

Hemp oil is primarily taken for its nutritional value. It’s particularly rich in two essential fatty acids as mentioned above, but it also contain a high level of protein, vitamin E, and several other minerals. Alongside its dietary uses, it also won’t get you high because it contains none of the psychotropic THC.

CBD oil, whilst also non-psychotropic, is focused primarily on cannabinoids. In broad and full spectrum products CBD is ingested alongside its natural partners from the hemp plant.

We also understand that CBD oils interact with our body in a fundamentally different way than hemp oils. Our body actually produces its own cannabinoids internally, in a network known as the endocannabinoid system. When we ingest cannabinoids, they interact with this existing series of cannabinoids and receptors.

Anxiety is describing a feeling of fear and can vary from slight unease to uncurbed panic attacks. In ‘normal’ cases, these feelings are temporary and wouldn’t have an impact on your day-to-day life. However once anxiety turns into an anxiety disorder, this feeling of fear may stick with you all the time and have an increasingly negative impact on your life. In extreme cases, your anxiety might even prevent you from doing simple things, like crossing the street, attending events, or ultimately, leaving the house.

There are many different short and long-term reasons that can contribute to feelings/conditions of anxiety, and athletes are no exception with many finding that nerves prior to an event may affect sports performance. There is now clinical evidence to suggest there are interactions of CBD receptors in the Central Nervous System, which could support better quality sleep and contribute to calmer feelings, positively everyday challenges in our active lives.

Alongside our Central Nervous and Digestive systems, our body has another lesser known system, The ECS or Endocannabinoid System. The ECS is integral in achieving homeostasis within the body and is responsible for maintaining balance in many of our body’s physiological and cognitive process. These include mood, appetite, memory, energy and pain.

CBD is thought to interact with various receptors found in the Central Nervous and Peripheral Nervous Systems including the 5-HT1A serotonin receptor and the GABA-A receptor in the brain which is a neurotransmitter in the CNS associated with natural calming and anti-anxiety effects.

So what does a good nights sleep feel like? Whilst we’re asleep our brains move through various stages of the the sleep cycle. The most restorative and deep phase of quality sleep is the non-REM (Rapid Eye Movement) stage. When we achieve long periods of non-REM sleep we wake feeling well rested and refreshed.

The Endocannabinoid System is believed to serve as a link between the circadian regulation systems and the behavioural and physiological processes that are affected, including sleep.

By supporting your ECS with CBD, you may find it easier to stay asleep, fall asleep and achieve a higher quality period of prolonged sleep. This works, not through sedation, as with typical sleeping medication; rather CBD could help the body shift from Rapid Eye Movement (REM) into non-REM sleep stages of the sleep cycle.