Feeling overwhelmed at work…Stuck in traffic … Tension between you and your boss… Relationship issues...Money problems…
It’s stressful just reading about these common dilemmas! According to the American Institute of Stress, 77% of people “regularly experience physical symptoms caused by occasional stress”
Chronic occasional stress has been called the No. 1 killer in the United States, because it’s a major contributing factor to the six leading causes of death in the US...
But stress isn’t just one narrowly defined psychological malady; it’s actually a range of responses to emotional or environmental stressors. To help you better understand how occasional daily stress can affect your health and how to best address it, let’s walk through brief explanations of the three types of stress.
Occasional Stress
Occasional stress has been called the No. 1 killer in the United States, because it’s a major contributing factor to the six leading causes of death in the US. This is the kind of stress that’s always there and wears on you day after day.
Episodic Acute Stress
Episodic acute stress comes when your life is in a constant state of disorder. You seem to be constantly putting out fires. You worry a lot. The symptoms are similar to the symptoms of acute stress (listed below) but they occur more often and tend to accumulate.
Acute Stress
Acute stress is the most common form of stress. The symptoms of acute stress include irritability, sadness, headaches, back pain and gut issues. Your blood pressure may also be elevated, your palms may start to sweat, your pulse might race, you may feel dizzy, you could experience heart palpitations, shortness of breath and have problems sleeping. It’s short-term and thus is not associated with the more serious damage caused by chronic stress. However, if acute stress becomes episodic acute stress, it could become detrimental to your physical and mental well-being.
While anyone experiencing chronic or episodic acute stress should consult their healthcare professional, there are many traditional ways to combat occasional stress, such as exercise, including yoga; reducing caffeine intake; spending time with loved ones; listening to soothing music and so on. And more and more people are turning to a natural product like, CBD to help them ease stress and relax throughout the day.
What the Science Says About CBD and Stress
A study entitled “Stress Regulates Endocannabinoid-CB1 Receptor Signaling” published by the National Library of Medicine (concludes,“Overwhelming data support the hypothesis that the ECS (endocannabinoid system) is a critical component of homeostatic regulation of the body.” In other words, the ECS plays a crucial role in the overall wellness level of our bodies. (Homeostasis is the process living things use to maintain a stable condition necessary for survival.)
The ECS has two types of receptors: CB1 receptors, and CB2 receptors. CB1 receptors are within our central nervous system (brain, spinal cord) and throughout the body. In addition to neuronal transmission, they regulate key physiological processes such as pain, inflammation, memory and feeding behavior. CB2 receptors are found mostly in the immune and gastrointestinal systems (some CB2 receptors are also found in the brain). CB2 receptors play a role in regulating immune signaling and inflammatory responses.
In the above study, it is also stated that “Preclinical and human data demonstrate that eCB/CB1R [CB1 receptors] signaling is required for regulation of stress responses and mood.” They confirm that CB1 receptors play a key role in how we handle stress. They conclude that stress will impair the function of the CB1 receptors over a prolonged period. So, it goes to follow that if you bring in reinforcement cannabinoids to bolster your CB1 receptors, your stress will subside.
Endocannabinoid Deficiency
The endocannabinoid receptor study further observes that “There is some support for the ‘Endocannabinoid Deficiency’ hypothesis in humans,” The idea behind endocannabinoid deficiency is that your body doesn’t produce enough cannabinoids on its own, which results in an imbalance within the homeostatic processes. It’s not known if this happens as a result of illness or mental distress or whether it’s genetic. Because the ECS plays such a critical role in our physiological, emotional and cognitive stability, lacking sufficient cannabinoids can cause health problems and have lingering effects. It’s why many people have embraced CBD as a way to abate stress, and many have made it part of their preventive health strategy.
The Bliss Molecule
CBD also inhibits the enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), which increases your body’s anandamide level. Anandamide (nicknamed “the bliss molecule”) was the first endocannabinoid discovered. Among other things, it plays a role in the regulation of motivation and pleasure.
Serotonin Impact
Serotonin (a brain hormone) is thought to play a role in regulating mood, happiness and stress. Studies have shown that, while CBD doesn’t necessarily boost the body’s serotonin level, it has a positive impact on how your brain responds to the serotonin in your body.
A survey by Consumer Reports revealed that easing occasional stress was the top reason people use CBD (healthy joints was second, followed by fun and recreation and better sleep). While more study is needed, all signs point to CBD being an effective stress-management solution. What works for one person, however, might not work for someone else, so the only way to know for sure if it will work for you is to try it.
With Zebra CBD’s 90-Day Money-Back Guarantee, you’re free to try our products and, if you’re not fully satisfied, return the empty bottle for a full refund of the purchase price (minus shipping). It’s just one less thing to stress over when you’re trying to find your bliss.🧘♀️
