CBD for Seniors

Lars
November 13, 2020

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are 54 million U.S. residents who are 65 years and older. This number is said to double over the next 20 years. With the growing senior population also comes the need for pharmaceutical alternatives for their health problems.

A lot of senior adults rely on prescribed medication to relieve them of symptoms caused by health issues. With the prescription pills though, come side effects like dizziness, nausea, fatigue, diarrhea, etc.

Aging brings about health deterioration. You eat right, and you keep-fit; still, getting older will afflict you with many health conditions.

CBD, a rescuer


CBD is closely associated with the health and wellness industry due to its ability to reduce the number of health conditions like seizures, pain, mental health, etc. 

It has a better side effect profile. There is enough and more evidence that shows CBD provides similar, if not better, health benefits with no adverse side effects.

Older adults are turning towards CBD as an alternative to pharmaceuticals. CBD is a safe and natural alternative to improve the overall quality of life.

 

Benefits of CBD in Seniors


Brain Health:

Seniors have to deal with a lot of mood swings, stress, and anxiety that come with age, like declining health, isolation, loss of a family member. CBD can provide a soothing effect and can help relax tense muscles. 

According to a study done in Frontiers in the NeuroScience journal, CBD can offer therapeutic benefits for disorders related to inappropriate responses to traumatic memories. 

Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and multiple sclerosis are some of the neurodegenerative diseases that affect older adults. A study (Neurological Aspects of Medical Use of Cannabidiol) showed that CBD could prove beneficial in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Multiple Sclerosis patients. 

Bone Health:

Osteoporosis is a bone disease that causes bones to become weak, increasing fractures’ risk. Seniors often suffer from this disease; even a small fall or a slip can cause them a fracture.

CBD can help heal the fractures and strengthen the bones. Research(Cannabinoid Receptors as Target for Treatment of Osteoporosis: A Tale of Two Therapies) has shown that Endocannabinoids help with bones’ remodeling acting on CB1, CB2 receptors expressed on bone cells. CBD raises the possibility of cannabinoids regulating bone mass.

Pain management:

Various studies had long proved that CBD helps in alleviating pain, in particular, reducing inflammation. 

Pain caused by Arthritis, Joint pains, Chronic Pain, Multiple sclerosis, etc. is a common health condition faced by older adults. According to the study, (Transdermal cannabidiol reduces inflammation and pain-related behaviors in a rat model of arthritis) Topical application of CBD can provide relief in arthritis induced pain and inflammation without evident side effects.

Heart Health:

High blood pressure could be a significant threat to senior adults as it causes heart diseases – one in every four deaths is because of cardiovascular disease. 

CBD, because of its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, is proven to help reduce blood pressure and heart inflammation, thus improving overall heart health. It has vast benefits for the cardiovascular system. 

Many studies have proved that CBD reduced blood pressure and heart rate. A study published in The American Society for Clinical Investigation journal showed that CBD administration reduced resting BP and stress-related to increased heart rate. 

Addiction:

According to a survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, approximately 1 million adults aged 65+ years reported substance abuse. Due to their numerous health conditions, seniors have often been prescribed many drugs to help them fight the symptoms. Over usage of prescribed drugs results in substance abuse.

Addiction among seniors is underestimated and left undiagnosed. It may sound bizarre, but CBD helps in combating addiction. A study (Unique treatment potential of cannabidiol for the prevention of relapse to drug use) showed that CBD’s therapeutic profile helped with relapse prevention in substance use disorders.

Sleep disorders:

Insomnia is a common problem among older adults. Many reasons like medications, poor sleep habits, substance abuse, stress, isolation, etc. cause insomnia.

To deal with insomnia, seniors turn to sleep medication, which in turn may create side effects. The use of CBD can promote a healthier sleep cycle and calm the nerves without any adverse side effects, thus eliminating the need to take prescribed medications.

 

Conclusion


With its potential benefits, CBD has helped a lot of seniors to deal with age-related health conditions. While these conditions can also be treated by prescribed medication, they also come with unwanted side effects. 

A lot of studies proved CBD helped reduce symptoms caused by several health issues. One must use CBD after thorough research of the products. Sourcing, manufacturing, and production of CBD play an essential role. Substandard CBD products with no backing of good reviews from CBD reviewers or third-party Lab testing could be harmful to use.

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