Is CBD work as a smoking cessation remedy?
Want to quit smoking? If you are one of the 40 million people looking to do just that, consider CBD for kicking this unhealthy, fatal addiction. And don’t just take our word for it. CBD oil has been proven to work as a very promising cognitive-behavioral tool which mitigates nicotine withdrawal symptoms and can help people walk away from cigarettes altogether.
Nicotine addiction is a habit-forming, behavioral addiction which requires a substance like CBD to counter it. The brains of addicted people have literally become re-wired to depend on pleasurable sensations associated with the act of inhaling cigarette smoke. To combat behavioral addictions like smoking cigarettes, CBD can help reduce that craving, call to action of lighting a cigarette and inhaling its smoke due to its wide therapeutic profile.
Everything from chronic pain, seizures, sleeplessness, dementia, and inflammation can be treated with CBD. You will notice these health issues include physical and mental ailments, so naturally nicotine addiction can be included in this lineup as well.
CBD interacts directly with our endocannabinoid system, a network of neural receptors that are essential for numerous bodily functions involving sleep cycles, stress responses, immune system performance, memory, blood pressure, mood, and much more.
By using CBD regularly and in proper doses, CBD will balance and reset certain brain functions, thereby reducing or eliminating the brain’s need to perform behavioral habits. This is what happens when our endocannabinoid system is properly regulated with CBD. In fact, there are over 60 molecular targets CBD interacts with. One of these is the GABA receptor, which balances our glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid neurotransmitters. CBD helps balance and maintain better equilibrium between these and many other receptors throughout the body’s nervous system.
Another receptor CBD helps maintain is the serotonin receptor. Low serotonin is linked to anxiety, depression, while high serotonin can lead to hyperactive reflexes, tremors, and sudden shivering. Serotonin also affects emotions and mood. Many people use cigarettes to self-regulate serotonin, thereby becoming dependent on it to maintain a certain mental or physical state, with dire consequences. Alternatively, CBD can help the brain improve balanced, consistent serotonin production by blocking reuptake and interacting with the 5-1HTA serotonin receptor which helps the brain use serotonin more efficiently and effectively. Note here that CBD does not increase serotonin production, but rather helps the brain produce and use it in a proper way.
If you are interested in using CBD to quit smoking, there is a wide body of research and content available online for you to conduct your own research and see if using CBD for this purpose is right for you. Additionally, never hesitate to speak with your healthcare provider or give us a call for more insights on how to use CBD properly, determine the right dose, and what you might be able to expect from using this fantastic natural remedy that can dramatically improve your health and quality of life.