Science Backed Health Benefits of CBD

There have been a lot of claims bouncing around regarding the therapeutic potential of CBD in recent years. Unfortunately, in some cases, these claims have been either exaggerated or used shamelessly to sell products (which is against regulations, by the way!). This approach has actually done more harm than good, leaving many consumers not knowing what to believe. That’s why we want to help put the record straight by taking a closer look at the potential health benefits of CBD that are backed by science.

Let’s kick off with one of the most commonly touted benefits of CBD: It can cure your anxiety. Don’t get us wrong, we love CBD here at Goodrays but we want to point out that commercially sold CBD should never be considered a cure for anything. What CBD can be is a helping hand – and there is evidence to support its potential as an anxiolytic (anxiety-relieving compound).

For starters, a 2015 review found that preclinical, human experimental, and clinical evidence at the time indicated that “CBD has considerable potential as a treatment for multiple anxiety disorders”; however, it should be noted that the studies included for review all assessed acute dosing of CBD. Nonetheless, evidence has continued to develop in the eight years since this study was published.

A later systematic review assessed eight more trials that had assessed the potential of CBD for anxiety - including six randomised controlled trials. The researchers again concluded that: “CBD has a promising role as an alternative therapy in the management of anxiety disorders.” 

Findings such as these have understandably helped to increase consumer interest in CBD oils and CBD gummies for daily use to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. While clinical evidence may still be in its infancy, anxiety remains the leading reason for the use of CBD products in the UK. 

The anxiolytic potential of CBD is also thought to be relevant to its growing use as a sleep aid. Sleep improvement is another of the most common reasons for CBD use in the UK, with many users claiming to have experienced the benefits. Furthermore, a growing body of scientific evidence now supports these claims.

Many of these studies focused on sleep as a secondary outcome in the presence of another condition, such as an anxiety disorder or chronic pain. Nonetheless, improved sleep scores are consistently reported across such studies.

A 2023 randomised, double-blind controlled trial also concluded that “chronic use of a low dose of CBD is safe and could improve sleep quality”, though the authors noted that these effects did not exceed that of melatonin use. Furthermore, CBD use has been found to increase total sleep percentage in animal studies.

Cannabis has been used as an anti-inflammatory for thousands of years and today, this potential is supported by clinical and observational trials. These anti-inflammatory benefits have been demonstrated as a potentially useful remedy for acne as well as for patients experiencing acute and chronic back pain.

It should be noted that more high-quality, randomised-controlled clinical trials are needed to confirm these results. Nonetheless, such findings have seen the cannabinoid added to a range of products, from face moisturisers and bath bombs to muscle relief creams and even psoriasis creams. 

Of course, these aren’t the only potential benefits of CBD. High doses of a CBD-based medical cannabis product are now being prescribed for treatment-resistant epilepsy and a number of other conditions. However, commercially sold CBD products should never be used as a substitute for prescribed medicines.

When considering introducing CBD to your health or wellness regime, it is important to be aware of the facts behind the perceived benefits – not just the rumours. So, now that we’ve talked you through the potential science-backed benefits of CBD, why not find out for yourself? Take a look at our range of high-quality CBD products, including our delicious CBD Drinks and find out what CBD could really do for you.