CBD and Testosterone: How Does the Cannabinoid Affect Hormones
As cannabis has become more mainstream, it has opened the door to further research into its benefits. This research has discovered not new uses, but different plant features have come to the surface. Features that have their benefits as well. An entirely different market has provided lasting relief for so many people.
One of those markets that have risen in popularity in the last decade is CBD. CBD has proven to be a vital tool for so many facing a variety of ailments. CBD provides the benefits of cannabis without the user “getting high.” This unique part of the drug is the main reason it has grown in popularity. For those on the fence about fully diving into cannabis use, CBD provides that easy way into the world of cannabis without having to deal with the after-effects of using traditional cannabis. CBD is known for relief, but experiments have been underway to see what other benefits this drug can provide.
Below we will discuss how CBD affects hormones, specifically testosterone. Are the results good or bad?
What is CBD?
CBD is a chemical in cannabis called cannabinoid. The cannabis plant has 113 known cannabinoids, but CBD is one of the more popular ones. It does not contain the psychoactive ingredient THC, which is the main reason why consumption of this drug does not produce a “high.” With this drug not producing a “high,” the market for this drug has expanded dramatically in the last decade. Its acceptance grew even further once its benefits became known to the general public.
CBD can now be found in beauty, food, and drink products wherever in the world it is legal, and in the medical field, the FDA has approved a CBD-infused product that helps patients dealing with epilepsy. However, further studies have shown that it can help with other ailments such as anxiety and depression or ease the stress on the body after a cancer patient goes through a round of chemotherapy.
What is testosterone?
Testosterone is a hormone and anabolic steroid found in large quantities, primarily in male testicles, but women also carry small amounts in their ovaries. In men, testosterone has the primary role of developing a male’s reproductive tissue, increasing muscle and bone mass, and helping in hair growth. In both genders, testosterone is crucial in helping establish moods and behaviors. It’s only one of many hormones in the human body, but it is one of the more important ones.
CBD and testosterone
Over the past 20 years, men’s testosterone has declined by an average of 1% yearly. Naturally, testosterone declines as males get older, but according to the latest trends, a 22 years old man now has testosterone levels equal to that of a 67-year-old man. This lack of testosterone in the modern male could dramatically affect their developmental process, both sexually and behaviorally. CBD comes in to help through the body’s ECS and the HPA, which work in unison in the production of testosterone.
When a person experiences high levels of stress or anxiety, this can have a devastating effect on the amount of testosterone they produce. As stated before, it has been shown that CBD can help manage stress and anxiety through its anxiolytic effect. The ECS comes in nature because this part of the body has receptors that interact with cannabinoids and is interlocked with the body’s nervous system. When cannabinoids come in contact with the ECS, it sends a message to the HPA, which then works with the pituitary gland to help produce testosterone from Leydig cells.
Studies are mixed regarding what effect CBD has on testosterone levels. The general consensus is that CBD neither increases nor decreases levels on its own but helps stimulate testosterone levels.
As mentioned earlier, a person’s testosterone levels drop when they are experiencing stress or anxiety, and it does not always have to be social anxiety or stress. For example, a person’s body experiences stress from a workout. What CBD can do after, for example, a workout is to help the body relax, which will then stop the testosterone levels from decreasing and allow the body to produce enough for it to reach its prior level.
An adverse effect of reducing stress over a long period is that the body will increase testosterone production naturally, with that decrease no longer there. So directly, CBD does not produce more testosterone, but it puts the body in an excellent position to produce testosterone on its own.
Takeaway
Testosterone is a crucial hormone in a young man’s development and plays a role in the development of females. Unfortunately, it has been shown through environmental effects or poor diets that testosterone levels are waning, which is in line with devastatingly impacting future generations of children.
Although CBD is not inherently the cure to these troubles, it does act as a tool in the toolbox to help potentially offset these declines. Its contribution also works two-fold, with anxiety and stress contributing to lower testosterone levels and stress and anxiety reaching all-time highs in our current climate. CBD can help people feel less stress and anxiety from their everyday struggles while at the same time helping people, especially men increase their testosterone levels. A two-prong benefit people would never have thought could be possible from cannabis.
Cannabis, through the years, has proven to be a valuable tool in helping people deal with issues in their everyday life. It has now managed to produce a chemical that can help humans with an issue that is not always obvious to the human eye as a problem. We can see what other benefits CBD provides through further studies and acceptance.
