One of the best things about CBD is its versatility. There are so many ways that you can get CBD into your body – some people prefer to vape it and others take it in drops under the tongue, and one area that is booming at the moment is CBD edibles.
CBD infused food and drinks are all the rage at the moment. We are seeing more and more restaurants creating CBD-infused food, a seemingly infinite range of CBD edibles and, more and more drinks which will also give you your CBD hit.
Although CBD is safe to take, won’t make you high, and is a non-addictive substance, it does have an effect on your body – otherwise you wouldn’t be taking it, right?
It is therefore important that when you take CBD with some substances, you know how it can impact your body.
Why take CBD in the first place?
There is a reason why CBD is becoming so popular. It can provide a number of benefits to our health without any long term or serious side effects and what’s more, it is completely natural.
You can find out more about what CBD is and how it works in our article here.
Some of the specific reasons that people take cannabidiol (CBD) include:
- Helping to reduce depression and anxiety
- Helping with problems sleeping
- Help dealing with pain
- For its anti-inflammatory properties
- Help reducing nausea
Whilst many take CBD for specific reasons, many others take it to give their general well-being a bit of a lift. Regardless of the reason that you are taking CBD, it is important to know how it can affect your body, especially if you are taking it in conjunction with other substances such as alcohol and caffeine.
CBD and Alcohol
We are beginning to see a trickle of CBD and alcohol products coming onto the market. From CBD infused beer, to trendy CBD cocktails, they think of everything. And there’s a reason for this.
Both alcohol and CBD can have similar effects on the body. Of course, CBD isn’t going to make you feel drunk, but it can help you to relax and chill out a bit more. As can alcohol. When the two are taken together, their effects can be enhanced, often to the point that it will have a sedating effect.
For many people, therefore it is not recommended to take both CBD and alcohol together.
If you are drinking drinks which are ‘pre-mixed’ – as in CBD cocktails or infused beer, the more you drink, the higher the levels of CBD and alcohol you will have in the bloodstream, and the more intoxicated you will become.
It is also important to think of ‘what kind of drunk’ you are. If you are a person who is a ‘happy’ drunk, it is likely that if you take alcohol and CBD together, you will become an even ‘happier’ drunk.
If, however, drinking brings out your aggression it is likely that by taking the two, you will feel more aggressive. Likewise, if you find that alcohol makes you a ‘depressive’ drunk, drinking with CBD can enhance this also.
CBD and wine with dinner…
It is also worth remembering that this is the case not only if you are drinking specific CBD/alcohol cocktails, but also if you have taken CBD and drunk alcohol separately. If taken within 4 to 8 hours of each other, they can have a similar effect as if you were taking them together. So that means, if you took CBD in the afternoon, you could still get this effect if you have some wine in the evening.
There is evidence to suggest, however, that sensible drinking with CBD can have a positive effect on the human body. Due to the fact that the effects of alcohol can be enhanced by taking CBD, it means that some people will consume less alcohol for the same effect. Alcohol is very damaging to the human body, and so by reducing the amount of alcohol that is taken, CBD can help to reduce the adverse effects that alcohol can have on humans.
If you have never taken CBD, it is not recommended to try it for the first time with alcohol. Try it first on its own so that you know how it will make you feel before you start mixing it with a drink.
CBD and Caffeine
Short of mixing your CBD oil with your avocado toast, it doesn’t get much trendier than a shot of CBD coffee. The streets of east London are bustling with cool coffee shops, and CBD coffee is becoming a firm favourite.
So why are people developing an affinity to the CBD rich pick me up?
As with many things associated to CBD, the exact affect that it can have on the body when taken in conjunction with caffeine changes from person to person – as well as the dose given.
A lot of people drink coffee due to its ability to give them a lift, help them focus and generally wake them up. This is thanks to the caffeine which is present in coffee. Caffeine is an antioxidant stimulant, which is not good in high doses, but can be helpful to us in lower doses.
Is CBD and Caffeine good for you?
Studies show that caffeine can be good for the health of our hearts and even help us to burn fat if taken in small doses. So, a little caffeine taken in conjunction with CBD could prove to be an exciting and pleasurable combination.
Many people who enjoy a shot of CBD with their espresso report that they like the effect that the CBD has on their caffeine jitters. Whilst they still get the boost of alertness and focus that caffeine gives, the CBD calms the anxiety and edginess that it gives. This means that they are able to enjoy the caffeine boost whilst staying calm and relaxed.
Whilst CBD can work more effectively when it is warmed slightly, it can lose its effect if it is heated to over 70°C. This means that you shouldn’t add your CBD to coffee whilst it is still very hot, instead, wait a while for it to cool before you add your little drops of goodness.
The amount of CBD that you add can also make a difference to its effect. Although different amounts will affect different people in different ways, it is recommended to start of with small doses, such as 10mg with one cup of coffee.
It can take a couple of hours for CBD to get into the bloodstream if it is drunk – although a small amount might be absorbed through the lining of the mouth. This means that it can be easy to take too much if you drink cup after cup of CBD infused coffee. If you are going to drink multiple cups of coffee limit the CBD infused ones as it can also stay in the bloodstream for up to 8 hours.
CBD and Medications
CBD can also have a major effect on how the body processes some medications. For this reason, it is extremely important that if you are taking medication and thinking about trying CBD, you speak to your doctor first. CBD can change the levels of medication in the blood, making the effects of the medication either weaker or stronger.
Although CBD is safe to use, it is important to understand the way that it can interact with the other substances that are in the body – even if they can be bought together. By being aware of how they work together or against each other, you can be safe and be sure to get the best effects possible.