For a woman to stay fit and healthy, she must have a well-balanced hormone level. But hormonal imbalances are becoming very common in medical conditions. Because of this, most women are turning to natural treatments to delay menopause or ease its symptoms. Thus, cannabidiol, better known as CBD, is becoming a popular choice among women as a supplement to help reduce the effects of menopause symptoms on their daily lives. So, Does CBD oil increase estrogen? This article will explain the relationship between CBD oil and women’s hormonal health.
What is estrogen, and does CBD increase estrogen
Estrogens are a group of hormones that are important for normal sexual and reproductive development in women. Also, they are sex hormones. Most of a woman’s estrogen hormones come from her ovaries, but small amounts also come from her adrenal glands and fat cells. Estrogen affects the reproductive system, the urinary system, the heart and blood vessels, the bones, the breasts, the skin, the hair, the mucous membranes, the pelvic muscles, and the brain. It also controls the menstrual cycle. When estrogen levels increase, other sexual traits like pubic and armpit hair start to grow. Still, more research needs to be done to know the relationship between CBD oil and estrogen.
What kind of estrogens are there?
There are three main types of estrogen, which are:
- Estrone (E1): After menopause, your body makes the most estrogen in estrone.
- Estradiol (E2): During your reproductive years, estradiol is the main form of estrogen in your body. It has the most estrogen in it.
- Estriol (E3): Estriol is the most common form of estrogen during pregnancy.
CBD and the endocrine system
We all have an endocannabinoid system, which helps keep our bodies balanced. It is linked to the endocrine system and is known to control stress, mood, memory, fertility, bone growth, pain, and the immune system. CBD is a cannabinoid that is made from the hemp plant. It can be used to stimulate the endocannabinoid system. Because of this, CBD could be used to affect hormones like insulin, cortisol, and melatonin. As a result, it is being used more and more as a natural way to treat hormone problems.
Potential Benefits of CBD for women
Hormonal imbalance
Does CBD raise estrogen levels? Well, that’s a complex question. CBD can help women with hormonal imbalances. Cortisol is a hormone that makes us feel stressed. A small-scale study found that CBD may help control how much cortisol our bodies produce. Hormones like thyroid-stimulating hormones and sex hormones can be affected by high levels of cortisol. So, any activities that lower cortisol can help keep hormones balanced. When you choose CBD products from hemp, you also get more omega fatty acids and gamma-linolenic acid. Both of these can help keep your hormones healthy.
Beauty
CBD skin care has become one of the biggest beauty trends of 2020 and 2021. According to some research, CBD helps improve the look and health of your skin, makes dark spots less noticeable, and strengthens your hair follicles. Studies have also shown that CBD may help prevent acne by regulating oil production and reducing inflammation. Topical CBD also treats skin rashes, eczema, and psoriasis.
Menopause
The endocannabinoid system comprises cannabinoid receptors, which are found in the brain, organs, and tissues all over the body. This system is essential to the menopause process. Does CBD affect estrogen levels? There are cannabinoid receptors throughout the female reproductive system, with menopause disrupting the endocannabinoid system. This can explain some of the effects of premenopause such as anxiety, depression, mood swings, and lower libido. It has been suggested that CBD may help to reduce symptoms of menopause, with a recent small-scale study finding CBD could help to relieve chronic pain, lower inflammation, and improve sleep – all concerns that can occur during menopause.
Pain relief
If you want to release your pain, a well known endocannabinoid system for reducing inflammation and neurotransmitters CBD oil can help you. CBD has helped ease women’s pain with long-term conditions like headaches, cramps, arthritis, fibromyalgia, and more.
Anxiety and depression
Studies have shown that CBD oil may make people feel less stressed and anxious. CBD oil is often given to people with OCD and social anxiety by people who use alternative medicine. Since CBD turns on receptors in the brain that make a lot of dopamine, it may help calm the mind and body, making anxiety less of a problem and thus, people take CBD oil for anxiety.
Gut health
According to studies, nearly 72% of women have had digestive problems like IBS in the past year. Some people think that CBD may help to control digestion and bowel movements. One study found that CBD can ease the symptoms of digestive problems like cramps, bloating, and nausea.
Does CBD oil increase Estrogen levels in the body?
Researchers have only done a few studies on how CBD oil affects human estrogen levels and have mixed results.
| 2010 Research | In 2010, the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics reported the results of another study that looked at how CBD affects estrogen levels in mice. This means that CBD does not have a direct effect on how estrogen is made or how it is controlled. Thus, more research is needed to understand how CBD affects estrogen levels in people entirely. |
| 2018 Research | In 2018, the Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology published the results of a study that showed that rats with CBD had higher levels of the hormone prolactin. Prolactin is known to increase estrogen production, so CBD could indirectly affect estrogen levels through this pathway. But this study was done on rats, so more research needs to be done to see if the same thing happens to people. |
The bottom line
Does CBD oil increase estrogen, or is CBD estrogenic? There isn’t enough solid evidence to say that CBD can help keep estrogen in balance. Most of the research has been done in test tubes or on animals, or it needs to be more specific. For example, most of the available data looks at how the cannabis plant, THC, or using marijuana affects hormonal imbalances, hormone levels, or the endocrine system in general. But in the next few years, there will be more studies with people in them, which will hopefully shed more light on how CBD affects how estrogen is made.
FAQs
CBD and female hormone imbalances
CBD may aid with the signs and symptoms of menopause, puberty, and regular monthly hormone swings.
Does CBD raise testosterone levels?
There isn’t much proof right now that CBD directly increases testosterone levels. Even yet, it’s possible that CBD indirectly raises testosterone levels.
