Can CBD Help With A Hangover?

Does CBD help with a hangover?

As December arrives that invariably means one thing. Christmas drinks and over exuberance! And sadly with that comes splitting headaches, nausea and increased feelings of anxiety and anxiousness! Some people are convinced by CBD as a hangover cure, so we take a closer look into whether you’re missing a trick by not reaching for CBD oil the morning after! 

So what goes into the “Hangover”

Well typically it’s copious amounts of alcohol and a 3am slice of pizza, but we will delve a little deeper than this. The primary culprit of a hangover is alcohol. Alcohol is a known toxic compound that wreaks havoc on the body. However, the biological mechanisms behind this phenomenon are slightly more complex. One of the main things involved in the hangover process is a chemical called acetaldehyde. Aceltadyde is a harsh chemical and comes from a combination of two familiar toxic compounds acetone and formaldehyde. 

When you consume alcohol, it’s absorbed by your body and broken down into a number of different components, one of which is Acetaldehyde. This particular compound is highly reactive and toxic to the body and being highly reactive it requires a number of different reactions in order to effectively break it down so it can be excreted.

In order for the body to do this and successfully metabolise these compounds in the liver, it has to drain resources from the rest of the body. During this time the acetaldehyde will be exerting its toxic effects on your body. This is the cause of a number of unpleasant hangover effects.

What causes a hangover?

There are many different factors that can lead to a hangover. One major factor is dehydration. Alcohol is a diuretic, or in other words, it causes you to pee a lot. If you’re not staying sufficiently hydrated while you’re drinking (which very few people tend to do) then it’s easy to become extremely dehydrated. The symptoms of serious dehydration are quite similar to many symptoms of a hangover: headaches, dizziness, nausea, and fatigue.

Another awful side of a hangover is the gastrointestinal symptoms that can be a direct result of alcohol. Alcohol irritates the digestive lining and causes your digestive tract to produce more acid. This can contribute to issues like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea.

Alcohol can also drain the body of electrolytes. These are important chemical messengers that allow your cells to communicate effectively. When you’re lacking in electrolytes you can experience issues like headaches, irritability, and physical weakness.

Can CBD be used as a hangover remedy?

Well one of the reasons for this is because of the way that CBD may affect the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS is one of the widest networks in the body and this system influences everything from our digestion to our perception of pain and anxiety.

We’ve talked about this before but in short, there are two main receptor sites in the ECS: CB1 and CB2. These receptors are activated by compounds called endocannabinoids and cannabinoids. Endocannabinoids are those produced by the body itself, whereas cannabinoids are those produced by other methods – such as those found within the cannabis plant. Endo literally means within.

There are many cannabinoids found in the Cannabis Sativa group of plants. However, for the purpose of this blog we are focused on CBD (cannabidiol) as this is the most commonly taken cannabinoid in the UK and of course legally!

WIth CBD influencing the production of hormones, neurotransmitters, and enzymes, CBD is able to bring balance to the ECS without causing any serious intoxication.  So taking this all into account, how can CBD help with a hangover?

 

CBD may help fight dehydration-related symptoms

As mentioned earlier in the article, many of the symptoms of a hangover are believed to be the result of acute dehydration.

However, some researchers — including Ethan Russo, M.D. — believe these symptoms may actually be the result of a seriously imbalanced endocannabinoid system.

Alcohol acts as a diuretic. Not only can the related loss of fluid cause you to feel dehydrated, but it can also lead to inflammation in your body. CBD can help to reduce inflammation.

Researchers and study subjects report that CBD works very well as an anti-inflammatory compound. It can help to reduce the discomfort, aches, and pains that are associated with inflammation of all sorts including that caused by a hangover.

One of the best parts of this is the fact that CBD doesn’t adversely interact with alcohol. This is not the case with more traditional anti-inflammatory drugs like Aspirin and Ibuprofen which can cause an increase in liver toxicity.

 

CBD helps fight nausea and vomiting

CBD has long been used as an antiemetic to help prevent nausea and vomiting.

In fact, Cannabis has proven so effective for this that marijuana is becoming one of the most popular medicines to prescribe alongside chemotherapy — a cancer treatment that often causes intense nausea and vomiting.

CBD proves to have many of the same benefits. While it may be in your best interest to consume cannabis in its whole form to reap the benefits of a variety of cannabinoids, people who are opposed to marijuana’s intoxicating effects can find relief by simply using CBD.

CBD Helps Balance Your Mood

Among the most common symptoms of a hangover are anxiety, irritability, and even depression. One of the reasons for this may be an increase in cortisol production. Cortisol is an important hormone but elevated levels can lead to mood instability and high stress.

Regardless of the cause, CBD is understood to help fight anxiety of all types. It has been used to help prevent panic attacks, to alleviate social anxiety, and to help people manage generalised anxiety.

One of the reasons for this is because of CBD’s ability to affect our serotonin system

Serotonin is one of our chief neurotransmitters that regulate our moods and feelings. By bringing balance to our serotonin system, CBD can help to fight anxiety and depression.

 

CBD May Help Fight Alcohol-Related Health Problems

While there have not been any studies done specifically to prove this, speculation abounds. This is because of CBD’s nature as a powerful antioxidant.

Alcohol is a fairly potent toxin. When you’re hungover, part of what you’re feeling is the result of toxic chemicals accumulating in your body. As an antioxidant, CBD may help to mitigate some of this damage.

 

CBD may help reduce anxiety

CBD is taken by many to reduce anxiety. CBD is known for its anxiolytic properties and we’ve looked at many studies linked in part here  with our other blog posts. Promising studies have also shown CBD to support these anxiolytic effects in public speaking settings. CBD can act on serotonin receptors that regulate the functioning neurotransmitters for controlling fear and can slow down an overactive nervous system. It can do this by modulating the shape of the GABA receptor producing these potential benefits.

So what CBD products will work best for hangovers?

Answering this question is not easy as CBD is a very personal experience, but given the huge range of products we stock it’s likely there will be many that can help. Below we will look at three key product categories that are commonly used to help with anxiety, stress and other hangover symptoms.

Best CBD oils for anxiety and hangovers (sublingual)

We are focused on two different CBD oils for anxiety and hangovers below. One we have opted for a CBD isolate, for those looking for concentrated CBD and none of the other cannabinoids. The other is broad spectrum CBD oil which provides a wider range of cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids which may also be beneficial in reducing some of these pesky anxiety induced hangover issues!

Love Hemp CBD Oil

Love Hemp has a wide range of some of the best CBD Oils in the UK with our favourite the mid-strength CBD Oil 1200mg Peppermint. Love Hemp has these as either an atomiser spray for easy delivery, or as classic Love Hemp CBD Oil drops 1200mg. The Love Hemp CBD Peppermint flavour is also great to soothe the stomach.

Why So CBD? Oil

Why So CBD Oil is also worth considering. A jovial brand, but with a wide range of CBD oil strengths. It is a broad spectrum distillate oil so pulls in other cannabinoids that may help reduce anxiety and reduce hangover symptoms. Why SO CBD? 1200mg Oil is probably the pick of the bunch, but 600mg, 3000mg and other strengths are also available.

Best CBD edibles for anxiety and hangovers 

Oral CBD is a useful source, as edible CBD is digested more slowly so it can give you a longer lasting effect, but it has a lower bioavailability than some other forms of CBD. Again we have two choices here. Some tasty gummies, to give a little bit of a sugar boost too, but also some CBD marshmallows, that again can be great to snack on when the hangover is really kicking in!

Love Hemp CBD Jelly Domes

The Love Hemp 600mg CBD Jelly Domes are one of the tastiest CBD gummies we stock. The Love Hemp CBD Jelly Domes come in at 20mg per Gummy so they are a mid-strength CBD gummy compared to some on the market. It means that two or three CBD gummies are probably the most you can take to remain within the daily recommended limit of 70mg per day.

1 Step CBD Marshmallows

1 Step CBD vegan Marshmallows are another sugary, tasty snack that can be great to help get your CBD intake. These Marshmallows are fully vegan and cruelty free and contain around 17mg per sweet so a few can be consumed. A great hangover choice!

Best CBD teas for anxiety and hangovers

One of our favourite CBD products for anxiety reduction and hangover issues are CBD teas. 

Canndid 200mg CBD Peppermint tea bags

Canndid CBD peppermint tea bags combine both the benefits of CBD and also the soothing nature benefits of peppermint. We find these fantastic for calming the stomach, which can be inflamed after a heavy night out. This combination of CBD and peppermint can be taken hot or cold, and are a customer favourite. We fully recommend giving these a try as a morning CBD beverage to help with nausea and sickness in particular.