The Benefits of CBD for Senior Citizens

This article gives general information about the relationship between CBD products and senior citizens in society. Senior citizens are the older adults in the community. The following are the questions addressed by the article: What is CBD? What are the types and forms of CBD for the elderly? What are the health benefits of CBD for seniors.

The public widely uses CBD products as people now accept and understand their medicinal benefits. One of the populations that may feel left out is the older adults. However, they can also benefit from the product. Research shows that over 65% of older 60 and above suffer from chronic conditions. These conditions bring mild discomfort such as sleep disorder, back pains, anxiety, etc. nowadays, medications and therapy options help to control these conditions, but not all respond well to these treatments, and sometimes undesired side effects come together with the medications. CBD is non-addictive, and non-intoxicating rarely comes with negative side effects for the elderly when treating chronic conditions. This article will cover what you wish to know about the benefits of CBD to seniors.

What is CBD?

Johnson et al. (2010) described CBD as the chemical compound found naturally in the leaves, flowers, and stalk of the cannabis plant. It does not contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), meaning it is not a psychoactive component. THC is the compound responsible for making the users feel a sensation of highness.

Type and Forms of CBD for the Elderly

Miller et al. (2022) stated that Companies responsible for manufacturing CBD products use different methods to extract the compound from the plant. This varying methodology results in a range of different CBD compounds. CBD products available to the seniors are in three types, namely

• Full-spectrum CBD poses all the available hemp or cannabis plant components, including THC but in low quantity (less than 0.3%).
• Broad spectrum CBD- contains all cannabis plant compounds except THC.
• CBD isolate. It is the purest type of CBD. It is best suited for the elderly since it contains no other cannabinoid or THC.it is also odorless and tasteless.

CBD product comes in various form for the elderly user. Each form depends on the chronic condition the senior is tackling and also the user preference.

• CBD oils. The method of taking it is to place it under the tongue and then swallow. The manufacturers direct the elderly to incorporate it into the food or drinks to avoid the oily flavor.
• CBD topicals. These are products applied to the skin. There most preferred for the elderly with skin diseases or some muscle or joint pains. Examples include creams, lotions, balms, and salves. The old rub the product into the desired area and do their miracles.
• CBD gummies. Edible products from CBD and are available in various shapes and flavors. They are not advisable for the elderly since they contain a high dosage of third-party compounds.
• CBD tinctures and Spray. They are applied orally, which involves putting CBD tinctures under your tongue for a few seconds before swallowing. For the elderly's to avoid choking, you spray the tinctures into the mouth to feel the effect faster.
• CBD concentrates. They are added to foods or beverages. The advantage of this CBD to the senior is that you will know exactly how much CBD the elderly take.

What Are the Health Benefits of CBD for Seniors?

Paris et al. (2020) explained that many older people had embraced CBD to control everything from chronic pain to depression. After several pieces of research, their area's CBD is effective for the elderly.

Improving Sleep

Sleep issues and insomnia problems occur in many people, and the elderly are no exception. In addition, as we age, the neurons that regulate sleep start to fade away; therefore, many seniors struggle to get good sleep. Medical treatments such as prescribed drugs can further complicate things where their use comes with long-term conditions such as high dependence, addiction, and even worse sleeping problems with time.

CBD, on the other hand, is non-addictive. It targets some sleeping problems such as pain or anxiety disorder. Also, it also helps to promote deep relaxation and calmness, resulting in higher quality sleep. During the day, it makes feel alert and fresh, stabilizing the elderly sleeping pattern.

Controlling Anxiety

Anxiety is common to the elderly since they carry it from a young age. It further intensifies when one experiences abrupt changes like retirement, the death of a loved one, or new health problems.

CBD has antidepressant abilities that reduce anxiety by changing how brain receptors respond to problems. It also increases the heartbeat rate of the elderly, reducing the chances of shock or panic disorder.

Pain Relief Management

Chronic pain from diabetes, surgery, or conditions such as arthritis is very common among seniors. Studies show that using CBD consistently in elders can relieve this pain and improve mobility. It is better than other painkillers since they may have notorious negative side effects. Moreover, CBD is anti-inflammatory, and taking it orally for a long time changes how the brain perceives and responds to body pain.

Bone Health

Bones become fragile and weaker as one age. Maintaining good bone health is challenging for the elderly, especially those with arthritis. For this reason, older adult experiences high pain and bone fractures when any fall occurs. CBD, apart from its anti-inflammatory ability, also helps in cell production and repair hence boosting bones' ability to heal. Learn more about benefits of hemp

Aid in Cancer Treatment

Researchers say that 70% of cancer death happens among seniors. To reduce this rate, elders are advised to use CBD products to alleviate cancer symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and sleeping problems.

Secondly, CBD can alleviate mediational-related symptoms like nausea and vomiting. These signs cause most elderly patients to give up on medications lowering their chances of surviving. Lastly, CBD can manage inflammation and the reproduction of tumor cells, reducing tumor growth and making the body absorb medication efficiently.

Heart Health

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the older adult. In most cases, high blood pressure is the cause of most heart disease. CBD can lower the blood pressure of senior patients. In addition, stress is another cause, antioxidant properties of CBD can help in lowering cardiac inflammation resulting from oxidative stress.

Mental Health

Vickery et al. (2020) said that older people are associated with loss of memory due to mental issues. Factors such as social isolation, depression, and even loneliness play a big role in mental health problems. CBD is known to interact with brain receptors involved in mood regulation, thus promoting stress reduction.

Above are the major benefits of CBD products to senior citizens. Other minors include,

• It boosts the immune system of the elderly
• Decreases the likelihood of diabetes
• Improves life quality of senior patients
• Help in tackling addiction and dependence.
• Appetite stimulation.

Conclusion

Most seniors see CBD as a life-changing option due to its health benefits, heart health, mental problems, pain relief, sleeping improvement, and bone health. If traditional therapies are not effective and one is looking for complementary treatment, or you wish to replace addictive or harmful prescribed medications, CBD is the best alternative. CBD is readily available in many countries over the counter in many forms starting from oil to gummies; senior citizen needs to speak to their health provider before starting CBD to avoid inconveniences with prescribed drugs. In addition, a few side effects of the latter that rarely occur include diarrhea, drowsiness, and dry mouth.

References

Johnson, J. R., Burnell-Nugent, M., Lossignol, D., Ganae-Motan, E. D., Potts, R., & Fallon, M. T. (2010). Multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of THC's efficacy, safety, and tolerability: CBD extract and THC extract in patients with intractable cancer-related pain. Journal of Pain and symptom management, 39(2), 167-179.

Miller, O. S., Elder Jr, E. J., Jones, K. J., & Gidal, B. E. (2022). Analysis of cannabidiol (CBD) and THC in nonprescription consumer products: Implications for patients and practitioners. Epilepsy & Behavior, 127, 108514.

Pais, S., Nascimento, J., & Águas, F. (2020, February). Usage of medical cannabis in elderly patients with chronic pain-associated diseases. In Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids, Abstracts-CannX: The International Medical Cannabis Conference Lisbon, Portugal, February 12-13, 2020.

Vickery, A. W., & Finch, P. M. (2020). Cannabis: are there any benefits?. Internal medicine journal, 50(11), 1326-1332.