How CBD Can Cure Your Hangover

How CBD Can Cure Your Hangover

does cbd help a hangover

For as long as humankind has been making and consuming alcohol, a cure for the dreaded hangover has somehow managed to elude us, but certainly not without many of us trying. If you Google ‘hangover cure’, the search will bring up 37 million results, with articles touting Bloody Marys to eating oysters, to gulping down concoctions of raw egg and Worcestershire as the ultimate in remedies. Ask any friend or relative and chances are, they’ve got a tried-and-tested cure to recommend. But the fact that there are thousands of supposed antidotes means that what works for some, may not work for everyone. That is until CBD entered the scene.

Apart from its reputation as a cancer-fighting compound, the immensely popular cannabinoid has recently caught on as a new remedy for the common hangover, with many swearing by its efficacy. Cannabidiol’s (CBD) popularity has surged in the last year alone, thanks to the passing of the 2018 Farm Bill, with many products containing CBD hitting mainstream groceries and health stores across the United States.

Although the FDA has yet to start regulating CBD products, the agency is currently in the thick of research and testing, and it’s only a matter of time until they start the approval process. In addition, many independent studies have already been done on CBD’s benefits and possible side effects. If you’ve had enough of folk remedies and ineffective hangover cures, you may want to start considering CBD in helping you deal with the painful morning after a pulling an all-nighter. Here are a few reasons why:

1. It’s anti-inflammatory

CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties have been well-documented. It’s been known to help treat pain and ease the negative effects of stress. As a hangover remedy, it’s able to counter the inflammatory effects of alcohol and, unlike popular medications like Tylenol, which many have turned to to help ease the severity of a hangover, it won’t have any negative interactions with the residual alcohol still in your system.

In addition, large amounts of alcohol are known to cause extreme neurodegeneration, which can in turn lead to the increased likelihood of a person suffering from degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s. However, studies have shown that the transdermal application of CBD—CBD applied on the skin via patch or ointment—may decrease neurodegeneration by up to 50 percent. Despite cannabis’ reputation for causing memory loss, studies have actually shown that CBD may actually mitigate the negative effects THC may have on cognitive function.

2. It’s a powerful antioxidant

According to research, CBD may be an even more powerful antioxidant than vitamin C and E. It can help reduce free-radical damage by flushing out all the harmful toxins caused by things like junk food and alcohol. CBD also helps maintain cortisol levels that could have shot up after a night of partying.

3. It’s a headache buster

A study done in 2017 has shown that CBD can be used to treat headaches. In its conclusion, researchers wrote, “Although placebo-controlled clinical trials are still needed to appropriately determine efficacy, it appears likely that cannabis will emerge as a potential treatment for some headache sufferers.”

Meanwhile, a recent study found that CBD’s positive effects are enhanced when taken alongside a high-fat meal, and there’s nothing’s better than a breakfast burrito or bacon cheeseburger after a long night of drinking. If in the past, ordering these kinds of meals would come with a twinge of guilt, on top of an already annoying headache. In this case, however, that bacon mac and cheese might even be downright necessary.

4. It can counteract addictive behavior

The reason humans are able to benefit from the cannabis plant’s healing properties is due to a complex, cell-signaling system called the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which humans have been found to possess. Although the discovery of the system is relatively recent, it’s been found to regulate a variety of functions and processes, including memory, sleep, mood, appetite, and reproduction.

In fact, some researchers attribute endocannabinoid deficiencies as the primary motivator for addictive behavior, which means that CBD may be effective in treating alcoholism and other problems with addiction. But you don’t have be struggling with alcoholism to benefit from CBD’s positive effects.

5. It can help settle your stomach

There’s nothing worse than feeling queasy after a night out. Nausea and vomiting are just two of the unfortunate side effects of drinking. Thankfully, CBD can also help in that department. It’s the reason why patients undergoing chemotherapy use CBD to deal with some of its unpleasant side effects like nausea and loss of appetite. Even more, the recent emergence of CDBA, the raw, acidic form of CBD, has been found to be an even more potent anti-nausea treatment.