Friday, your favorite day of the week, rolls around. Afterwork, you hit the club and party to the wee hours of the morning. And then Saturday noon there you are, hangovered.
It’s an all too common occurrence, and most of us who are familiar with alcohol, who like partying, know what a hangover feels like.
A hangover is typically experienced the morning after heavy alcohol consumption and is characterized by varied symptoms including fatigue, headache, and thirst.
People have different rituals for curing their hangovers; some people will swallow pills; some people will prepare hearty meals, and so on.
CBD has been suggested as effective in aiding recovery from hangovers. This claim may not be backed by research, but the anecdotal evidence is overwhelming.
Cause and Symptoms of a Hangover
When you consume a small amount of alcohol, your body converts the alcohol into a harmless form that may be excreted with ease.
But, when you’re in a partying mood, you’re not looking to consume a small amount, but rather, a gigantic amount of alcohol.
As your liver becomes overwhelmed with alcohol, your body experiences a surge in toxins, which subsequently trigger negative symptoms.
As a diuretic, alcohol causes you to become dehydrated, worsening the symptoms. Alcohol also irritates the stomach lining and triggers acid production.
Additionally, alcohol may exert a negative influence on electrolytes, and thus trigger negative effects like headaches, irritability, and fatigue.
Symptoms of a hangover: people experience different sets of symptoms, but the following are the range of symptoms that characterize hangovers; headaches, queasiness, lack of sleep, lethargy, hunger, unstable moods, increased heartbeat, poor focus, frailness, bloodshot eyes, gut cramps, and perspiration.
How CBD Cures a Hangover
Regular CBD administration has been suggested as effective at minimizing the symptoms of a hangover. CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system to cause a therapeutic contribution and aid recovery.
1. Minimizes Dehydration
Alcohol consumption typically exerts a dehydrating effect on the body. As time passes, the water loss progresses, thus rendering you fragile. CBD may not hydrate you, but it plays a counteracting role and makes you less vulnerable to alcohol-related toxins that cause dehydration. In other words, CBD slows down or breaks the free fall.
2. Minimizes Nausea
When you’re hangovered, you might find yourself less inclined to take food, which has to do with the irritation and inflammation of the stomach lining after excessive alcohol consumption. CBD has been suggested as effective at minimizing nausea and restoring a healthy appetite. With CBD administration, you may deaden the urge to vomit and start enjoying your favorite foods once again.
3. Stable Moods
A hangover may be accompanied by unstable moods and stress, which are typically triggered by increased levels of the hormone, cortisol. CBD may help with reducing stress and mood disorders, and thus enable you to feel happy and well adjusted. When your moods become stable, you are less likely to engage in erratic behaviors.
4. Reduces Headaches and Brain Fog
Some people experience a hangover that is accompanied by a headache and brain fog. These two problems may stick around long after other hangover symptoms subside, and would cause you to be unproductive and confused. CBD has been suggested to be effective at managing headache disorders and boosting mental clarity.
5. Lowers Anxiety and Depression
When you’re hangovered, you might end up experiencing anxiety or depression. These are mental problems characterized by unjustified fear as well as low moods and disorientation. CBD may help reduce anxiety and depressive disorders, thus allowing you to lead a stable life.
6. Minimizes Fatigue
With fatigue, you feel as though you’re drained of energy, and it typically causes you to lose focus and be unproductive. CBD enhances vasodilation and enables your muscles to receive a greater supply of oxygen-rich blood, thus raising your strength levels and stability.
What’s the Best CBD Product for Managing a Hangover?
CBD products are available in diverse forms including tinctures, drops, edibles, sprays, etc. Even though all these products contain CBD, some types of CBD products are ideal in certain situations. For instance, when looking to recover from a hangover, CBD tinctures are ideal. CDB tinctures are ingested sublingually, and they make for rapid effects.
Is It Safe to Use CBD after Alcohol?
When taken together, they are thought to cause sleepiness and sedation. However, when using CBD to manage a hangover, there are no interactions or any negative side effects.
