CBD Oil & Alcohol Should They Mix?
Generally, the advice is not to mix medications and supplements with alcohol. However, this does not mean that mixing supplements with alcohol is dangerous. Thus, people often ask, what happens if you mix CBD and alcohol?
The question about mixing CBD oil and alcohol is valid. Alcohol is a commonly consumed mind-altering substance. Almost 10% of Europeans drink alcohol daily, one-third weekly, and another one-third at least once a month. On the other hand, just about one-fourth of Europeans do not consume alcohol at all.
Similarly, millions of Europeans are now regularly using CBD oil to manage various health conditions. Thus, it is quite likely that many might mix CBD oil and alcohol.
There is no doubt that people consume alcohol due to its mind-altering effect. However, CBD does not have potent mind-altering properties. Nonetheless, it may help relax. In addition, it may influence the body and mind in multiple ways. So, CBD may interact with alcohol in different ways.
For those who consume alcohol frequently, it is good to know that CBD does not have any severe interactions with alcohol. Nevertheless, there are some possibilities worth exploring.
What Happens if you Mix CBD and Alcohol?
Unlike THC, CBD does not cause euphoria and does not have strong mind-altering properties. CBD is non-addictive. Most people would not experience many changes after taking CBD. Nonetheless, it does not mean that CBD does not influence the working of the brain.
At higher dosages, CBD has a mild relaxing effect. It also improves sleep quality and helps control anxiety. However, this effect of CBD is quite mild.
Unlike CBD, alcohol is a potent central nervous system inhibitor. As a result, it has a potent relaxing effect, especially at moderate dosages. However, alcohol may have an excitatory effect at very high dosages due to the suppression of inhibitory neurons in the brain.
It means that when CBD and alcohol are combined, they may intensify the inhibitory effect of each other, resulting in even greater relaxation and sleepiness. However, it is worth understanding that any such interaction would occur when combining CBD with small amounts of alcohol. At higher dosages, alcohol may have very different kinds of effects.
It means those driving or operating machinery must be careful when mixing CBD with alcohol, as mixing them may result in impaired motor function. In addition, this means that a person may have lower control over their physical activities.
One of the studies found that those who combined CBD with alcohol had a greater motor and mental performance reduction than those who consumed just alcohol. Nevertheless, the study found that the difference in motor and cognitive performance between the two groups was not much.
Hence, it would be correct to say that although CBD may amplify specific properties of alcohol, any such influence is minimal. The practical significance of these findings is unclear.
CBD and Alcohol Benefits
As already mentioned, about 10% of Europeans consume alcohol almost daily. It means that many are addicted to alcohol. A small number of them also suffer from alcoholism. Many of them are looking for ways to get rid of this bad habit. It seems that CBD may help.
CBD may help reduce cell damage caused by alcohol abuse
Alcohol is toxic for various body organs, especially the liver, pancreas, and kidneys. CBD appears to exert protective action.
CBD is good for liver health. It can reduce cellular damage caused by alcohol consumption. It may also help prevent metabolic changes that occur due to extreme alcohol consumption.
The role of CBD in protecting organ damage caused by alcohol is still an emerging subject. Nevertheless, early studies confirm such benefits. For example, one of the studies in lab mice found that injecting CBD help protect the liver from alcohol-induced fatty liver.
CBD may reduce blood alcohol levels
There is some evidence that CBD may even help reduce blood alcohol levels. However, it is worth understanding that this hasn’t any practical significance, as such an effect is only seen at a very high CBD dosage. Nevertheless, it occurs as CBD may stimulate some liver enzyme systems.
CBD may help with alcohol addiction
It is perhaps the most significant reason to consider CBD for someone who consumes alcohol excessively. It appears that alcohol abuse leads to severe withdrawal symptoms causing headaches, shaking of the body, anxiety, sleep disturbances, and mood swings.
Studies suggest that CBD may help control many symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, as it may exert a relaxing effect and help reduce anxiety. A person taking CBD regularly is less likely to seek alcohol.
Mixing CBD and Alcohol: Are There Side Effects?
Although mixing CBD and alcohol does not appear to cause severe side effects, it must be avoided. Unfortunately, there is still insufficient clinical data to say if such a combination is safe.
Generally, taking CBD with drinks may increase some of its effects, causing more significant sedation and loss of mental and physical performance. Although, it seems that any such impact would be pretty mild and may not occur in all cases.
Can CBD Help Alcoholism?
As already mentioned, that CBD may help manage alcoholism. There are at least three ways in which it helps manage alcoholism. Firstly, it may help reduce the toxic effect of alcohol and promote tissue regeneration. It may help protect various organs from further damage.
Secondly, it stimulates alcohol clearance from the body, perhaps by activating specific enzyme systems, and thus aids in faster removal of alcohol from the body.
Thirdly, it helps manage neurological effects of alcohol withdrawal like anxiety and tremors and may also alter alcohol-seeking behaviour.
Sure, CBD is not a potent remedy for managing substance addiction. There is also limited clinical data; thus, it is not clear to what degree it can help. Nevertheless, most studies indicate that CBD is good for those living with severe alcohol dependency or alcoholism.
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