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Having recently stumbled upon CBD oil on my quest to find relief for my debilitating recurring headaches, anxiety and depression I did some research and found out that CBD oil also has antifungal properties.

What is CBD oil?

Cannabidiol (CBD) oil is made from the hemp plant, but unlike Cannabis/ marijuana (which active ingredient THC gets you ‘high’) Cbd oil has no mind-altering but a therapeutic effect for certain conditions.

CBD oil is also not to be mistaken with Hemp oil (which is made from hemp seeds rather the flower and stem of the plant.)

I made the mistake of buying hemp oil at first and was wondering what all the fuss was about because I noticed absolutely zero benefit from taking it. Big surprise there! That is not to say hemp oil isn’t healthy, it’s great – it’s full of poly-unsaturated fatty acids which are essential for many important processes in your body… Hemp oil just isn’t pain & anxiety relieving (which is what I was looking for. That’s all!)

What are the health benefits of Cannabidiol (CBD)?

CBD hemp oil is used to…

1. reduce pain (for instance joint or back pain, as well as fibro, MS and arthritis pain)
2. soothe anxiety
3. get relief from migraines
4. boost your mood/ get you out of depression
5. help you sleep & cure insomnia 
6. control appetite
7. heal your skin
8. suppress nausea (popular with cancer fighters to help with the side effects of the chemo)

How does it work?

• CBD oil is highly anti-inflammatory and able to inactivate pain receptors in your body. 
• It also has a balancing effect on the immune system with is highly beneficial for people with autoimmune diseases.
• CBD oil also naturally boost the ‘happy hormones’ in your body like dopamine and serotonin. That not only allows you to feel better, but you also don’t have to rely so much on strong over the counter or prescription pain killers that have copious side effects and may not even successfully take the pain away.

CBD Oil and Candida – is it a valid treatment option?

You can get quite scientific about the antifungal/ Candida-fighting properties. The gist is that CBD oil contains some antimicrobial factors as well as terpene caryophyllene oxide which is a potent antifungal agent. Apparently in scientific studies the effect was comparable to pharmaceutical antifungal medication. 

Note: At the time of trying CBD oil I had already brought my Candida issues under control so I cannot comment on the effect it has on Candida. But I have no reason to believe it would not work due to its anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties.

My experience with CBD oil

There’s no getting away from it — CBD oil is expensive. You can easily pay a few hundred bucks for a 100 ml bottle. I bought the smallest one available (30 ml) and it still cost me 84 UK pounds with postage.

Based on my internet research it looks like you can estimate that you need 5-25 mg per day if not 40-60 mg or more if you have excruciating pain or regular migraines (but please do check with your doctor to find the right dose for you). So, at that rate a small bottle would only last you 1 week, 1 month if you are lucky.

Hence, I only ever took 1-2 droppers full once to twice per day as and when my anxiety/ headaches showed up.

I bought the mint & chocolate flavoured MCT version (‘everyday’ is the lowest strength they sell’) — luvely flavour!!!

There’s also a plain olive oil version.

The MCT is meant to work faster, but I personally find the MCT oil a little aggravating to the stomach (I got the same unpleasant sensation when I tried ‘Bulletproof coffee’ that was upgraded with MCT oil. I wonder if the olive oil version is gentler on the stomach.

I took the Cbd oil on the onset of a migraine attack and when I felt anxious and overwhelmed. I can’t say it had an amazingly pain reducing effect at the low dose I took it at. But I also did not get a full-blown migraine, so perhaps it was working.

The second time I took it I also happened to drink green tea matcha maca latte (perhaps the antioxidant super power had a synergistic effect?), and that seemed to have done the trick – I felt clear, optimistic and productive all day.

Is it legal?

CBD oil is not legal in all countries or states, so be sure to investigate if you can buy it where you live.

Where can you buy it?

To guarantee the effectiveness of the CBD oil the percentage of the active ingredients must be quite high. I’m not an expert, but I recommend comparing a few different companies, and also seeing if your friends, colleagues or family can recommend a reputable brand. The manufacturing process is also important, as well as the soil it is grown on, and you obviously don’t want any pesticides sprayed on the crop, etc. I bought mine on recommendation from a friend from cbdoilsuk. The brand is Charlotte’s Web (it’s a US brand — and no, I am not in any way affiliated with them and do not get any commission or discounts for recommending them here, dang!).

Recap

Unlike hemp oil or cannabis/ marijuana (which is actually still illegal in a lot of countries and states), CBD oil has medicinal properties and can be especially effective at relieving pain & anxiety, as well as bringing down inflammation and boosting your mood. It also has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties which makes it an amazing secret weapon in your Candida fighting arsenal.

It’s slightly on the pricey side, but overall thumbs up from me. If you can’t afford it – don’t worry though. There are plenty of other natural antifungals that you can use to fight Candida that are very inexpensive, like oil of oregano for instance. After all I overcame my Candida issues without the help of Cbd oil too. The cannabidiol oil just has some added properties. But if you don’t have an autoimmune disease or chronic pain then you might not need those additional benefits anyway.

What are your thoughts on CBD oil? Have you tried it? Share your thoughts in the comments below,

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