While CBD “seems to be well tolerated” when taken orally with serious side effects being rare, the scientific literature does not speak with one voice on the safety of THC, taken either alone or in combination with CBD. About one out of five people may experience side effects of combination-products. Continue reading
Compounds in cannabis have anti-inflammatory properties which might lead one to reach for cannabis products high in the anti-inflammatory constituents. But those using cannabinoids for anxiety and depression run the risk of making things worse. Continue reading
There’s not enough evidence to conclude that cannabinoid mixtures containing both CBD and THC are effective for the range of anxiety disorders. But the research for CBD and social anxiety is rising. The risks rise with any cannabinoid product containing THC as its dose rises. Continue reading
Certain cannabinoids might help people with sleep problems, but the question is do the possible benefits outweigh the known risks? Continue reading
The most potent way to get the sleep-promoting benefits of melatonin is to not to buy it off a store shelf. Natural melatonin is made in the body from food. All melatonin production is driven by key dietary nutrients, especially tryptophan found in foods like turkey, eggs and bananas. Continue reading
Unlike some of the pharmaceutical sleep meds, melatonin has no black-box warnings about serious side-effects such as sleep driving or an association with an increase in all-cause-mortality. And melatonin does not cause withdrawal symptoms like rebound insomnia, a common characteristic of the most frequently prescribed sleep drugs. Continue reading
Melatonin supplementation can provide meaningful benefits for individuals with lowered natural melatonin levels such as night workers and the elderly. It is also beneficial for treating delayed sleep phase—shifting the sleep clock of night owls. Continue reading
Melatonin is a sleep-promoting hormone that is naturally produced and secreted by the pineal gland in the brain. The impact of naturally-occurring melatonin on our bodies is broad, profound, and not completely understood. Continue reading
A 2017 randomized controlled trial of 67 depressed patients asked the question: “If I improve my diet, will my mental health improve?” Half of them received nutrition counseling, and for them the answer was yes. Not true for the other half, who got social support sessions instead of nutrition counseling. Continue reading
There’s burgeoning evidence that the various bacterial species inhabiting our gut have an important influence on our psychological health. Based on their antidepressant and anxiolytic effects, these beneficial bacteria that inhabit our GI tract have been dubbed “psychobiotics”. Continue reading
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