Since CBD is known to relieve anxiety and reduce stress, you might be wondering can CBD lower blood pressure.
And that’s a good question. High blood pressure is a common condition, one that often sneaks up on us , and the impacts of it can be significant.
So, what exactly is high blood pressure, and can CBD help to bring it down? Let’s dive in.
The Impacts of High Blood Pressure
If a person has high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, this means that their blood pressure is at an unhealthy level. Blood pressure measurement takes into account how much blood is passing through blood vessels and the amount of resistance the blood meets while the heart is pumping.
Narrow arteries increase resistance, and the narrower your arteries, the higher your blood pressure will be. Over time, this increased pressure can cause various health issues, including heart disease. Uncontrolled blood pressure can also result in a fatal heart attack or stroke. If unmanaged, it can damage many of your vital organs and how they function – the heart, brain, kidneys, even your eyes.
Since high blood pressure can quietly damage your body for years before symptoms develop, it’s important to work on bringing it down as part of your healthy daily regimen. This means taking small steps to reduce it, such as:
- Keeping your weight in check
- Eating a healthy diet
- Exercising regularly
- Reducing stress
Can you add CBD to that list? What does research tell us about its impact on blood pressure?
Can CBD Lower Blood Pressure?
So, can CBD lower blood pressure and help protect your health?
Research says yes!
Let’s start with this one – in a 2009 study, rats were subjected to a stressful situation that caused their blood pressure and heart rate to increase. A dose of CBD lowered both their blood pressure and heart rate.
But that’s rats – what about humans? We’ve got that research too! A more recent study (2017) treated nine healthy adults with one dose of 600 mg of CBD oil. It measured:
- Systolic blood pressure (SBP) – how much pressure your blood is exerting against your artery walls when the heart beats
- Diastolic blood pressure (DBP) – the pressure in the arteries when the heart rests between beats
- Mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) – the average pressure in the arteries during one cardiac cycle
Analysis showed that SBP, DBP, and MAP were significantly lower in volunteers who had taken CBD, especially immediately after the stress test. Looking at the individual responses to mental stress:
- 6 of 9 subjects had a lower SBP before or during the mental stress test
- 9 of 9 had a lower SBP in the recovery period after taking CBD
- 5 of 9 had a lower DBP during the mental stress test
- 6 of 9 had a lower DBP in the recovery period after taking CBD
After just one dose, researchers concluded that “This data shows that acute administration of CBD reduces resting BP and the BP increase to stress in humans, associated with increased HR.”
Researchers suggest that it could be the stress- and anxiety-reducing properties of CBD that are to thank for its ability to help lower blood pressure, particularly in stressful situations that might normally cause blood pressure to increase.
So, can CBD lower blood pressure? Although we’d of course like more human studies for even more results, existing research tells us that CBD may benefit heart health in several ways, including by reducing blood pressure and preventing heart damage.