Cannabidiol (CBD) is a chemical derived from the cannabis plant. CBD oil may help with some symptoms of menopause.
CBD is one of the more than 100 cannabinoids in the cannabis plant. Unlike a more famous cannabinoid, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), CBD does not produce a euphoric high.
CBD is psychoactive, meaning that it can influence a person’s mood, but it is nonimpairing.
Like any natural transition, menopause can cause uncomfortable changes, including hot flashes, sleep disturbances, and mood shifts. Researchers have looked at many herbal and natural remedies for these symptoms, and they have arrived at mixed results.
Recently, there has been much interest in the possible benefits of CBD, and some research suggests that it may relieve certain symptoms of menopause.
That said, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have not approved this use of CBD. So far, the only approved uses are for treating two rare forms of epilepsy, with the approval granted in June 2018Trusted Source.
While CBD has become a popular alternative treatment, and some people may find it effective for menopause symptoms, no scientific evidence currently supports this use.
The endocannabinoid system is a collection of cell receptors, called cannabinoid receptors, in the brain, other organs, and tissues throughout the body.
This system plays an important role in menopause, and cannabis and CBD affect the way that it works. In theory, this means that cannabis and CBD could influence the effects of menopause on the body.
Cannabinoid receptors are involved in:
- mood regulation
- the functioning of the immune system
- pain
- sleep
- memory
- fertility and reproduction
- temperature regulation
One theory is that a poorly functioning endocannabinoid system can lead to various health conditions. By influencing the function of the endocannabinoid system, chemicals like CBD may help treat these conditions.
There are cannabinoid receptors throughout the female reproductive system, and menopause seems to disrupt the endocannabinoid system. For these reasons, it is possible that CBD oil could reduce some symptoms of menopause.
Which menopause symptoms may it treat?
No studies have directly looked into the effects of CBD on people experiencing menopause. This means that researchers are not sure whether it works or is a safe option.
Various studies have, however, tested the effects of CBD on specific symptoms in other groups of people.
For example, a 2020 reviewTrusted Source concluded that CBD could help relieve chronic pain, improve sleep, and reduce inflammation. They observed these effects, however, in people with specific health issues, not menopause.
There is no evidence that CBD oil can ease all menopause symptoms, but it might help with:
Mood changes
The risk of depression and anxiety is higher around the time of menopause, and this may be due to changing hormones, other menopause symptoms, or both.
Studies in animals, including a 2014 reviewTrusted Source of the relevant research in mice, have found that CBD can reduce the effects of depression and anxiety.
However, as the authors of a 2020 reviewTrusted Source caution, there has only been very limited related research in humans.
They note that only a few case studies exist in which individual people with a history of depression have reported improvements after taking CBD.
They also point to text that is part of the packaging of FDA-approved CBD, called Epidiolex, which lists depression and suicidal ideation as possible side effects.
Read more about CBD and depression here.
Sleep disturbances
Many people report difficulty getting quality sleep during menopause, and this issue can have a significant impact on daily life.
According to the 2020 reviewTrusted Source mentioned above, endocannabinoids play a role in the sleep-wake cycle. This suggests that CBD can affect sleep.
The researchers highlight the few, limited studies on CBD and sleep in humans. The results of these suggest that higher doses of CBD can have a sedating effect.
It is possible, therefore, that CBD oil may help treat sleep disturbances relating to menopause — but there is no strong evidence.
Read more about CBD and sleep here.
Bone density loss
People begin to lose bone mass after menopause. Osteoporosis affects 1 in 4 femalesTrusted Source aged 65 and over.
Having low bone density can increase the risk of fractures, so it is crucial to receive treatment.
A 2008 study in animals found that CBD interacts with a cannabinoid receptor that may play a role in bone density loss. CBD may, therefore, be able to reduce the rate of bone density loss that can occur during menopause.
However, this has not been demonstrated in humans — no research has shown that CBD improves bone density loss related to menopause.
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