CBD, or to give it its full name, Cannabidiol, is everywhere nowadays. You can find it in tea, gummies, pills, suppositories, beauty products, and so on. If we’re to believe everything that we’ve seen online, it’ll cure anything.
See all CBD oil benefits here.
As you know, here at CBD Learning, we like to take a more balanced approach. Don’t get us wrong; we think that CBD has a lot of potential applications. We just don’t feel that it can be all things to all people.
In this post, we’ll look at the interaction between CBD oil & sex drive. Can this simple remedy inject some passion back into your relationship? Let’s see what the science says.
Symptoms of Low Libido
All of us will experience an ebb in sexual desire at one time or another. If this ebb doesn’t pass, however, you might have a low libido. Symptoms of low libido include:
- No interest in sex
- Problems being aroused
- Hardly any sexual fantasies playing in the mind
- No interest in making the first move
- Reduced pleasure when the genitals are stimulated
What Causes Low Libido?
The causes could be mental, physical, or a combination of the two:
- In men, low levels of testosterone could be to blame
- Alcohol and smoking can have an impact
- It could be prescription drugs – antidepressants often lower the sex drive
- Exercising too much or not enough
- Stress
- Depression
- Anxiety
Ways to Treat Low Libido
Your first step should always be to speak to your pharmacist about the possible side effects of drugs that you take. It’s also a good idea to see your doctor to rule out an underlying medical cause.
If you’re depressed, seeking help to deal with this condition should provide relief. CBD could be useful in dealing with anxiety and reduce stress levels.
Aside from that, making good lifestyle choices is essential. You need to exercise for at least half an hour a day, five times a week.
CBD Oil and Your Libido
Before we discuss the effect of CBD on your libido, let’s look at how CBD works in the body.
How CBD Works in Your Body
Truth be told, we don’t fully understand the effects of CBD on the body yet. We’re learning more every day, though.
Your body has an intricate network of receptors called the endocannabinoid system. This system is responsible for regulating several other systems in the body, like the endocrine system. CBD acts on these receptors and activates them.
This interaction, in turn, sets off a chain reaction in the body. The body’s ability to respond to inflammation, hormone imbalance, and so on is improved.
Your Libido on CBD Oil
According to this study, you’ll find the endocannabinoid receptors in your reproductive organs, like the ovaries or testicles. You’ll also find them in the brain.
Here’s where things get interesting. When it comes to the effect on libido, the studies show mixed results.
This study, for example, tested the effect of using cannabis on a man’s sex drive. The results showed that using cannabis regularly decreased libido. At this point, though, we’d like to point out that the study used marijuana, not just CBD.
Cannabis has 426 different compounds in it. Aside from the two most commonly known cannabinoids, CBD and THC, there are 58 other cannabinoids as well.
In the above study, it might have been any one of these compounds at play.
We’ve reviewed several different studies, and the ones that prove most interesting here is the effect of CBD on anxiety. CBD is a powerful anti-anxiety treatment. As one of the causes of low sex drive is anxiety, relieving that anxiety should have a positive effect.
Overall, let’s take a closer look at why CBD oil might boost your sex drive:
- That endocannabinoid system we spoke of earlier plays an important role in balancing the endocrine system. If your problem is a hormone imbalance, CBD looks like a promising treatment.
- The oil’s calmative effect makes it effective if your problem is too much stress. The oil can help relax your muscles and leave you feeling calm. Being calm could help boost desire.
- CBD’s vasodilatory effects could potentially boost blood flow to the genitals. Better blood flow could possibly increase arousal.
- In cases where pain has led to anxiety about having sex, the analgesic properties of CBD oil might be handy.
Cannabinoids and the Endocrine System
According to this study, the cannabinoid system plays a significant role in keeping the endocrine system in balance. In theory, if the endocrine system is in balance, your hormones will be as well.
From this perspective, we’d give CBD the green light. Taken orally, CBD might be an effective treatment for diminished sex drive.
Relieving Anxiety to Spark Desire
A low sex drive can be caused by anxiety and stress. It can also lead to anxiety and stress. In this study, researchers found that CBD is highly effective at helping you to calm down. If you believe that your problem is related to stress or anxiety, it’s worth trying CBD.
We give CBD a thumbs up on this one when applied orally.
Vasodilatory Effects
This might classify as a tip that seems a little out there but bear with us. CBD has been proven to be a potent vasodilator. If applied to the penis, or labia and clitoris, it should promote blood flow to the area. Increased blood flow, in turn, could lead to arousal.
This is one that we’re willing to try. It’s not going to deal with the underlying cause, but it might provide temporary relief.
The Analgesic Effect
In women, a painful experience during sex can cause a drop in sex drive. The pain-relieving properties of CBD, and the anxiolytic effect, could prove useful here.
Another aspect to consider is that severe pain in any area of the body saps your strength and sex drive. If you’ve sprained your foot, for example, you’re not likely to want to hop into the sack with someone.
Applying pain relief topically, or taking drops orally, could provide the pain relief to get you back on track. That said, it’s important to find out why you’re experiencing pain. You need to deal with the cause rather than just symptomatic relief.
What Other Sexual Benefits Does CBD Offer?
Cannabis has been used in traditional medicine to treat issues related to a low sex drive. Let’s look at other sexual problems that it might treat.
Erectile Dysfunction
In the traditional Indian healing system, Ayurveda, cannabis is used to treat erectile dysfunction. Scientific studies on this particular effect are low on the ground, but it makes sense.
In theory, the vasodilatory effects of the oil promote better blood flow. This, in turn, could make it easier to become aroused and to stay aroused.
Another theory is that it could also be useful because it reduces blood pressure.
In this respect, we’re in two minds. We don’t have the scientific evidence that we need to prove that CBD will help with erectile dysfunction. We’re cautiously optimistic about it’s potential to do so. So much so that we decided to study it in more depth.
Read our post, “All the Facts About Using CBD oil for Erectile Dysfunction” for a more in-depth exploration of the topic.
Improving Vaginal Lubrication
Vaginal dryness makes sex painful and uncomfortable. There are some theories that the use of CBD oil orally or topically improve lubrication. We’ve gone into more depth on the subject in our “CBD Oil and Vaginal Dryness – Can CBD Really Help?”
We recommend reading through that post before you start any form of CBD treatment for vaginal dryness.
Potential Concerns
According to the World Health Organization, CBD has a good safety profile. The FDA, however, has voiced concerns over the long-term effect of using these products. They cite liver damage and drug interactions as their primary concerns. Who’s right?
In our opinion, both might be correct. Using carefully-controlled doses in the right setting should be safe. We always advise starting off with the lowest possible dose and sticking to dosing guidelines.
Where there may be cause for concern is that not all CDB products are created equal. Some unscrupulous vendors develop products that have too much THC in them, for example. Stick to reputable brands, and you shouldn’t have a problem.
The other issue is that with all the CBD products out there, it’s easy to take too much. You could, for example, apply some to your skin, have a few gummies, vape with it, and so on. Be careful of using multiple products together and watch your overall dosage.
What’s the Verdict?
CBD oil could well be useful in treating both the physical and emotional causes of low sex drive. While there aren’t many scientific studies to back this up yet, we see the promise here. Just one caveat – remember the study where too much cannabis caused low libido.
Stick to minimum doses and start off slowly. When using a good quality product the right way, you should reap the benefits.
FAQs About CBD Oil and Sex Drive
Question: Can CBD oil treat your low libido?
Answer: CBD oil might help you to treat your libido because it helps your body to balance the endocrine system. CBD oil can also help you to treat anxiety and stress. This can help you boost your libido.
Question: What are the common symptoms of low libido?
Answer: Some of the most common symptoms include problems in being aroused, no interest in sex, and hardly or no sexual fantasies.
Question: What is the cause of low libido?
Answer: Anxiety, stress, depression, alcohol and smoking, and low levels of testosterone are some of the causes of low libido.
Question: How do you treat low libido?
Answer: Your first step should always be to speak to your pharmacist about the possible side effects of drugs that you take. It’s also a good idea to see your doctor to rule out an underlying medical cause. Lastly, making good lifestyle choices is essential.
Question: Can CBD oil help you increase blood flow in the genital area?
Answer: CBD has been proven to be a potent vasodilator. If applied to the penis, or labia and clitoris, it should promote blood flow to the area.
Question: Can CBD oil help in treating Erectile Dysfunction?
Answer: History shows that in the traditional Indian healing system, Ayurveda, cannabis is used to treat erectile dysfunction. CBD oil and cannabis have a relationship that may also lead to help in treating erectile dysfunction.
