Ladies and gentlemen, let us ask you a question: Do you consider yourself an adventurous person? If so, then this article was written with you in mind. If not, don’t fret… You may find a new sense of adventure throughout this article… so we encourage you to keep reading.
A few years ago, there was a lot of stigma surrounding all things cannabis. But today, with the legalization of hemp and Cannabidiol (aka CBD), that stigma is finally shifting to a therapeutic, holistic, and even alternative approach to health and wellness. That’s because CBD is known to reduce inflammation and improve overall health. In fact, because CBD is so successfully therapeutic, big chain stores, online suppliers, and of course mom and pop shops are all jumping on the CBD bandwagon.
Not only do multiple studies suggest that CBD holds tremendous therapeutic value, but anecdotal evidence also supports these health benefits.
So with CBD being so therapeutic in potentially relieving pain, reducing inflammation, and alleviating anxiety, many people (or should we say couples) are wondering: Can CBD enhance my sex drive and sex life?
A personal question like this is sometimes hard to ask. After all, we’re talking about something private! A subject this personal may feel uncomfortable to address or even to admit to yourself, let alone to doctors and other medical professionals. But as uncomfortable and private as sex drive, libido, and other subjects regarding your sex life may seem, many people are wondering the same thing. In fact, there are millions of people struggling to maintain a healthy sex drive.
So before we reveal the answer to these uncomfortable questions, let’s first look at why we struggle with our sex drive to begin with…
Why is my sex drive low?
Having a low sex drive (or libido) it not unusual, especially if you are a woman. This is because the female body endures a lot more hormonal changes than men. They also tend to be a lot more complicated and multifaceted when it comes to sexuality than men. So, it does look like men are from mars and women are from venus after all.
That said, there are some commonalities between the two sexes. Both men and women will have ups and downs in their sexual desires, sometimes for no reason at all. That’s just part of being human.
As you may have guessed, there are a lot of factors that come into play with the rise and fall of your libido.
Some factors of low sex drive in men include:
- Low testosterone (a hormone predominately found in men)
- Fatigue (tiredness)
- Depression or a change in your metal health
- Physical and mental pain
- Drugs and alcohol
- Being obese or overweight
- Certain prescription medications (i.e. antidepressants)
- Medical health conditions and disorders (diabetes, sleep apnea, hormonal imbalance, etc.)
Other factors for low sex drive in women include:
- Hormonal imbalance
- Pain during sex
- Vaginal dryness
- Certain prescription medications (i.e. antidepressants)
- Depression, stress, or mood changes
- Fatigue
- Menopause
- PMS
- Drugs and alcohol
- Pregnancy
- Breastfeeding
- Poor body image
- And other psychological issues
While we know that there are endless differences between the male and female body, there are several similarities when it comes to poor sex drive in both sexes. It usually involves some physical issues like pain and fatigue, but the most common factors between males and females are psychological and personal issues. For example: divorce, a death in the family, sudden health problems, a stressful work environment, etc. Believe it or not, these issues are often addressed with prescription medications to help you feel normal.
While prescription drugs do have their place, they often come with a handful of unwanted side effects. Many times, these side effects will lower your sex drive without you even realizing it. But we’re not encouraging you to throw away your pharmaceuticals in order to have a better sex life. We simply suggest consulting with your doctor to see if maybe your medications could be the reason your sex drive is so low. If the answer is no, then you may want to see what’s going on in your life that could be contributing to a low libido.
The biggest factor in low sex drive could be a lack of self-care, such as:
- Being overweight
- Drinking too much alcohol
- Consuming illegal drugs
- Smoking
- Having a poor diet
- Not exercising regularly
- Not taking time to relax
- Not sleeping well
- Etc.
Even changes in your partner’s health and sex drive can effect your own libidio.
So the biggest question is: How do I increase my sex drive?
How to boost your libidio
We wish we had a one-size-fits-all answer for you, but the answer to this question varies depending on the person. As we mentioned earlier, there are many issues that could be taking their toll in your bedroom—some of which can be easily addressed and changed. If you’re interested in increasing your sex drive, you can start in a few different ways:
- Sex therapy –– According to Jan Shifren, MD, a professor at Harvard Medical School, “Sex therapy is very effective for individuals and couples, and that is always at the top of my list.” Addressing sexual dysfunctions with a mental health professional can help identify the cause of your low sex drive. Once the root cause is identified, you can take the proper steps to combat it.
- Medications –– It’s safe to say that almost all prescription medications have some sort of side effect. If you're a female and you’re currently on a contraceptive, it may be time to ask your doctor for a different birth control prescription or to discontinue it altogether. Birth control prescriptions influence your natural hormone function and therefore could change the balance of your hormones. A hormonal imbalance can definitely change the levels of your sex drive. Other medications, like anti-depressants, can really affect how you feel in general. Some have been known to reduce appetite, cause weight loss, and even lower sex drive.
- Hormone therapy –– If you’re currently battling a hormonal imbalance, it may be time to seek out hormone therapy. Synthetic hormones are often used in the medical arena, but there are other, more natural and alternative hormone therapies out there, such as herbs and spices.
- Diet –– Believe it or not, diet has a lot to do with how you feel. After all, food is medicine, and most of our immune system is in our gut. So what we put in our body will help build our immune system to address health issues and problems. Eating foods that are rich in vitamins, minerals, omega fatty acids, and proteins could help bring back that drive you once had, or even make it better.
- Exercise –– We are created to move. Without moving often, your body becomes weak and overweight. Getting out and exercising not only helps your muscles and bones, it also improves your mental health. Taking time to walk, do yoga, or even lift weights can naturally increase your hormones and improve your overall health and sex drive.
- Sleep –– This is a big one that most people struggle with. From crazy work and school schedules, to sensory overload of TV’s, iPads, and smartphones, sleep is hard to come by these days. But without sleep, your body can’t restore or reset. It’s when we sleep that we rid our body from toxins and waste from the day before. If you’re not getting enough sleep, issues with pain, inflammation, anxiety, depression, and even sex drive can arise. Getting a good night's sleep helps restore the body and build up the important systems in your body, including your sex drive.
Now you may be thinking: This all sounds amazing, but how can I improve my sleep, diet, mental health, hormones and more, all on my own?
We get it, it’s much easier said than done. But there is one way you can address all of these issues from lack of sleep to low sex drive with one naturally occuring compound…
Enter CBD.
Can CBD oil improve your sex life and sex drive?
As you may know, CBD is a compound that naturally exists within the cannabis sativa plant. This includes the strains of hemp and marijuana. You may also know that unlike THC, which is predominantly found in marijuana, CBD is completely non-psychoactive, so it won’t get you “high”. This is great news for those who just don’t like the feeling of being baked or even paranoid.
Now, what you may not know is that each human is born with an Endocannabinoid System (a system that helps maintain normal health and wellbeing within the human body). When CBD is consumed, the tiny receptor cells found all throughout the body are either influenced or stimulated to balance out how our body functions. This includes bringing your sex drive back to normal. So how does CBD help improve your libido? Let’s look at a few studies and benefits of CBD.
CBD oil sex benefits
Inflammation can be the cause of a number of health problems, including chronic pain. If you're in constant pain, then you sex drive may not be at its prime. Amazingly, multiple studies have shown that CBD is a powerful anti-inflammatory. If you’ve noticed that you’re battling from pain and chronic inflammation, then giving CBD oil could be a huge help in relieving these unwanted symptoms—thus potentially improving your overall health and sex drive.
Anxiety is often an underlying cause to hormone issues, and it may even affect libidio. Fortunately, it’s also been shown that CBD reduces anxiety. Taking a few drops of CBD oil, or even applying CBD lubrication, could potentially help reduce the anxiety you may get with intercourse.
Additionally, it’s been shown that CBD can improve a few factors we mentioned earlier that could potentially decrease sexual libido:
- CBD can potentially improve sleep
- CBD reduces inflammation
- CBD can potentially help relieve pain
- CBD can help address depression
- CBD can potentially normalize appetite and nausea
- CBD can help relieve fatigue
- CBD can address cramps
- CBD may help reduce anxiety
- CBD can relieve symptoms of stress
Other studies show that cannabinoids like CBD and THC can boost sexual performance and even enhance ejaculatory function.
It’s also been shown through studies that CBD can reduce blood pressure and increase overall blood flow. So it has been theoretically suggested that CBD could improve the blood flow from blood vessels that hinder the penis from an erection, otherwise known as Erectile Dysfunction (ED). Still, more studies are desperately needed regarding ED.
As for the ladies, poor lubrication can be a huge mood killer in the bedroom. According to one study, topical CBD was shown to have tremendous anti-inflammatory properties. Researchers and even CBD advocates theorize that topical CBD creams and even CBD lubricants, with their therapeutic and anti-inflammatory properties, could make sex much more comfortable and enjoyable,
So, now the question is: What is the best CBD for sex?
The best CBD products for the bedroom
The products you see sold across America are, for the most part, hemp-derived. Looking for products that say “hemp extract” or “hemp-derived” are the products you want to consume. This doesn’t mean THC is 100% bad; it just means you only need a small amount of THC to enhance the therapeutic value of CBD.
That said, here are a few CBD products can be great for helping to bring back your libido:
- CBD creams or lubricants
- CBD oils and tinctures
- CBD soft gels
- CBD capsules
- CBD chocolates and other edibles
- Etc.
The key to finding the absolute best and safest CBD products is to seek out reputable companies. These are often found online through rigorous research. Still, it’s important to know that while CBD is relatively safe to consume, not everyone will respond the same to it. If you are new to CBD, or if you’ve tried CBD oil before but now want to try CBD gummies for your sex drive, just be sure to take things slow and at a low dosage. Let your body get used to it and then increase until you reach the desired effects.
