CBD Gummies Benefits

Introduction

If you've sought out CBD products online or in stores recently, you may have noticed a new kind of CBD supplement — CBD gummies, those tasty, chewy, little morsels infused with cannabidiol (CBD).

While CBD oil has long been the most popular type of CBD wellness product, gummies are quickly closing in. If you're curious to learn what CBD gummies are, then read on. We'll take a deep dive into the world of CBD gummies, CBD gummies benefits, how you can find the best gummies for you, and more.

What Do CBD Gummies Do to Your Body?

To understand how CBD gummies work within the body, we first have to understand a few special terms:

• Cannabinoid: Cannabinoids are special compounds found naturally within hemp and marijuana (subspecies of the cannabis sativa plant). CBD and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) are the two major cannabinoids. Cannabinoids can also be called "phytocannabinoids" (from "phyto-" meaning "plant").

• Endocannabinoid: Endocannabinoids are cannabinoid-like compounds created within the body (from "endo-" meaning "within" and "cannabinoid").

• Endocannabinoid System (ECS): The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a vast and complex network of enzymes, receptors, and endocannabinoids within the human body. It regulates various processes — including appetite, sleep, mood, and immune response. The purpose of the ECS is to maintain equilibrium (overall balance) and harmony throughout the body's many systems.

CBD gummies contain cannabidiol — the main cannabinoid present in hemp. As a cannabinoid, CBD has the ability to interact with the body's endocannabinoid system, thus producing the potential benefits of improved sleep, reduced stress, and more.

What Are CBD Gummies?

CBD gummies are generally fruit-flavored bites, much like gummy bears or gumdrops. They're infused with CBD extract and, ideally, are naturally flavored and colored, without artificial ingredients. 

The original gummy bear was introduced by the German Haribo company in the early 1920s (long before CBD gummies were conceived). Hans Riegel, Sr., founder of Haribo, drew his inspiration from the popular dancing bears of medieval Europe. But while Riegel is often credited as the inventor of gummy candy, he actually just improved upon an already successful, centuries-old, formula.1 

“Gummy candies descend from Turkish delight and even Japanese rice candy,” says candy historian Beth Kimmerle, author of Candy: A Sweet History. “But both of those are typically made with rice or corn starch versus gelatin.”

“Cooking sugar along with fruit has long been a way to preserve or store summer’s harvest,” Kimmerle says. “So technically gummy candies are also cousins of jams and jellies.”

How Are CBD Gummies Made?

Manufacturing processes differ from one company to the next, but there are seven basic steps that our team at Cornbread Hemp uses to make CBD gummies. Here's a look at our process.

Step 1: Start With Juice From Organic Berries

This process begins with organic berries — strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries — which are juiced to create the bases for three different flavors of gummies.

Step 2: Add Organic Flower-Only™ Hemp Extract (CBD)

The berry juice is heated up, then blended with our Flower-Only™ hemp extract, which contains CBD as well as a variety of other cannabinoids (including up to 0.3% THC).

Step 3: Thicken With Vegan-Friendly Pectin

Pectin is a natural thickening agent found in the cell walls of most terrestrial plants — including fruits and vegetables. We use apple pectin, along with organic tapioca syrup, organic carnauba wax, and organic ginger — to thicken the gummies.

Step 4: Add Natural Coloring From Organic Beetroot

Instead of using lab-created artificial colorings, we use organic beetroot to color their CBD gummies.

Step 5: Pour Gummies and Allow to Set

Then we put all of our vegan organic gummy ingredients in a tray and refrigerate them to allow them to set. That’s where the pectin does its work, expanding its fibers in the cold dark of the refrigerator to create a consistent form.

Step 6: Finish With a Dusting of Organic Cane Sugar

Once the gummies are set, we pop them out of the tray molds into bite-sized pieces. Then, they're lightly coated in organic cane sugar crystals to help prevent them from sticking together and to add a bit of sweetness.

Step 7: Package in Amber Glass Bottles (to Protect the CBD)

We package all our CBD gummies in amber glass jars — 30 gummies per jar. The amber glass helps protect the gummies from damaging light, ensuring the CBD and other cannabinoids remain intact.

More About CBD Gummies Health Benefits

So, what are CBD gummies good for? As mentioned earlier, CBD gummies can help with stress. They can also alleviate some aches and pains, especially from exercise-induced inflammation, and support healthy sleep. But those aren't the only health benefits of CBD gummies. Let's take a closer look at these, as well as other potential plus-points.

CBD Gummies vs. CBD Oil and CBD Pills

CBD gummies offer many (if not all) the same benefits of CBD oil and CBD pills. However, for those of you with an aversion to the earthy flavor of CBD oil or who have difficulty swallowing pills, CBD gummies are a great way to incorporate CBD into your daily wellness routine.

CBD gummies also have a pleasant fruit flavor and chewy gummy texture, making them easier to eat than oils and pills.

The Convenience of CBD Gummies

CBD gummies come in different strengths, but dosing is still rather simple. Typically a person will take one or two CBD gummies per day (depending on the strength of the particular gummy). You could even bite a gummy in half if you wanted to take less CBD. This is much simpler than trying to measure out a partial dropper of CBD oil or break open a CBD pill.

Gummies are also easy to travel with when compared to CBD oils or extracts. Rather than having to pull out a dropper bottle and carefully measure an accurate dose of oil, you can simply pop a CBD gummy right in your mouth — knowing exactly how much CBD you're taking.

Relieving Day-to-Day Stress With CBD Gummies

Stress2 is defined as "a state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation." When mental stress becomes chronic, it can manifest physically — especially when coupled with other day-to-day struggles, such as poor sleep or insufficient nutrition.

Natural solutions, such as meditation and exercise, can certainly be helpful, but they aren't always easy to incorporate into our daily routine.

Other common solutions to stress — such as alcohol and tobacco — cause more harm than good. And even some traditionally prescribed medications come with serious side effects that can ultimately compound one's stress problem.

One of the main benefits of CBD gummies is that they have the potential to help you manage stress without the side effects and potential risks associated with anxiety medications (e.g., sexual dysfunction, sleep disruption, and changes in behavior or performance).

CBD gummies offer a more natural approach to stress management. Added to your daily routine, they may help provide relief from everyday stress. If you're new to CBD, it may take a couple of weeks for you to notice the benefits, as it takes some time for CBD to build up in the system. However, taking CBD regularly may provide equilibrium (or overall balance) between the highs and lows of daily life. This balance will provide the calm needed to enjoy your day and focus on what truly matters.

Reducing Aches and Pains With CBD Gummies

Some marketers claim that CBD may cut down on chronic pain and have potential as an alternative to pain medications such as opioids (which can be strongly addictive and have serious side effects). However, CBD has not been approved as a supplement by the Federal Drug Association (FDA).

Even so, the cannabidiol in CBD gummies has the potential to alleviate aches and pains caused by exercise-induced inflammation. This could be the soreness you feel after the gym or simply at the end of a long day running around taking care of business.

Supporting Healthy Sleep With CBD Gummies

According to Statista Consumer Insights, 39 percent of respondents in their 2023 survey3 claimed to have suffered from a sleep issue, such as difficulty falling asleep or trouble staying asleep.

We all love our sleep and hate not getting enough of it. But difficulty sleeping is more than just an annoying problem that leaves us groggy throughout the day — it comes with serious health implications.

A five-year study that ran from 2010–20164 found that adults with irregular sleep patterns had double the risk of cardiovascular disease compared to adults who get more regular sleep. The study suggests that maintaining a regular sleep schedule could play an important role in preventing heart disease, similar to the way physical exercise and a healthy diet do.

That brings us to the next benefit of CBD gummies — it naturally improves sleep. Specifically, CBD can help to alleviate occasional sleeplessness, making it easier for you to maintain a regular sleep schedule.

CBD gummies are a safe, natural, and effective way to support healthy sleep. And they're a possible alternative to prescription sleep medications, which can be habit-forming and may produce undesirable side effects.

The best thing about a CBD gummy is that it's easy to take. Most people will take a gummy about 45 minutes before bedtime, to give the CBD time to work. You can also chew it slowly and hold it in your mouth for 30 seconds before swallowing to allow for some of the CBD to be absorbed into your system right away.

CBD Gummies for Pets

Pets who are anxious, old, or creaky, or who have a hard time settling in for the night, may also benefit from CBD gummies.

While CBD oil is another option for pets, anyone who's had to give their dog oral antibiotics can imagine how tricky it might be to get them to swallow CBD oil. CBD gummies are much easier to administer, and are even considered a treat to many pets.

Hemp-Derived CBD Products vs. Marijuana-Derived Products

Hemp and marijuana are both subspecies of the cannabis sativa plant, and they both contain CBD and THC (the psychoactive cannabinoid that marijuana is best known for) — plus 100+ other cannabinoids.

The key difference between each type of cannabis plant is their CBD and THC content.

• The hemp plant contains a lot of CBD and very little THC (no more than 0.3%).

• The marijuana plant contains a lot of THC and a smaller amount of CBD.

Hemp and its extracts became legal on a federal level in 2018 with the passing of the 2018 Farm Bill.5 However, hemp may not contain THC levels above 0.3%.

Due to the legal status of each plant and the fact that hemp contains so much more CBD than marijuana does, most CBD products on the market come from hemp. However, it’s possible to find cannabis-derived CBD products in some parts of the country.

The Three Different Types of CBD

Even among hemp-derived CBD products, there are different types of CBD that you can choose from. How effective CBD gummies are is largely based on the type of CBD the gummies are made with.

• CBD Isolate
  CBD isolate is pure CBD without any other cannabinoids or cannabis compounds. It contains 0% THC.

• Broad Spectrum CBD
  Broad spectrum CBD contains several different cannabinoids in addition to CBD. However, the THC has been removed and is undetectable.

• Full Spectrum CBD
  Full spectrum CBD products contain a variety of cannabinoids in addition to cannabidiol (CBD). They also contain THC — but never more than 0.3%.

Full spectrum CBD is considered by many to be the most effective type. This is thanks to its ability to bring about the "entourage effect” — whereby various cannabinoids taken together produce notably greater effects than any single cannabinoid would on its own.

Are CBD Gummies Safe?

According to a 2018 report by the World Health Organization, CBD was found to have a “good safety profile.” 6 CBD itself is non-addictive, doesn't produce the psychoactive effects that THC is known for, and is impossible to overdose on.

Still, it's important to follow dosing recommendations for any CBD gummies you take because taking too much CBD too soon can cause discomfort in some people.

That being said, there are certain medications that should not be taken along with CBD gummies, or any other CBD supplement. If you're taking any medications, it's important to consult with your doctor before incorporating CBD into your wellness routine.

Will Full Spectrum CBD Gummies Get You High?

You might be wondering about the fact that full-spectrum CBD gummies also contain THC — a legal amount of no more than 0.3%. While this small amount of THC is enough to help produce the entourage effect, it's not enough to cause negative side effects or get you "high"

How Many CBD Gummies Should You Take?

How many CBD gummies you should take depends on various factors, like the potency of the gummies themselves, your previous experience with CBD, your metabolism, and your body size.

If you're experienced with CBD and have been taking it regularly, you should begin by taking the recommended dose for any new CBD gummy you try. After a few days, if you feel like you would benefit from more CBD, go ahead and take a little more. Just be sure to maintain the same dose for several days at a time before increasing it again, so you can avoid taking too much and experiencing discomfort.

If you're new to CBD, start with half the recommended dose. Give it a week or two to build up in your system with daily use before increasing to the recommended dose. After that, feel it out. If you think more CBD would be helpful, take a little more for a few days and see how you feel. Just give your ECS (endocannabinoid system) time to adjust to each new dose.

What Makes Cornbread Hemp's Full Spectrum CBD Gummies Special?

At Cornbread Hemp, we understand the importance of sourcing high-quality ingredients when creating wellness supplements. We're one of the only brands in the industry to offer CBD gummies that are USDA certified organic and made with Flower-OnlyTM full spectrum hemp extract.

Cornbread Hemp's full spectrum CBD gummies come in three strengths: 10mg, 20mg, and 25mg, per serving. Each serving consists of two gummies, making it easy for beginners to start with a half dose and, later, adjust the dose as needed.

Visit the Cornbread Hemp online store to explore our CBD Gummies (in watermelon, berry, and peach) and our CBD Sleep Gummies, featuring lavender, valerian root, and chamomile extracts.