Call it the monthly miracle or the monthly curse, but menstruation is something almost all women will experience at some point in their life. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health, the average age that a girl starts getting her period is 12, and the average age to begin menopause is 51. That means a woman could get more than 500 periods in her lifetime (minus a few she might take off for pregnancy or other health circumstances)—which adds up to nearly seven years of her life spent in “that time of the month.”

And those could be seven bad years. A Statista study, working from data gathered by the United Nations and the Simmons National Consumer Survey (NHCS), showed that 35.8 million women in the U.S. report having PMS and/period pain last year—as many as 75 percent of women with regular menstrual cycles experience some symptoms of PMS.

Luckily, CBD (cannabidiol, a compound isolated from the hemp plant) in high-quality nutraceuticals like RESET Balance, might be able to help ease the monthly misery.

Red Flag

The unpleasantries of PMS are a favorite comedic punchline in pop culture, an offhand excuse for dismissing women’s feelings in personal and professional situations, and a steady source of income for companies cashing in on the more than $3.5 billion spent on menstrual products every year in the U.S.

But for women who suffer from PMS, it’s serious business. Despite what feminine hygiene commercials seem to think, horseback riding on the beach is not a woman’s main priority during a Code Red. Life has to go on as usual—it just has to go on in a fog of pain, irritability, fatigue, digestive issues, and the apparent expectation that she should be wearing white jeans the whole time. Personal, family, and professional obligations don’t disappear just because Aunt Flo is in town, and most women don’t have the luxury of taking three to seven days of “me time” every month.

Of course, that doesn’t mean women couldn’t use that time off. In a recent YouGov survey, more than 40 percent of respondents reported that period pain has affected their ability to do their job. Thirty percent had experienced such bad pain they had to take time off of work—but only a quarter of those women said they’d tell their boss the real reason. The majority of respondents would attribute their work absence to “migraines” or “stomach pain” without specifying that the pain is actually several inches south of the stomach, and is likely to come back next month, and the month after that, and the month after that…

And the month after that.

Simply put, women are champions. Gritting their teeth through the pain, deep-breathing through the stress, remaining nonviolent when people say things like, What, are you on your period or something? and going about their daily routine without giving any outward indication that they’re suffering. But why should they have to suffer, when there’s a better way to live—with an efficient, natural treatment for their period-related woes? (Except for the “What, are you on your period?” guy. There’s no treatment for that.)

The Hows and “Why, God, Whys” of Menstruation

To understand how CBD could fight period pain, it helps to understand where period pain comes from, because it’s not just a matter of overdoing it at the gym and spraining your ovaries. Every month, the uterus spends three weeks preparing for the possibility of pregnancy—building up the uterine lining with the help of hormones called estrogen and progesterone, in hopes that a promising little embryo will soon appear, and should that new resident not show up? The uterus throws a tantrum, progesterone levels drop, inflammatory chemicals called prostaglandins increase, and sure enough, the British are coming—and they’re bringing inflammation, increased pain sensitization, uterine cramps, heavy bleeding, and gastrointestinal… issues.

The most common approach to treating menstrual pain has usually been to turn to NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like ibuprofen, and for good reason. NSAIDs are known to inhibit the body’s COX-2 enzyme, which is responsible for producing prostaglandins. The downside is that COX-2 isn’t the only enzyme NSAIDs inhibit—they also inhibit the COX-1 enzyme, which can have some pretty unpleasant gastrointestinal side effects. That’s why NSAID use is recommended only in moderation, and some people are advised to avoid them entirely.

On the other hand, CBD (a non-intoxicating derivative of the cannabis plant) has also been shown to potentially inhibit the COX-2 enzyme—but not COX-1. That might produce a similar effect to NSAIDs for period symptoms, but with fewer side effects.

The Science Behind CBD

By working with the body’s endocannabinoid system, which helps to regulate physical processes ranging from pain perception to bone density to hunger response, CBD could be an efficient natural approach to many of the physical and emotional experiences of PMS.

•         CBD may stimulate receptors that control numerous aspects of your brain’s pain control systems, as well as receptors in the body’s soft tissues that manage pain and inflammatory processes. That could help with painful PMS symptoms like menstrual cramps, breast tenderness, backaches, and headaches.
•         A 2008 study suggested that cannabinoids could have an effect on human sebaceous glands—the glands responsible for giving you that nice oil-slick look during your period—and a 2015 study indicated that a cannabis seed extract cream produced a significant effect when used on acne.
•         CBD may act on receptors in your brain that affect serotonin, potentially influencing anxiety, sleep, and mood while you’re struggling with PMS.

So, if your period pain comes with a side of stress, breakouts, and mood swings, CBD could potentially ease your mind while it’s easing your uterus.

RESET Balance

RESET Balance delivers CBD the way it’s meant to be delivered. RESET Balance looks like a CBD oil, but it actually isn’t—it’s water-based drops, which are backed by pharmaceutical technology. Water based CBD pharmaceutical products have been shown to make substances more bioavailable than traditional CBD oils, meaning more of it survives the digestion process, so your body can access all the good stuff. It also makes our CBD more soluble, meaning that these hydrophobic particles that don’t want to enter the body are going into your cells whether they like it or not. 

All RESET cannabinoid products are double-tested for THC, pesticides, heavy metals, residual solvents, and microbiological contaminants.

RESET Bioscience is here to help you achieve that feel-good feeling with self-care tips and tricks and RESET water based drops. 

Sign up for email updates and peer-reviewed research from RESET. Or try it for yourself.

DISCLAIMER: CBD is not currently an FDA-approved treatment for premenstrual syndrome or other menstruation-related problems. RESET Balance is not intended to diagnose, cure, or treat any disease or disorder.