As some of you know about me, I am a chronic skeptic. I take much longer than most people to dive into something new. I like to do extensive research and prayer before I jump onto anything. This is what I did with CBD oil.
I had some major concerns. Things like:
#1: I don’t want to have THC and the possibility of positive drug tests (not really a concern for me but a concern for some in my audience.)
#2: I wanted to be sure it’s not full of pesticides, heavy metals, etc. since this is a plant used to “mop up” chemicals in soil.
#3: I wanted one that’s pure, gentle, and provides noticeable results.
#4: I didn’t want one full of hype that’ll be off the market in a couple years.
So my search began.
This is what I found:
Heavy Metals/Pesticides
Many hemp/CBD consumers are exposed to high levels of pesticides and/or heavy metals due to this area being highly unregulated.
These plants very effectively absorb heavy metals from contaminated soil. That is why they are often used to clean up a field.
As one of many examples, in 2008, 150 people in Germany suffered lead poisoning as the result of using marijuana.
Some have declared hemp and marijuana a public safety threat due to the prevalence of pesticides (including DEET) and heavy metals and toxic minerals in excess (including cadmium, lead, mercury, and arsenic).
Then with the addition of solvents leftover from processing, what should have been a natural, beneficial product suddenly becomes very dangerous. 80% of samples tested in research published in the Journal of Toxicology were found to contain a considerable amount of residual solvent and pesticide contamination.
This is why it’s important to get CBD oil from an organic grower that tests the soil and CBD oil for heavy metals.
And extraction:
A good method to extract pure CBD is pressurized supercritical CO2. This method leaves no solvent residue.
However, this can also leave a product that does not have the benefits of terpenes, unless they’re added back in.
Let’s see how we solve all this:
I found Nature’s Ultra CBD to be unlike any other company’s with Smart Spectrum CBD. This means that they start with an isolate in order to eliminate THC, and then they add in the terpenes from Young Living’s pure essential oils to create a Smart Spectrum CBD complete package! There’s no other company in the world that uses this incredible formula!
Nature’s Ultra CBD uses supercritical CO2 extraction and adds Young Living oils with terpenes back in to give us the full rounded benefits without residual solvents.
The terpenes found in YL essential oils can increase the overall spectrum of a product. By adding Young Living essential oils to Nature's Ultra CBD products, the product is no longer an isolate but a broad-spectrum CBD product or what we refer to as “Smart Spectrum”. This provides the best way to control purity and efficacy. Nature’s Ultra uses a combination of CBD isolate and the terpenes in essential oils to produce a broad-spectrum CBD oil without THC.
Nature’s Ultra uses organic and sustainable farming practices and never use pesticides. (This is so important when you’re using a product that is extracted/condensed down!)
Once they have the best possible hemp, the CBD is extracted with a proprietary extraction method to avoid the use of harsh chemicals.
They are certified organic and test results can be seen here: Quality Assurance – Nature's Ultra (naturesultra.com)
My favorite CBD products
I use the CBD Beauty Boost on my face EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. After cleansing and toning, I put 2-3 drops of this in my palm and add 2-3 drops of YL Frankincense oil. I have been doing this for over a year and it has kept my skin healthy, clear, and even faded some spots!
For the best ever sleep, I use 1-2 droppersful of any of the CBD oil droppers sublingually at bedtime. This has had a more noticeable impact on my sleep quality than anything else I have used.
When any of my kiddos are having a hard time sleeping or wake up with those growing leg feelings, I roll the Calm CBD roller on their wrists, spine, or legs.
I always keep the CBD Muscle Rub on hand and bring with when we travel just in case, especially after rolling my ankle on a rock during one RV trip and forgetting to bring this with! It’s a powerful thing to have on hand for situations like that! It’s also good for those who have specific muscle areas that need long-term support.
Some Fun Facts
Did you know?? CBD is a more potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger than Vitamin C or Vitamin E?!!
Nature’s Ultra CBD is completely THC free, so with a THC urine test it will not cause a positive, but you can get one from other things, including:
Other brand CBD products (even with “trace” amounts of THC, they can build up in the body over time)
Motrin/Ibuprofen/Aleve: NSAIDs inhibit the enzyme used in the urine testing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2323039
Antibiotics: Certain antibiotics, including rifampin and fluoroquinolones, can lead to false-positive results for opiates.
OTC Cold meds: Some over-the-counter cold medications contain ingredients that could lead to a positive result for amphetamines.
Some baby soaps: Certain soaps used in hospitals to wash babies shortly after birth may cause the infants to test positive for marijuana on some newborn screening tests, according to a 2012 study. Health care workers figured out that babies who are washed with these soaps — which include Johnson & Johnson's Head-to-Toe Baby Wash, J&J Bedtime Bath, CVS Night-Time Baby Bath, Aveeno Soothing Relief Creamy Wash and Aveeno Wash Shampoo — gave a positive result on a urine drug screening test for THC.
Poppy seeds can cause positive test for opiates.
Other medications including some antidepressants and high blood pressure medications
One Final Note
I personally notice a huge difference in the quality of my sleep on nights when I use CBD before I go to sleep. Some nights when I forget and I’m struggling to sleep, that changes as soon as I utilize the CBD oil! However, not everyone notices a difference. One of the biggest mistakes people make on a health journey is stopping something because they didn’t feel a difference.
Our bodies undergo significant changes from many things that we never technically might feel.
For instance, a survey was done on a group of participants using CBD oil. Before and during the study, the participants’ sleep cycles were monitored. When the participants were taking CBD oil, their R.E.M. sleep, that restorative healing sleep, was THREE times longer than without using CBD oil. And every single one of the participants said that they didn’t “feel a difference.”
You might not necessarily feel a difference with some of your nutritional supplements but with consistency and time, you will begin to notice better things with your health.
Blessings of good health,