CBD Instead of Wine: Which is Better for Moms?

*written by bizzy contributor Whitney Popa*

Hey, we get it. Momming is stressful. It often requires something to help us come down from the chaos of the day. There's been lots of chatter in recent years, but wine is more familiar. Wine is normalized. CBD isn't. So, what's better? CBD or wine? Let's get into it!

On Adele's latest album, 30, she has a song called "I Need Wine," which is basically about being human and complicated and a mom. If you're like us, you said to yourself, "Wow, Adele wrote this song for me" when you first heard it. Then, you rolled down your car window and belted it right along with our favorite 30something songbird because Adele is all of us. But, when you got home and watched her Oprah special, you learned that Adele no longer indulges in wine. Adele is off the sauce. But, Adele is still human and complicated and a mom.

So, it stands to reason, that even though she hasn't told us straight up, Adele will have a song on her next album called "I Need CBD" or, better yet, "I Love CBD (And CBD Loves Me)." Why? Because Cannabidiol gives us all the chill and reduced anxiety that we think we're getting from wine but without the gross side effects like headaches and hangovers and, mmm, alcohol addiction, which is more of a thing among moms than many of us realize.

Moms and alcohol consumption

There are some pretty scary stats of late about women (moms especially) and alcohol consumption. According to NPR, one of the few gender gaps women are swiftly closing is in excessive alcohol consumption. Women are close to a 1-to-1 drink for drink consumption rate with men, and that's not a good thing. When women drink alcohol, it takes us less time to suffer some of the big health complications that come with over-indulgence: liver damage and disease, heart disease, and even certain cancers. The thing is, while women have been turning to alcohol for decades to reduce stress, many researchers are finding that it can actually increase anxiety and depression, especially in women and moms.

Women and water retention

As we know well, women are superheroes. That's a fact. But, our bodies are built differently than men's. So, while we feel like we carry the weight of the world on our shoulders and we're always bloated, women actually have less body water than men do. Body water dissolves alcohol. That means that men of the same weight can drink more than women can and suffer fewer long-term effects. The same number of drinks for women leads to more alcohol in our blood—women's blood alcohol concentration rises a lot faster than men's. Our body tissues are also exposed to more alcohol per drink. It's a lot, and it's all...not great news for our delicious red wine habit. Just so we're clear, however, we're definitely not knocking red wine. We're simply pointing out what the current research is saying—especially if your one glass has been turning into three more often than not.

With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to rage, many moms are drinking more than that occasional glass of wine in the evenings—they're drinking to cope. Female alcohol intake is increasing at levels that are pretty staggering. Have you noticed that hearing other moms joke about their wine habit has started to feel a little less cute? We have. But, if you're reading this and feeling bummed out about your alcohol use, don't! Adele was doing it, too. She's someone we always associated with red wine, too. Or, maybe that was just us swaying near Alexa while we were sipping and stirring and ignoring the children. Our point? There is hope for all of us.

As you'll see, that hope comes in the form of a beautiful thing we call cannabidiol, or, by its cool kid nickname: CBD.

CBD vs wine

There are a few proven health benefits of CBD (and more research is conducted every day). Here are a few of our favorite findings so far:

• Many women are turning to CBD for help reducing anxiety. A few studies have found CBD may improve anxiety. Human studies are ongoing.
• Laboratory research on human cells suggests CBD may have anti-inflammatory effects on oil-secreting glands in the skin. In other words, bye-bye acne (hopefully!).
• Taking CBD may help with hormonal imbalances. One study investigating the effect of CBD on humans found that it helped regulate the secretion of the stress-activating hormone cortisol. By supporting hormone regulation, it stands to reason that CBD use also combats imbalances.
• CBD helps women struggling with insomnia, a common complaint of women going through menopause. Because CBD use may help stabilize mood imbalances, sleep is often improved.
• Many women report that CBD helps them get busy in the bedroom. Because of how it affects mood, CBD allows women to feel more relaxed and in the mood. Additionally, women are also trying CBD oil and other lubricants to not only enhance sexual activity but also to combat dryness and sexual pain. Anecdotally, women are reporting that CBD products have led to increased pleasure, helped their libidos, set the mood, and allowed their muscles to relax, which leads to more fun in the bedroom (or, you know, wherever you like to get down).

Wine, on the other hand (alcohol in general), has mostly negative health consequences for women. We may feel pretty loose while we sway to those Adele songs, but prolonged and excessive alcohol use has some pretty gnarly long-term effects. The pandemic has shed light on the mommy #sendwine mentality that, when you think about it, is pretty dark. This chart provides a full-body overview of what excessive alcohol use can do to our bodies.

Side effects of drinking wine

We won't patronize you with things you already know (like days-long hangovers, especially if you're in your 30s or beyond; brain cell damage; empty calories; weight gain; and dependency). But, here are some CliffsNotes detailing side effects of drinking wine you may not have considered:

• Inflammation: long-term alcohol use affects the liver, which works hard to sift all the bad things out of our bodies. Liver inflammation leads to liver disease and, as the liver becomes increasingly damaged, it has a hard time sifting out the bad things (like alcohol). Women run a higher risk of developing alcoholic liver disease because their bodies are more likely to absorb more alcohol and need longer periods of time to process it. Woof.
• Blood sugar spikes: drinking alcohol can mess with the pancreas, which regulates your body's insulin. This can lead to low blood sugar or hyperglycemia (too much sugar in the blood). If your body can't handle fluctuating sugar levels, you may face some complications related to diabetes.
• A freaked out central nervous system: High doses of alcohol can lead to slurred speech, numbness, and tingling in the hands and feet. As you probably know from all those college frat parties, excessive drinking can make it difficult for our brains to make long-term memories. How did the cheers go? "Here's to the nights we won't remember, and to the days we'll never forget?" See?! College did some damage.
• Higher risk of developing certain cancers: There are several studies that point to the correlation between alcohol use and increased cancer risks. For women, one of the biggest concerns is breast cancer. There's still confusion about how the two are related, but most experts agree that having more than one drink per day increases the risk of women developing breast cancer.

Some reasons to replace alcohol with CBD

We're not saying you need to completely cut the booze habit like Adele did. If you want to, great! We very much enjoy a wine tasting day as much as the next BFF set. What we are saying, though, is that alcohol, while highly normalized, can actually be pretty bad for you in big doses and over the longterm, whereas CBD offers many of the same "perks" (and then some) as our favorite jammy red without all the gross side effects. Unlike wine and other alcohols, taking CBD:

• Doesn't cause inflammation (several studies are working on testing its anti-inflammatory claims).
• Won't cause blood sugar spikes (unless, maybe, you ate a whole handful of gummies in one sitting? But you're smart, so you wouldn't do that).
• Doesn't freak out your nervous system (researchers are also working on CBD's use in treating post-traumatic stress disorder, so CBD definitely doesn't have negative consequences for the nervous system).
• Won't give you cancer.
• May help with PMS! Because CBD is a mood and hormone stabilizer, it has many therapeutic prospects, especially for premenstrual symptoms. CBD actually improves liver detoxing (whereas alcohol hinders it), so the combo of mood stabilization + inflammation reduction = a much better week when Aunt Flo comes to visit.

Can CBD help reduce alcohol consumption?

In our experience, CBD can absolutely help to reduce alcohol consumption. Think about it: if you're using your glass(es) of wine to chill out and help come down from the chaos, swapping that for a CBD gummy or tincture means you probably won't want both. Who needs wine when you're already chill af? The more you see that you're enjoying the same (+ more!) benefits from CBD, the less often you'll probably want to drink. Replacing alcohol with CBD will become your go-to most days because you'll see how much easier it is than drinking to relax.

CBD is a gateway to many more chill days and nights, minus the icky side effects you get from wine and prescription drugs.

Is CBD safe?

People ask us this question all the time: Is CBD safe? And our answer is, yes! Numerous studies have recognized CBD's overall effectiveness on everything from easing the pain of menstrual cramps, to reducing stress, and lessening the effects of depression. The first approved use of CBD medically by the food and drug administration (FDA) was to treat rare forms of epilepsy, and several studies are underway about all sorts of other benefits—from pain relief to anxiety disorders. The potential health benefits are huge.

Many think that because CBD products are derived from the hemp plant that they contain THC. This is not the case. Check out our CBD 101 guide to learn more about the differences between CBD and THC, but, while we have you here, let us explain: CBD is a naturally occurring compound found in the leaves, stalks, and flowers of industrial hemp (or marijuana cannabis). There are over 100 different cannabinoids found in the hemp plant. Hemp-based CBD products (like Bizzy) do not exceed the legal limit of .3% THC. Full-spectrum CBD products contain up to .3% THC. Broad Spectrum (our Tropicana Mix) does NOT contain any THC. All that heady stuff to say: you will feel chill. Unlike THC, CBD will not get you or make you feel "high." Your judgment will not be impaired, you will be able to make (and remember) memories, and both your brain and body will be happy.

Are there any side effects of CBD use?

There are lots of positive side effects of Cannabidiol use, including:

• More chill
• Less anxiety
• A higher sex drive
• Fewer PMS cramps
• More tolerance for people who may or may not stress you out (including, but not limited to: kids, bosses, in-laws, co-workers, that mom who always looks put together at school drop-offs, that needy client, etc.)

Okay, but what do I do with my hands now?

So, we sold you on CBD, didn't we? Great! We know the biggest question you have now is what to do with your hands now that they're not holding a wine glass. A few ideas:

• Squeeze those screaming kiddos—hugs reduce stress!
• Grab a book. We love the analog life and feeling the weight of books in our hands
• Find an old copy of People magazine and get your zen on doing the People Puzzler
• Write a snail mail note to a friend
• Dig the remote out from under the couch cushions, sit back, and indulge in something juicy
• Squeeze your man's tush as he walks by
• Etc.

A final word about Adele

Adele wrote "I Need Wine" before she quit it. Based on our loose math of how often she's releasing albums right now, we anticipate "I Love CBD (And CBD Loves Me)" will be on the forthcoming release titled 33. This is pure speculation and we're actively searching for a manager's address to get her some goods in the mail, but it's not completely out of the question.

Questions?

Got any questions for us? Shoot us an email any time, or find us on Instagram, where we educate and share very funny memes on the daily: @BizzyCBD. And, if you're ready to purchase from a mom-owned company that is all about its bizz-ness, check out our products here.