A RESTAURANT owner who suffered from excruciating joint pain that drove him to tears while climbing stairs says a food supplement has transformed his life.

John Bergl used to swallow nine strong pain-killing codeine tablets a day to manage chronic arthritis in his knee, plus other aches and pains from a life of sporting endeavours. 

Sixteen-hour days running the busy The Mill at Rode pub and eatery in Frome left him in agonising pain.

But John, 63, says he “got his life back” when he started using CBD oil, a food supplement derived from the cannabis plant.

He says he's now reaping the benefits of the natural substance and that it also helps sleep better.

It’s even altered his attitude about going under the knife for a knee replacement operation.

John said: “I was sceptical in trying CBD as I really thought it was snake oil.

"I could not see how it could be the miracle that people claimed.

"I’ve got a very high pain threshold, but on a particularly bad day, when it made me cry each step of the stairway, I thought, ‘What have I got to lose?’.

"I started taking Goodbody Max 20% Peppermint CBD Oil drops from Goodbodystore.com - after three days I stopped taking codeine and tramadol, which I had relied on a few nights a week for unbroken sleep."

CBD, or cannabidiol, is a powerful plant extract that has surged in popularity due to its reported ability to tackle a host of health and wellbeing problems.

The legal natural ingredient is also present in the human body, but unlike its fellow cannabinoid THC it does not induce a psychoactive effect the high experienced by cannabis users.

John says the effect it has had on his day-to-day life is amazing, adding: “In the six months since I started taking CBD I am not pain free, but my pain levels are down by 80% having only taken two lots of painkillers.

“I get to sleep a lot quicker, too. Previously, if I woke up during the night I would be reading for two hours before I managed to drop off again.

“Now I just take two or three drops of CBD oil and I’m asleep again before I’ve read two pages.”

The sports fan, who once turned down trials with Manchester City and who is a keen tennis player, had his knee cartilage trimmed when the problem first emerged.

He also had cortisone injections, but neither solved the issue and he kept experiencing severe pain in the joint.

Further tests revealed it was arthritis and he’s been on the waiting list for a knee replacement for two years.

But he says CBD has changed his attitude slightly towards going under the knife.

He added: “If I got to the top of the list tomorrow I wouldn’t rush into it as I haven’t suffered any side effects, whereas before it was essential.

“I am now evangelical about the benefits of CBD and suggest anyone who is thinking about it should give Goodbody CBD a try.

“I have recommended it to two people already – one suffering from pain and the other an ex-nurse who suffers from fibromyalgia and hadn’t been able to leave the house for two years without heavy doses of morphine. Both are now complete CBD converts like me.”