Because of the various properties and health benefits of cannabidiol, CBD-based products have grown in popularity and become one of the hottest wellness trends in recent years. CBD is well-known for its anti-inflammatory, sleep-inducing relaxing, and stress-relieving properties, to mention a few. But what do we know about its immunomodulating properties?
In this article, you will find essential information about how CBD can provide a boost for your immune system. Aside from understanding how CBD improves your immunity, you will also learn how it maintains a healthy gut microbiota, promotes immunological response, has a calming effect reducing moderate stress, and much more.
It is worth noting that you should always check the brand’s manufacturing process and sources before purchasing any CBD-based products. In addition, when you see a “full-spectrum CBD+THC oil” on a label, you need to go as far as checking the third-party lab reports. Continue reading to discover more about integrating CBD into your routine to boost your wellbeing.
What is the Immune System?
The immune system is an interrelated network of organs, tissues, cells, and subcellular entities responsible for defending the body against pathogens. Although the immune system is capable of fighting off most pathogens, it is not perfect. To keep the immune system working correctly, you must be careful with your nutrition and lifestyle habits. These factors affect our immune system positively or negatively.
For example, eating plenty of foods with antioxidants or exercising regularly can boost your immune system naturally. On the other hand, things like stress, too much sugar consumption, and poor sleep habits can weaken it. Similarly, your diet plays a vital role in maintaining a healthy immune system; therefore, aim to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, etc. Additionally, you should include foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids (e.g., salmon) and vitamin C (e.g., oranges).
Why CBD Can Boost Your Immune System
Why CBD Can Boost Your Immune System
Cannabidiol (CBD) is amongst the several cannabinoid chemicals found in the cannabis plant. As a result, several health advantages short of psychoactive impacts may be found in this non-intoxicating product. Conferring to contemporary research, CBD has shown considerable benefits for many medical illnesses, including nervousness and sleep complaints, epilepsy, inflammatory infections, etc.
While CBD is not directly affecting the immune system, it may indirectly influence it by controlling the amounts of endocannabinoids in your body system. In addition, as an anti-inflammatory chemical and a powerful antioxidant, CBD may also counteract cell-detrimental free radicals. These massive protein groups are released by the immunological system of the human body, helping in the regulation of irritation, immunity, and white blood cell formation.
To strengthen your immune system, CBD’s capacity to interrelate with the endocannabinoid structure (ECS) makes it especially appealing. Additionally, the Endocannabinoid neurotransmitter, which is essential in a wide range of bodily activities, counting neurotransmitter discharge and homeostasis, may be regulated by CBD. For more data on CBD’s role in immune system boosting, consider buying cbd pain cream to help you relieve pain.
Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the many compounds that belong to the cannabis plant. It is non-intoxicating and offers a list of health benefits without causing psychoactive effects (“getting high”). According to recent studies, CBD has demonstrated significant benefits for various medical conditions such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, anxiety and sleep disorders, PTSD, inflammatory diseases, nausea associated with chemotherapy, etc.
Although CBD does not directly impact the immune system, it can have an indirect effect on it by regulating the levels of endocannabinoids and other phytocannabinoids in our bodies. In addition to the role of CBD as an anti-inflammatory compound and a strong antioxidant that can neutralize cell-damaging free radicals. These properties can potentially reduce chronic inflammation and associated disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), among others.
However, what makes CBD particularly interesting for those who want to improve their immune system is its ability to interact with the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS is a set of receptors, and signaling molecules found within all vertebrates and encodes for a wide range of physiological processes, including appetite regulation, pain sensation, mood balance, memory, immune function, and reproductive processes.
In other words, CBD can support your immune system by regulating endocannabinoid neurotransmitters which play a key role in many physiological functions, including neurotransmitter release and homeostasis. Additionally, CBD also supports the function of the endocannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors and plays a protective role targeting microorganisms and tumors.
How CBD Works With Your Endocannabinoid System
The endocannabinoid system is involved in many physiological processes, including appetite regulation, pain sensation, mood balance, memory function, regulating inflammation, and immune function, among others. What makes this system so interesting is that it contains cannabinoids such as cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), etc., which are known as phytocannabinoids. Phytocannabinoids are derived from plant sources such as hemp and marijuana, whereas endocannabinoids are produced by our bodies (endogenous). The name comes from the cannabis plant’s ability to stimulate these receptors and cause “high” effects.
Specifically speaking, the endocannabinoid system is divided into two types: CB1and CB2 receptors. The CB1 receptor interacts with the endocannabinoids such as anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), whereas the CB2 receptor interacts with arachidonoyl ethanolamide (AEA). By interacting with these receptors, CBD modulates inflammatory response by reducing excessive cytokine production by activating PPARs (peroxisome proliferator activated receptors), which are nuclear receptors involved in lipid metabolism pathways. These receptors are found in adipose tissue, which suggests that CBD could potentially help with obesity-related inflammation.
Additionally, CBD can block cell death caused by oxidative stress via TRPV1 channels, activated by capsaicin or hot chili peppers. This happens because CBD can bind to TRPV1 channels, thus increasing intracellular calcium concentrations triggering cell apoptosis which promotes cell death in certain conditions. Specifically speaking, CBD can positively impact T-cells, which are crucial for immune function due to their ability to kill infected cells/bacteria/viruses while maintaining non-infected cells.
Moreover, CBD can directly interact with CB1/CB2 receptors which contribute to its anti-inflammatory properties by inhibiting neutrophil migration, thereby reducing inflammation caused by neutrophils. Neutrophils are white blood cells that aid in protecting the body against pathogens by releasing reactive oxygen species (ROS).
These ROS cause oxidative damage when they react with other molecules resulting in inflammation; therefore, neutrophils are crucial in fighting off infections. When they migrate in higher numbers, they can cause immunosuppression, leading to unwanted side effects like inflammation-causing even greater damage in some cases. By inhibiting neutrophil migration, the inhibitory effect on neutrophils is reduced. The inflammatory response caused by these cells is also reduced, which helps reduce inflammation overall in the body.
Additionally, CBD can also increase natural killer cells which are a type of immune system immune cells that play a crucial role in protecting the body against viruses and cancers. Although they can be found in most tissues and organs, they’re mainly concentrated in the spleen, liver, bone marrow, lymph nodes, and thymus gland. They are known to kill cells infected by viruses or cancer-causing cells by releasing chemicals called perforins that help them enter the target cell and cause apoptosis. By increasing natural killer cells, CBD could potentially play a role in reducing cancerous tumors.
Final Thoughts
Overall, CBD can potentially boost your immune system due to its ability to indirectly impact the endocannabinoid system through its interactions with the CB1/CB2 receptors. While this theory is not proven yet, it is still an interesting idea that needs further research. O
n the other hand, most studies that have been conducted so far indicate that CBD can support our immune system by reducing inflammation, increasing natural killer cells, reducing oxidative stress, and modulating the release of cytokines from immune cells. In addition to modulating our immune system, CBD could also positively impact gut microbiota, which will effectively reduce chronic inflammation, promoting a healthy immune system.
So, if you’re looking for a natural way to boost your immune system, you should consider taking a high-quality CBD-based product such as CBD oil or CBD hemp oil from a reliable manufacturer. Although no scientific studies support this theory, there are plenty of anecdotal reports from people who have tried CBD oil for their immune system disorders and experienced an improvement in their overall health.
