5 Best Ways CBD Can Boost Immunity During A Global Virus
Proper immune function is something everyone wishes to achieve, especially during times of a globally spread virus. Coronavirus has impacted nearly everyones life and lead to massive changes around the world. The impact on our loved ones who suffer from autoimmune diseases have been hit harder than the rest, this is why it is more important than ever to keep your immune system at the top of it's game. To have a high functioning Immune System it entails a complex balancing act that relies on constant communication between our immune cells, tissues, and organs. Lucky, for the discovery of the Endo-Cannabinoid System (ECS) in the early 90's, scientists have found another key piece to the puzzle of the human body!
The Endo-Cannabinoid System runs off two main receptors (CB1 and CB2), endogenous ligands known as endocannabinoids (anandamide and 2-AG), plus the amino acids that transport our endocannabinoids and the enzymes that break them down in the body.
Endocannabinoids are produced as demanded, traveling backwards across synapses and modulating cell activity. This partly explains why the ECS has been termed a homeostatic regulator – continually working to maintain a state of biological balance.
The ECS regulates a wide spread of physiological processes, including immune function and inflammation. Both CB1 and CB2 receptors can be found on immune cells, although there are between 10-100 times more CB2 receptors than CB1. Endocannabinoids act upon immune cells directly through the CB2 receptor. As CB1 receptors are found in abundance throughout the brain and CNS.
Activation of CB2 receptors create an anti-inflammatory effect and is therefore a therapeutic target for autoimmune disorders and neurodegenerative disease. However, any ECS immunosuppressant activity is thought to be transient, and can be overridden when necessary in the presence of infection.
Scientists know that plant cannabinoids like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) impact our health by interacting in different ways with the endocannabinoid system. Thus, it makes sense that consuming phytocannabinoids can also directly affect our immune system.
Here are 5 ways CBD boost the immune system:
1. Immune System
As we stated, CBD directly interacts with our CB2 receptors that throughout our body floating on immune cells. When CBD attaches to CB2 it's ability for immune response and control is elevated, creating anti-inflammatory benefits throughout the body to strengthen overall immunity.
2. Improves Mood
What we are living through right now is a public health emergency, and situations like this affect mood & stress on many levels, usually not in a good way. Some people are afraid of their health, some for their parents. Others are worried about the loss of jobs, their friends, and so on. This results in increased anxiety, depression that can severely damage the immune system. Fortunately, one of the CBD benefits is to ease the symptoms of these conditions.
3. Pain and Discomfort
You might wonder how this is related, but the thing is that because all parts of our body are connected when one is suffering, the whole system is suffering as well. It is good when you know how to take CBD oil for pain relief because it is quite effective. Since many people are not getting the same amount of physical activity now living in the quarantine, a lot of people who have back or similar problems will experience a lot of difficulties. We recommend getting up and moving everyday, whether it's walking, swimming, or calisthenics you need to keep your blood flowing. Nothing more negatively impactful on your health than living a sedentary life.
4. Anti Inflammation
One of the most known CBD benefits is it's anti-inflammatory properties, which makes it perfect for dealing with infections, but this fact doesn’t mean it is anti-viral. What it means is that you can get infected with the virus and get sick, but looking at the way how does CBD oil works, we can conclude it should alleviate the symptoms greatly.
5. Gut Health
As it is a new virus, we cannot say with certainty what helps in fighting coronavirus. However, there is some evidence that shows that better balance in the gut helps to fight off the infection. Remember, it all starts in the gut, fixing your gut health can lead to fixing problems you didn't realize you even had!
These are strange times, and we have to take all the precaution measures to protect ourselves and our loved ones. On that note, we also need to find ways to boost our immune system the best way we can, and there are some indications that CBD can be a big player in that. However, as both CBD and coronavirus are relatively new, we must not rely only on CBD benefits to protect ourselves. Having a healthy nutritional diet, proper cardio/strength training, and daily deep sleep are keys to putting yourself in the best situation to fight any virus!
