Today, more than ever before, it’s important to have a healthy immune system. Luckily, CBD may help boost your immunity in several ways.
You don’t really think about your immune system unless you’re sick. That’s because when it’s functioning well, you have steady energy, fewer body aches, and you’re even in a better mood. When your immune system is weak though, you definitely notice. Exhaustion, irritability, being prone to infections, inflammation, and even digestive issues are all signs of a weak immune system. So, can CBD help?
Yes! CBD (cannabidiol) may help boost your immune system both directly and indirectly. To understand how CBD may do that, we need to first take a look at how the immune system works.
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What is the Immune System?
The immune system is one of the most complex systems in your body. Part of the reason for that is because we’re still learning all the different things that can affect your immune system. This vast system includes a network of cells, tissues, and organs spread throughout your body.
A healthy immune system can differentiate between your own tissue and foreign tissue, it can clear away dead or faulty cells, and if it encounters pathogens (such as bacteria, fungus, viruses, or parasites) it protects you by attacking them.
Over time, as your body comes into contact with more pathogens, your immune system recognizes many of them and knows how to fight them. That’s why teens and adults get sick less often than children.
Someone may have a weak or compromised immune system for several different reasons though. Age, malnutrition, alcohol consumption, and obesity can all cause immunodeficiencies. That means some parts of the immune system aren’t functioning. For those with autoimmune disorders, the immune system can’t tell the difference between your cells and foreign cells. When that happens, it can mistakenly target healthy cells.
More and more research, however, indicates that the ECS (endocannabinoid system) may play an important role in regulating the immune system. This is important because CBD interacts with our bodies through the ECS.
The Endocannabinoid System and the Immune System
The ECS helps other systems in your body stay balanced, and it has receptors throughout your body. When something in your body becomes unbalanced (like your sleep/wake cycle or your stress responses), the ECS sends endocannabinoids to the area to help restore balance.
The biggest issue is that it’s surprisingly easy for things to get out of balance. Just sleeping through your alarm and starting your day with anxiety might be enough for your brain to trigger a panic response. That response, in turn, triggers specific hormones to be released which prepare your body for fight or flight.
Usually, after the stress and anxiety have passed, those hormone levels return to normal. But if you have chronic stress, a high-pressure job, or manage a hectic household, it can be harder for your body to know when it’s okay to calm down.
Sound familiar?
While this may feel like the norm at this point, this kind of stress can have a huge impact on your immune system. Over time, chronic stress can lead to headaches, sleep problems, focus issues, digestive issues, and more.
What’s even worse, is that stress can reduce the immune system’s ability to combat pathogens. Plus, the many coping strategies people use for stress can inhibit the immune system even further. That can include eating junk food, drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, etc.
That’s why the ECS is so important. When the ECS is healthy, it effectively supports and balances several systems, including the immune system. So, how do you increase the effectiveness of the ECS?
By adding CBD to your daily regimen.
How CBD May Boost Your Immunity
By using CBD, you’re giving your ECS more cannabinoids to work with. While your body naturally produces endocannabinoids like Anandamide and 2-AG, the chemical makeup of CBD is similar enough that it can perform some of the same tasks. And because the ECS has receptors throughout the body, CBD may provide relief in a number of different ways.
Like we said earlier, CBD may boost your immunity both directly and indirectly. Below are just some of the ways CBD may help.
Better sleep
One of the fastest ways to feel crummy is to not get enough sleep. That’s because lack of sleep has a direct effect on your immune system. The Mayo Clinic even says, “Studies show that people who don’t get quality sleep or enough sleep are more likely to get sick after being exposed to a virus, such as a common cold virus. Lack of sleep can also affect how fast you recover if you do get sick.”
Luckily, CBD can help people sleep better in two ways–its anxiolytic and analgesic properties. CBD can soothe aches and pains that make it hard to get comfortable and by reducing stress and anxiety, CBD makes it easier to calm racing thoughts before bed. Speaking of anxiety…
Less Anxiety
GABA, one of the most important neurotransmitters, helps us stay calm, can help regulate our sleep, and generally helps us relax. Stressful situations, however, can affect GABA levels. When there’s not enough GABA, you may experience agitation, mood swings, poor sleep, trouble focusing, and more. Luckily, one of the ways that CBD helps with anxiety is by boosting GABA levels.
According to a 2011 study, when GABA levels get too low, the ECS has a backup system in place to help boost them again. So adding CBD may help your ECS accomplish that task more efficiently. And as we already know, less anxiety is better for your immune system.
Pain Relief
CBD helps relieve pain in two ways. The first way is by reducing painful inflammation, and the second is by mitigating the way our brains respond to pain. But how does that help your immune system?
Pain, especially chronic pain, comes with a LOT of stress. But by reducing the pain you also reduce stress. What’s even more important is that reduced pain makes it easier to be active. Exercise, even something as light as a short walk, is SO good for your immune system.
Your immune system works with your lymphatic system to flush toxins and waste. Since the lymphatic system doesn’t have a pump though, it needs physical movement to move that material along. In this instance, CBD may reduce your pain enough for you to be more active, which in turn, helps your body function more efficiently.
Gut Health
Your digestive system is vitally important to your overall health and wellness. In fact, your immune health is dictated, in large part, by the health of your digestive system. In a MindBodyGreen article, one doctor even said, “around 70 percent of the immune system lives in the gut….”
And do you know what else affects gut health? The ECS.
One study by the PNAS said, “Our study unveils a role for the endocannabinoid system in maintaining immune homeostasis in the gut/pancreas….” Basically, their research indicates that the ECS helps keep the immune system balanced with its activity in the digestive system. So, when you take CBD, you may be helping your ECS, your gut health, and your immune system. Sounds good to us!
Conclusion
Basically, CBD may help you function better. All the things that help you maintain and boost your immune system (exercise, sleep, relaxation, etc.) are things that CBD can help you accomplish more easily.
We do want to remind everyone that CBD will not “cure” any viruses or diseases. CBD is a very powerful supplement and it can provide your body with the tools it needs to stay healthy. However, it’s always best to consult with your doctor before adding a new supplement to your regimen. This is particularly important if you’re using any prescriptions, as CBD may interact with some medications.
If you’re ready for your mind and body to start functioning better. We believe CBD can help people feel better and live more. If that sounds like something you want to experience, join the Singy’s family today. Check out our CBD products to find something that’s perfect for you.