How CBD Can Boost Your Immune System
Author: Lucie Garabášová
For several years, there has been great interest in the mode of action and potential medicinal properties of cannabinoids in relation to our body functions. Both conventional medicine and alternative therapies have shown a keen interest. So, how does CBD affect the human immune system? Let's explore the benefits of natural products with cannabidiol and share some guaranteed tips to help boost your immunity.
How Does CBD Affect Our Immune System?
Cannabidiol (CBD) acts on the endocannabinoid system and may help maintain a balanced immune system.
The Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 2 (TRPV2) protein plays an important role in immune system function. It facilitates communication between cells and their extracellular environment. CBD activates TRPV2 and also affects other TRP (Transient Receptor Potential) channels involved in promoting immunity.
CBD Can Help Balance Your Immune System
The body uses two types of immune mechanisms to prevent disease:
Cellular (cell-mediated) immunity: This type of immunity does not produce anti-disease antibodies. Instead, protection is provided by the generation and activation of antigen-specific T lymphocytes, known as phagocytes. These phagocytes secrete cytokines that target various antigens, eliminating the potential threat and returning the body to normal.
Humoral immunity: This type of immunity (also known as antibody-mediated immunity) relies on macromolecules in extracellular fluids to protect antigens, as opposed to cell-mediated immunity involving T lymphocytes.
Scientists have discovered that cannabinoids can balance various parts of the immune system through the endocannabinoid system. Over-stimulation of the immune system often leads to autoimmune disorders and dangerous allergic reactions, such as food sensitivity, can play an important role.
Increased stimulation of the immune system can even respond to ordinary things, such as dust or pollen, as dangerous "impostors," causing "false alarms" that instruct the body to attack an allergen.
However, if the immune system is under-stimulated, cancer and catastrophic infections can occur. Therefore, if cannabinoids can help balance the immune system for optimal functionality, it can dramatically reduce the rate of adverse effects.
CBD Also Helps Maintain Healthy Gut Flora
Much of the immune system is located in the digestive tract, where there is a large amount of organized lymphoid tissue and scattered innate and adaptive effector cells.
The gut microbiota, the collection of organisms - both good and bad - found in the gut, plays an important role in supporting a balanced immune response in the body.
Excessive inflammation in the gut can lead to intestinal permeability, dysbiosis of the gut microbiota, and impaired gut immune response. One way the body combats this is through the endocannabinoid system.
Like endogenous cannabinoids, CBD has been shown in studies to support a healthy gut inflammatory response. The key message is that maintaining a healthy gut supports overall immunity.
CBD Counteracts Stress and Promotes Good Sleep
CBD has a positive effect on psychological stress. Sustained psychological stress is associated with a decline in immunity.
The same is true for good-quality sleep. If you suffer from insomnia, your immune system is compromised. CBD effectively combats insomnia.
CBD and Autoimmune Disorder
An autoimmune disease occurs when your immune system mistakes a part of your body for a foreign threat and attacks it. This can cause inflammation and other unwanted symptoms. With an autoimmune disorder, the immune system overreacts, leading to allergies to normal, actually healthy foods, and can even attack the body in response. According to some researchers, CBD has strong immunosuppressive properties.
The most common autoimmune diseases include:
- Lupus
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Hashimoto's thyroiditis
People with autoimmune diseases often need to take immunosuppressive treatment. An immunosuppressant is something that can slow down or stop an overactive immune system.
Research in 2020 and 2021 suggests that CBD has immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory properties. These properties are important for people with autoimmune diseases.
However, most research on CBD and immunosuppression involves animal and laboratory studies. To understand whether CBD is a viable immunosuppressant, it still needs to be studied further in humans.
What Is Good for Boosting Immunity?
We recommend the following points to support your immunity in addition to using CBD:
A Healthy and Varied Diet
A varied diet is essential for your immune system. Avoid excessive consumption of simple (sugary) sugars, which negatively affect the ability of white blood cells to absorb harmful bacteria. Include more fruit and vegetables in your diet to help jump-start your immune system.
Quality Sleep
The body will significantly deplete its energy if it has a lack of sleep. Then, the body finds it very difficult to fight any viruses or bacteria. Therefore, do not underestimate the quality and healthy sleep. In combination with a varied diet and enough vitamins, you can quite easily improve your body's protection against various diseases.
Wash Your Hands
All kinds of bacteria collect on our hands every day. Good hand hygiene is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of harmful bacteria and germs and protect you and your family from illness. Researchers at the Naval Health Centre in San Diego even found that there was up to a 45% reduction in respiratory illnesses in people who washed their hands 5 times a day.
Use Appropriate Products
Last but not least, it's important to give your body's immune system a little help - so take products to support your immunity. Preferably natural ones - try the tried and tested CBD products, for example.
Hemp Tea
If you are a tea lover, you should definitely have hemp tea at home. Our teas are harvested by hand and with love. They contain valuable cannabinoids (CBD - Cannabidiol), terpenes, flavonoids, and essential oils, which harmonize the body's natural processes and thus support its natural defenses.
We recommend combining hemp tea with CBD products to complete your immune booster!
Unsaturated Fatty Acids
Omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids are very important; they fundamentally influence the proper functioning of the brain, heart and blood vessels, or vision. They also reduce the development of long-lasting inflammation, reduce allergic reactions, or eliminate the risk of venous thrombosis.
Unsaturated fatty acids can be found in hemp oil. It is advisable to take a teaspoon of hemp oil daily - it is also a good alternative to fish oil. Or try CBD oil in fish fats!
Natural Sources of Vitamins and Minerals
If you wish to do something for your immunity, it is best to indulge it with supplements rich in a natural source of vitamins. These are generally included
Hemp Seeds
Did you know that Buddha has already said that hemp seed is the most complex food for the human body? It contains the ideal ratio of unsaturated fatty acids, rare proteins, vitamins, and minerals. It protects the heart and circulatory system and promotes the body's natural defenses.
Hemp Protein
It contains all 23 naturally occurring amino acids, including the 8 essential ones essential to the body. It is an ideal supplement for those who want quality nutrition for creating and regenerating muscle mass and for strengthening the whole organism because hemp protein affects normal muscle and joint activity.
Whether you choose any of the above products that will certainly help you to survive the flu and cold season, we recommend that you always dispense the products regularly and according to the recommended dosage. Personally, we have excellent experience with product combinations - if you decide to use CBD capsules, for example, we recommend combining them with hemp oil or tea :-).
References
The studies from which the following were drawn: