CBD and the Immune System: What People Should Know
What is CBD in the First Place?
CBD is the abbreviation for cannabidiol, a molecule extracted from marijuana and hemp plants. It is one of the non-psychoactive cannabis components with a wide array of health benefits and minimal side effects.
Today, CBD is among the top popular supplements used for medical purposes to treat numerous ailments, from seizures and pain to skin conditions. Many people want to know whether CBD can induce the immune system to protect them from bacteria and viruses in today’s health conditions.
Many CBD consumers claim that cannabidiol can become a complementary treatment for infectious diseases because it strengthens the immune system. Some people google “buy CBD oil near me,” go to the nearest store and simply purchase the first CBD product they see, hoping it will protect them from diseases. This approach might not always be beneficial. Today, you will find out all about CBD’s impact on the immune system and how to wisely take CBD oil.
How CBD Works?
Cannabidiol interacts with your body so efficiently because it resembles self-made cannabinoids, known as endocannabinoids. The endocannabinoid system regulates the release and production of these chemicals. It consists of cannabinoid receptors located in most tissues of your body.
ECS is responsible for such physiological processes as thermoregulation, pain response, mood, sleep, inflammation, etc. It regulates these processes to maintain homeostasis. CBD binds with cannabinoid receptors, contributing to naturally produced cannabinoids.
CBD Properties
CBD has several properties, but we will focus on anti-inflammatory ones because they are directly related to our immune system. Thousands of people buy CBD oil online and at drug stores regularly to cope with pain and inflammation-related conditions, such as eczema, acne, psoriasis, and arthritis. But what is inflammation in the first place? Let’s find this out.
How Your Immune System Works Inflammation is the result of the immune system’s response to irritants penetrating your cells. What is an immune system? It is an army of cells that saves your life every day. Once you cut a finger, tons of microbes get into the damaged tissues. Your body sends white blood cells to kill the invaders on the wounded skin. They release specific hormones known as inflammatory mediators that widen the blood vessels so that more fighters can get to the infected area. They have to outnumber the enemy to kill it efficiently.
The damaged tissue swells since more liquid can carry more immune cells. Once they neutralize the enemy, everything gets back to normal, and your finger cut heals. When you have a sore throat, the inflammation helps your body overcome the infection. Thus, it is a beneficial mechanism despite all the unpleasant symptoms.
The immune system also detects and destroys the cells that have stopped working correctly. Some of them might start reproducing uncontrollably, which may lead to cancer. The immune cells kill them, preventing cancer development.
Cannabidiol and the Immune System
Since cannabinoid receptors are present in the immune system, CBD can directly influence immune cells’ production and function. Unfortunately, it does not always work in the way you want it to. CBD does not boost your immune system.
In fact, it does the opposite due to its anti-inflammatory properties. Many studies reveal that CBD suppresses the production of white blood cells (those that do the dirty work) and signaling proteins (those that mark the enemy for the former).
Anti-inflammatory CBD effects can boost the healing process and pervert pain. At the same time, reduced inflammation means that fewer immune cells are delivered to the problem areas. The immunosuppressive CBD effects are something a healthy person will want to avoid.
Increased Apoptosis
Every immune cell has a definite lifespan. At the end of its life cycle, a lymphocyte “commits suicide,” which is called apoptosis. It is a programmed cell collapse. CBD increases this process by shortening the lifespan of lymphocytes.
Influence on White Blood Cells
Besides increased apoptosis, CBD inhibits the production of various T-cells, including the memory ones. These are responsible for the adaptive immune system. They teach other lymphocytes to fight the agents your body encountered in the past.
For instance, you received a chickenpox vaccine containing a weakened pathogen, and your T-cells successfully killed it. The memory T-cells “learned” this infection to let other lymphocytes eliminate it efficiently in the future.
Once you meet someone with chickenpox, a varicella virus (that causes the disease) can get to your body. Since your T-cells are already aware of the virus, they kill it without trouble, preventing you from getting ill. CBD can interfere with this process, preventing the lymphocytes from memorizing the pathogens.
CBD against Autoimmune Diseases
Our immune system does not always do good. Sometimes it mistakenly attacks healthy cells and tissues, causing autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, vasculitis, etc. Since cannabidiol can act as an immune system suppressor and regulator, it can relieve the conditions caused by the immune system’s inadequate reaction. For instance, CBD salves treat arthritis-related inflammation and pain. When applied externally on the damaged skin area, CBD reduces swelling and inflammation by suppressing the immune response to joint tissues.
When is CBD Use Appropriate?
As mentioned above, CBD does not boost your immune system, and you might not want to take it if you are entirely healthy and aim at strengthening your immunity just in case. But if you have chronic pain, inflammation, sleep disorders, anxiety, or inflammation-related skin conditions, you can cope with them efficiently by taking CBD.
For this, you need to purchase certified products from the best CBD oil brands. Always aim at lab-tested products and companies that use American-grown cannabis. Pay attention to the THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive cannabis component). Safe CBD products contain no more than 0.03% THC.
Where can you buy CBD Oil?
You can google “where to buy CBD oil near me” and get tons of results. It is great since you can stick to the top brands in the industry, compare them, and choose one meeting your price and quality expectations. Then, you can purchase CBD oil online or check for it at local drug stores.
Conclusion
Unfortunately or luckily, CBD does not strengthen your immunity. Instead, it regulates your immune system, preventing it from attacking your body, which can help with autoimmune diseases and allergic reactions. CBD can also treat chronic pain, inflammation, sleep disorders, and anxiety. Therefore, it would be wise to use CBD to cope with the conditions mentioned above, but not to promote immune health.
