CBD and Your Immune System: How They Interact

Right now, many of us are in a similar boat. We’re sheltering in place as much as possible and stressing out over the slightest hint of COVID-19 symptoms. Many of us are also managing anxiety about our finances, and parents across the globe are suddenly filling in for teachers as their kids’ schools are cancelled for the duration of the semester. Not to mention, countless people are dealing with the illness of loved ones and worrying about their own health. 

All of this is stressful to say the least! And, stress can have a negative impact on your health, both physically and mentally. High levels of stress can even weaken your immune system, lowering the number of natural killer cells in your body that fight viral infections. That’s not ideal in a time when we all need to keep ourselves healthy. 

What You Can Do to Stay Healthy

There are things you can do to maintain your health, even in these trying times. Some of them are simple: do your best to get plenty of sleep, get some exercise, eat a healthy and nutritious diet to the best of your abilities. All of this will help strengthen your immune health and support overall wellness. So, we all know about the positive impact of good sleep, physical fitness, and good nutrition. But not everyone knows about the endocannabinoid system—an innate system within your body that plays an important role in regulating immunity. Supporting the endocannabinoid system can be an excellent way to boost your wellness! 

What Is the Endocannabinoid System?

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is present throughout your entire body, mainly in the nervous system and immune cells. It’s made up of a few parts:

• Cannabinoid receptors (known as CB1 and CB2)
• Endocannabinoids that are produced as needed by your body
• Enzymes that influence cannabinoid production. 

The ECS is strongly linked to many functions and processes in your body, and it seems to have an effect on homeostasis – or the balance and stability of your internal environment. The three parts of the ECS work together to help bring balance to your body. For example, if you have a fever, it may trigger your body to produce endocannabinoids. These endocannabinoids will go straight to the source to act upon your endocannabinoid receptors, which release immune cells to fight whatever is causing the fever. 

How Does CBD Relate to the Endocannabinoid System?

We’ve talked about endocannabinoids, which are naturally produced by our bodies. And interestingly enough, CBD is very similar to endocannabinoids! It’s a cannabinoid produced by the hemp plant, and it is proven to act on your body’s innate cannabinoid receptors. 

For the last few years, research has been conducted to try to figure out just how CBD can affect immune health. Many studies have shown that it improves inflammatory response, which is sometimes a good thing. Many other studies have shown that it helps alleviate stress, which can have a significant indirect effect on your immune health. 

Can CBD Help Me in These Stressful Times?

It’s clear that CBD has an effect on the human body in many different ways. Right now, there’s little to no research about CBD and COVID-19, and while CBD can help your immune system, we don’t really know how effective it may be in this situation. 

But there’s strong evidence supporting CBD’s ability to reduce stress levels, which is helpful for just about all of us right now. In turn, those reduced stress levels could have a positive effect on our immune health. Reduced stress is a positive thing all across the board, so we’re confident that CBD can have a positive impact on wellness – in good times, and in bad. 

Note: Remember to always consult your doctor about using CBD if you’re using any prescription drugs, and know that CBD is not proven to cure or treat any diseases, including the coronavirus.