In past blogs, we’ve looked at the benefits of CBD for a whole host of health conditions. There is a lot of research to back up the benefits and still, there are nonbelievers. I suspect that’s in large part due to not having read the research results or its association with marijuana.
The first thing to remember is that CBD is nonpsychoactive, meaning you can’t get high from this substance. CBD is one of more than 60 active compounds known as cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. You may also recall from a previous blog that our bodies have CBD receptors, which increase receptor function and flow when CBD is introduced internally or externally.
When it comes to autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease or type 2 diabetes, in which inflammation is a factor, the immune system can’t differentiate between foreign intrusions and the body’s normal functions, so it literally attacks itself.
CBD, however, can help the immune system suppress the inability to distinguish harmful intrusion from normal function. As a result the immune system regains its proper homeostasis or balance—getting rid of what doesn’t belong and keeping what does by stimulating the body’s own CB2receptors. CBD is a natural anti-inflammatory. It’s also been found to be a powerful antioxidant. So what, you ask? Inflammation can be caused by excessive oxidative stress, which is relieved with, you guessed it, antioxidants.
The evidence for CBD success in humans is largely anecdotal, but as more and more people use CBD, they are finding relief from autoimmune diseases.
“[CBD] can benefit patients suffering from a wide range of autoimmune disorders because compounds in the marijuana plant activate receptors in the human brain and body that regulate inflammation and immune cell activity,” says Martin A Lee, Director of Project CBD. “But because of marijuana prohibition, medical scientists, with few exceptions, have not been able to conduct clinical trials with cannabis to prove that it works with human subjects, not just with animals”
It really is time for us to get over the stigma attached to this valuable and viable health product, because it has few side effects, is nontoxic, nonaddictive and has no psychoactive effects. That’s more than many medicines can claim.