CBD and the Fight Against Chronic Inflammation

Inflammation is a critical part of the human body’s ability to fight infection. It’s really just the process of your body increasing white blood cells, immune cells and cytokines, which are substances that help fight infection. Inflammation is normal–without it, you wouldn’t be able to heal properly.

The trouble begins when inflammation lasts for a long time and your immune system stays in a hyperactive state. In fact, chronic inflammation may be one of the leading, if not the leading, risk factor in developing everything from countless life-threatening diseases to daily discomfort and pain. Chronic inflammation is believed to be a leading cause of heart disease, cancer, arthritis, diabetes and more.

So, what causes chronic inflammation?

Your lifestyle, diet, genetics and even environmental factors can contribute to inflammation. The trick is learning how to keep that inflammation at bay. Many times, strong anti-inflammatory medications prescribed to treat inflammatory disorders, and sometimes drastic lifestyle changes, are put in place.

Fortunately, there may be a better way. Cannabinoids show the ability to interact with and stimulate the CB₂ receptors. In turn, these receptors stimulate cells in the immune system and help bring the body back to balance. This creates the potential to fight chronic inflammation, including the kind that occurs in inflammatory bowel diseases.

As we now know that pain is largely related to inflammation, reducing inflammation is a major step towards easing discomfort. This is where supplements like fish oil or CBD may help.

When it comes to inflammation, help you help yourself.

Because your lifestyle can greatly contribute to inflammation, one of the best long-term ways to help keep inflammation at bay is through regular exercise. Unfortunately, many people who already suffer from pain due to chronic inflammation may find exercise difficult. CBD may be able to help break this vicious cycle. Many people who add CBD to their daily routine report experiencing a decrease in pain and an increased ability to move their bodies.

Cannabinoids may be safer than many common anti-inflammatory drugs.

In many cases, anti-inflammatory medications can help save lives, but that often comes at a cost. According to the American Journal of Managed Care, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are said to contribute to 100,000 hospitalizations each year due to severe gastrointestinal issues. In fact, bleeding caused by ulcers is reported as the most common side effects of regular NSAID use.

But historically, when people have needed relief from inflammation, they often had no choice but to turn to NSAIDs, which are often recommended for daily use. But as CBD studies have proven, unlike NSAIDs, cannabinoids are highly unlikely to lead to painful bleeding of the intestines, permanent damage to the kidneys or death.

Stress and your body’s inflammatory response.

Your body’s CB₁ receptors specialize in releasing nerve chemicals of excitement and calm. When they are out of balance, you may feel higher levels of stress or anxiety. By bringing these CB1 receptors back into balance, they can more effectively stop the chemicals that cause stress from releasing.

Taking the right amount of CBD for your body may make all the difference.

Finding the right amount of CBD to your daily routine is a critical first step. If you don’t know where to begin with the amount of CBD to take, we recommend starting with 10-15 mg of CBD a day.

Take note of how your body responds to the product and whether or not you’re getting the results you want. You should try CBD at different times during the day, because effects can differ from the morning to the night. Once you find a time that works for you, start taking the CBD consistently at the same time of day.

You can also try increasing your serving size periodically to see if a higher concentration works better for you. Many people who use CBD typically take 25 to 50 mg of CBD per day. When in doubt, remember to listen to your body.