This is our next installment in our blog series, Flourish + Learn, in partnership with Flourish + Live Well.
This series explores the science behind wellness and CBD through a series of monthly blog posts. In these posts, we offer scientifically backed wellness tips and lessons to help you live your best life, while also learning important definitions, ideas, and information to help you navigate the CBD and wellness industry.
Both Soji Health and F+LW are invested in harnessing the benefits of plants to help our minds and bodies. By teaming up, we are excited to combine our respective expertise and values to make CBD and natural healing more approachable, accessible, and understood.
Living amongst the novel coronavirus for the last 18 months have taught us a lot of things, but particularly the importance of a strong immune system. We definitely need our bodies' defenses to be as strong as possible, but how can this be done?
This installment of Flourish + Learn will dive into what exactly it means to “boost our immune systems”, if it's even possible, and how CBD fits into the equation.
What is the Immune System?
Let’s start with the basics: what exactly is the immune system and what does it do?
The immune system is a complex collection of cells, processes, and chemicals that defend our bodies against invading viruses, toxins, bacteria and all other agents that could pose a threat to our health. The immune system is also in charge of monitoring and eliminating cells that aren’t functioning properly. It’s a very important system that keeps us healthy, especially in times of stress. Keeping our immune system strong year-round is key to preventing infection and disease.
While it is important to note that a strong immune system will not prevent us from contracting COVID-19, developing a strong immune system can make us more prepared to combat these germs in the event we get sick. Taking steps now to boost our immune health can also help us fight other common bugs such as cold or flu viruses as we await the vaccine.
How to Strengthen the Immune System
Since it is a system of many parts, not a single unit, our immune system cannot technically be boosted. However, it can be strengthened to run more efficiently in order to fight off diseases. Ways to strengthen our immune system include: exercising regularly, eating healthy, getting quality sleep, reducing stress, avoiding smoking, and practicing good hygiene. With it’s array of natural beneficial properties,CBD has been shown to help the immune system as well.
Can CBD Benefit the Immune System?
CBD is known to have anti-inflammatory properties, acting as an immunosuppressant and an immunomodulator. These are very technical terms that basically mean that CBD suppresses the functions of our bodies’ immune system and keeps it active when underperforming.
Additionally, CBD has been shown to prevent viruses from replicating. Studies have found CBD to increase the production of interferons which activate immune cells and prevent viruses from replicating.
Finally, as a known stress-reliever, CBD can also work to reduce stress that can damage our immune system. While feeling stressed is quite common, especially these days, stress can lower the immune system’s ability to fight off antigens, toxins, and other foreign substances. Keeping stress to a minimum is important when it comes to keeping up your immunity, and CBD may help to do just that. In high concentrations, studies have shown that CBD can stimulate our serotonin receptors, in turn reducing feelings of anxiety and helping us to relax.
While it’s effects are subtle, CBD has been found to have promising benefits to our immune systems - in addition to its additional health and wellness benefits. While CBD on it’s own will not protect you against getting sick, adding it to your pre-existing wellness routine could give your body and mind an added boost.
We hope you enjoyed this edition of Flourish + Learn and we look forward to sharing the next installment of this series next month.