Inflammation and CBD
AUTHOR: ZOE HUDSON
Inflammation can make life much harder than it needs to be.
In the short-term, inflammation isn’t actually a bad thing. It’s a crucial part of your body’s healing process, as it protects you from infection and disease. Inflammation is regulated by the immune system, and it’s important for your overall health and wellbeing.
If inflammation becomes chronic, however, it can cause serious problems.
Inflammation is typically treated with medications that come with a long list of side effects. They help relieve symptoms of inflammation and change the way your brain perceives pain. But did you know that there are other natural alternatives to relieve inflammation?
What is CBD?
CBD, or cannabidiol, is one of the main cannabinoids found in hemp. It interacts with the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which regulates your sleep, appetite, mood, hormones, immune function, and more.
Research suggests that CBD may have a wide variety of natural benefits. As CBD supports the ECS, it may help restore balance in any of these areas that have become dysregulated. Whole plant CBD may be effective in improving your overall health, as it contains valuable plant compounds such as cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids.
Inflammation: Causes & Risks
Inflammation isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
It happens in everyone and it's an important part of healing and recovery. Inflammation helps protect the body from injury, infection, and disease.
Still, inflammation is often accompanied by swelling, heat, and redness, which can make movement painful and uncomfortable. While inflammation usually clears up within two weeks, sometimes it doesn’t go away that easily.
There are two types of inflammation:
Acute inflammation is short yet severe. Symptoms appear quickly, but after a few weeks your body should be back to its full health.
Chronic inflammation is much more stubborn. Although its symptoms are usually less severe, they’re lasting. This type of inflammation can show up without any injury or illness, and it's linked to stress and autoimmune disorders.
If left untended, chronic inflammation can have serious consequences in the long run. It takes a toll on your body, causing fatigue, pain, and a weak immune system. Inflammation may even impact your mood, and many people experience bloating, weight gain, and other stomach issues from chronic inflammation.
Inflammation also plays a key role in arthritis. It may cause your joints to become swollen and inflamed, making movement not just difficult but also incredibly painful. The most common way to treat arthritis is by going after its source: inflammation.
A diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods and hot-and-cold therapy often help, along with anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin or ibuprofen. While these drugs can help in the short-term, they may cause serious side effects if used regularly.
How CBD may help Inflammation
The role of our ECS is to restore balance in the body.
When our immune system is out of balance, it can cause stress and inflammation. Since CBD interacts with cannabinoid receptors in your immune cells, it may help relieve inflammation.
A 2020 survey even shows that 64% of Americans who use CBD are using it for pain and inflammation!
Here’s what the research says on CBD & Inflammation:
Reduces Oxidative Stress
Inflammation is often created by oxidative stress in the body. Oxidative stress can come from exercise, aging, or exposure to environmental toxins. This creates so-called "free radicals" that are reactive oxygen molecules missing an electron. They take electrons from nearby cells, causing a chain reaction of cell death and destruction.
The body can fight these threats with antioxidants, which neutralize free radicals by giving up an extra electron. However, if the body doesn't have enough antioxidants, it can lead to inflammation, pain, and accelerated aging.
One of the ways CBD may help relieve inflammation is by fighting free radicals. CBD may be a powerful antioxidant that may help reduce pain, inflammation, and cell death caused by oxidative stress.
Suppresses Inflammatory Response
Studies show that CBD may help reduce inflammation caused by cytokines. These large protein groups help regulate the body’s immune response, including inflammation. While some cytokines help reduce inflammation and promote healing, others will trigger an inflammatory response.
As CBD may be able to suppress the function of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and may help relieve inflammation from its source.
Supports Healing & Recovery
Although inflammation is part of the healing process, it needs to clear up for the body to fully recover. And CBD may be able to help with just that.
Its antifungal and antibacterial properties may help protect the body from infection and speed up recovery. When applied topically, CBD may help promote cellular growth and healing in specific trouble areas. It also may help relieve inflammation by regenerating and hydrating the skin.
The Best CBD Products for Inflammation
There are several ways to take CBD, and its effects can differ depending on how you take it. If you’re looking to use CBD to relieve inflammation, edible or topical products may be your best bet.
CBD Edibles
Edible CBD products, such as our Citrus-C CBD Hemp Gummies, are tasty and easy to use. After eating them, CBD must pass through digestion to then enter your bloodstream. There it can circulate throughout your body and have a wide range of benefits.
While CBD edibles may take longer to kick in, their effects also last the longest, for six to eight hours.
This way of taking CBD may help support the ECS and immune system, and may help improve communication between immune cells to reduce inflammation.
CBD Oils/Extracts
CBD that you ingest sublingually (under the tongue) may be one of the most effective ways to take CBD. As the CBD gets absorbed by the capillaries under your tongue, it can travel directly into your bloodstream. There it can take effect within 15 minutes, as the fastest-acting consumption method!
Check out our 1500mg Spearmint CBDA Hemp Extract, which contains CBD, CBDA, and spearmint. All of our extracts are made with ingredients that may help relieve inflammation, but CBDA is one of the most powerful anti-inflammatories. In combination with CBD, our 1500mg Spearmint CBDA Hemp Extract may reduce pain and inflammation more effectively than regular CBD. We’ve also made it THC-free, while still containing all the beneficial plant compounds found in hemp.
Topical CBD
Topical CBD products, such as our lotions, roll-ons, or salves, work slightly differently. They don’t enter your system but instead interact with cannabinoid receptors in local skin cells. Topicals provide targeted relief where it's most needed.
The great thing about topical CBD is that you’ll feel its effects after 15-20 minutes, and they can last up to six hours.
Our Cooling Mint CBD Hemp Salve is perfect for those areas that are feeling dry, cracked, sore or inflamed. It's made with rosemary, peppermint, tulsi, and hemp extracts. This herbal blend may help support healing and constricts capillaries to reduce heat and inflammation. It’s also rich in antioxidants that may help reduce inflammation caused by oxidative stress. We’ve added natural hydrating ingredients, such as shea butter, arnica, and calendula flowers to help absorb CBD into the skin.
You can also check out our Relief CBD Hydro Lotion for deeper hydration and recovery. It contains rosemary, peppermint, and spearmint that may help reduce swelling and soothe inflammation. We've added aloe leaf juice and shea butter for better absorbency and deep hydration.
One key ingredient in our Relief CBD Hydro Lotion is hydrosol, which is like hemp-derived essential oils. It also contains full-spectrum CBD extracts rich in cannabinoids and valuable terpenes.
Read more about how CBD topicals work here: Cannabis Topicals: More Than Skin Deep Benefits?
Zoe Hudson is a freelance writer passionate about breaking the stigma around cannabis. She has experienced first-hand how CBD helped improve her life and wants to inspire others through her writing. Zoe studied in Shanghai and has been writing in the industry since 2020. She also enjoys traveling Southeast Asia and experiencing new cultures.
