CBD Oil for inflammation
18 March 2022If you want to use CBD Oil against inflammation, your best option is choosing a full spectrum supplement. Full Spectrum CBD Oil contains many more compounds than CBD alone, many of which have anti-inflammatory properties. This blog explains how to make the most out of hemp oil as a natural supplement against inflammation.
What causes inflammation?
Inflammation can be quite painful, but nonetheless, it is an important and natural physiological process. Inflammation is triggered by events that threaten our health. That means they actually serve to protect us from harm. Whenever unwanted bacteria, viruses, or other foreign influences manage to enter our body, or when injuries occur, white blood cells and other auxiliaries spring into action. Their task is to eliminate any invaders, and to start repairing the damage they cause.
This illustrates how inflammation is a form of self-protection and self-repair, both of which are vital to our survival. However, if an inflammatory reaction gets out of hand, most cases require interventions using medication or pain relief. This can be the case with auto-immune diseases such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, lupus, or Crohn’s, for instance. Roughly speaking, we can distinguish two kinds of inflammation:
- Acute inflammation: this arises immediately after injury or infection by pathogens. Your body initiates the inflammation response and the immune cells do their job. Recovery usually sets in in a matter of hours or days, after which the reaction subsides. Examples of acute inflammation include urinary tract inflammation, infected wounds, infections of the skin as seen in eczema, or allergic reactions such as hay fever.
- Chronic inflammation: This type of inflammatory response lasts longer, sometimes for days or even months. These can involve persistent infections or immune cells that don’t stop fighting after their initial activation. These cells can accumulate to the point where they start attacking the body’s own cells. The immune system does not receive the ‘all clear’ message and so the immune response continues. This can result in tissue and organ damage. Examples of chronic infection diseases include rheumatic arthritis, or symptoms of inflammatory disease like multiple sclerosis (MS), chronic fatigue, or asthma.
Does hemp have anti-inflammatory properties?
Hemp, the raw material used to produce CBD, has been used to treat many diseases for centuries. These applications include various inflammatory diseases. In previous blogs, we have demonstrated that CBD (cannabidiol) is a very promising candidate, but hemp oil contains many other organic compounds that can help against inflammation. Examples include CBG (cannabigerol) and CBN (cannabinol), as well as terpenes. Moreover, all of these compounds can reinforce each other by means of the entourage effect.
Hemp is rich in active components by nature. This unique combination of compounds explains the popularity of the plant when it comes to treating ailments. Its effectiveness against inflammation has been demonstrated by various studies. The anti-inflammatory capacity of hemp oil is linked with the human endocannabinoid system (ECS) and the properties of the cannabinoids found in hemp.
The endocannabinoid system is charged with regulating various bodily processes, aimed at maintaining homeostasis (equilibrium or balance) within the body. The body’s own cannabinoids interact with receptors found all throughout the body. These include CB1 receptors situated mainly in the brain and peripheral nervous system. CB2 receptors are chiefly found in the immune system. This appears to indicate that both the ECS and cannabinoids play a part in regulating our immune system. This immune system in turn is the driving force behind our response to inflammation.
This is why CBD Oil derived from hemp is used for various kinds of inflammation, such as:
- Skin inflammation;
- Ear, throat and nose inflammation;
- Allergies and insect bites;
- Inflammatory disease such as asthma or lupus;
- Infected wounds;
- Urinary tract inflammation;
- Joint inflammation caused by sports injuries or arthritis;
- Many other (chronic) inflammation conditions.
Full Spectrum CBD Oil and inflammation
By now, CBD has been studied fairly intensively for its anti-inflammatory effectiveness. It is one of the main reasons people turn to our hemp supplements. Ultimately, however, the combination of multiple hemp compounds seems to be the key to their success. That specific combination is present in our Full Spectrum CBD Oil, making this special kind of supplement even more interesting when it comes to natural inflammation treatment.
Full spectrum supplements contain the entire range of active compounds found in hemp plants. The sole exception is THC, of which supplements may not contain more than .2%. This ensures that CBD Oil never produces psychoactive effects: they cannot make you feel ’high’ or ‘stoned’, in other words.
For studies into the anti-inflammatory potential of CBD in full spectrum oil, see our previous blogs. The effects of other ingredients are being studied with increasing interest, too, resulting in gradually mounting scientific evidence.
Other CBD Oil compounds against inflammation
Whereas hemp may not be such a powerful anti-inflammatory agent as certain steroids or opioids are, it does come with far less side-effects. Moreover, THC is known to be 30 times as effective against inflammation than aspirin, and twice as effective as hydrocortisone. Other cannabinoids from full spectrum oil, including CBD and CBN, can help suppress inflammation too. These substances can improve each other’s effects further by the entourage effect.
All in all, hemp contains about 450 active components. These cannabinoids activate the CB1 and CB2 receptors of the ECS. They serve different purposes, however: CB1 receptors are closely linked to perception, for instance, whereas CB2 receptors are more directly involved in inflammatory regulation mechanisms. Activation of these receptors inhibits release of inflammatory signal chemicals (cytokines).
Studies show that administering THC to mice causes cell death (apoptosis) in T-cells and dendritic cells, which explains its immunomodulatory effect.
A 2013 study followed 21 Crohn patients who showed no improvement from regular medication (steroids and immunomodulators). They received two daily does of cannabis containing 155mg THC or a placebo. Five out of 11 cannabis group members showed full remission of the disease, compared to only one in ten for the placebo control group. Ten of the 11 cannabis group patients reported feeling significantly better overall. This only applied to four out of ten placebo group subjects. Three cannabis group subject didn’t need any more steroids at all.
Inflammation even plays an important part in fighting the Covid-19 coronavirus. Full Spectrum CBD Oil was found to be very promising here, too, due to its cannabinoid acids CBDA and CBGA, each of which can help us control the inflammation response of our immune system.
Terpenes
Scientists at the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Zürich discovered that the terpene called beta-caryophyllene can indirectly activate CB2 receptors. Beta-caryophyllene is a natural aromatic hemp compound that adds its own contribution to the potential of Full Spectrum CBD Oil against inflammation. Other hemp terpenes are now being investigated for similar effects as well.
We now know that at least two highly familiar cannabinoids, CBD and THC, both have immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. However, Full Spectrum CBD Oil contains many more useful ingredients against inflammation. Examples include compounds that influence the ECS to affect how the body processes pain, or triggering recovery in the body.
Why use Full Spectrum CBD Oil for inflammation?
Inflammation, especially the chronic kind, can have a major impact on everyday life. They cause pain, but they can also impair movement, ruin our sleep, and cause fatigue. Full Spectrum CBD Oil offers a range of compounds that can help reduce inflammation. That makes these versatile, natural hemp supplements worthwhile to try as an anti-inflammatory, both for acute and chronic type inflammation.
Order Full Spectrum 10% CBD Oil
Our premium full spectrum supplements contain all of these useful ingredients. They are tested for purity and quality by independent laboratories to ensure you get only the best when you order our Full Spectrum CBD Oil from our web store for fast and safe delivery!
