How CBD May Help Us Fight COVID-19?
CBD or cannabidiol was discovered in 1940. It is a cannabinoid extracted from the Hemp plant, and recently, it has attracted a lot of attention.
After the legalization of its sale and consumption in 2018, it has helped to solve many ailments. These include anxiety, pain, inflammation, depression, sleep disorders, etc. It’s extracted and incorporated into capsules, oils, tinctures, creams, lotions, and edibles you can find at Hempura CBD Oil UK Store.
The recent COVID-19 pandemic started in late 2019, and since then, everything seems to be in decline. Apart from a fatal drop in respiratory health, reports also show that people’s health and mental well-being are low, with many experiencing stress, sleeping disorders, eating problems, and worsening chronic conditions.
The potential benefit of CBD is that it can help counter some of the virus’s consequences. Below you will find out some of the ways this has happened.
CBD in Alleviation of Inflammation
Inflammation is helpful to the body in that it helps protect your body from various infections and injuries. This is good in as much as it doesn’t cause collateral damage to other body cells and tissues.
The COVID-19 virus causes a rapid rise in an inflammatory response, referred to as a ‘cytokine storm’ in medical terms. When it occurs for an extended period, it disrupts the respiratory system, and patients cannot breathe without the help of ventilators.
Infusion of CBD into the treatment regimen might help reduce the inflammation and thereby counteract the consequences. It can also increase blood cells’ release, known as lymphocytes responsible for fighting off viral infections.
How it Works
CBD works by helping the body achieve homeostasis through the endocannabinoid system. This system regulates many body functions such as controlling blood pressure, blood glucose levels, pain perception, mood changes, etc.
The mechanism of action of CBD is by increasing anandamide levels, also known as the ‘tranquility molecule’. It helps send a signal to the lymphoid cells to regulate the inflammatory response.
Therapeutic effects conveyed by CBD can help patients to recover faster or prevent a further decline in their health. However, CBD still needs more research to generate more user-based evidence that it is as effective as it is reported to be and doesn’t have fatal long-term complications. The only FDA-approved, CBD-based drug is for epilepsy management, called Epidiolex.
Pain Management
Since the government ordered lockdowns and social distancing measures to help reduce the virus’s spread, many people are now forced to work from home.
Laws promote safety, comfort, and convenience but it comes with a price. People are now experiencing uncomfortable muscle soreness and back pain. Moreover, experts recommend daily exercise to help boost immunity, and if you are used to a sedentary lifestyle, muscle pain, cramps, and soreness are a given.
CBD can be effective in solving various ailments through products such as lotions or creams that you can apply to the affected part. This, coupled with a good diet and enough quality sleep, can help you recover faster.
Anxiety and Stress Relief
At the moment, the pandemic is indefinite, this puts to question the state of your job as people are being laid off at work. Will your business fail? Will you lose a loved one, and many other worries can weigh you down and have a huge psychological cost.
The lockdown has also created scenarios where people no longer get to see each other, and a lack of social connections harms people’s mental health. Instead of waiting for the anxiety or stress to develop into more chronic conditions like phobias, social anxiety disorder, or post-traumatic stress disorder, it is necessary to cut it at its root.
CBD also works through serotonin receptors, and the neurotransmitter helps regulate many functions in the body, such as moods, emotional well-being, appetite, and many others. CBD may also help with sleep as you will be more relaxed, enhancing your overall well-being.
Cannabidiol may help solve this without trading off your mental clarity with the ‘high feeling’ associated with consuming THC products. Therefore, this is ideal for you to relax, tune out the world, and enjoy your own company. However, the CBD response is subjective; various factors come into play, such as age, body weight, genetics, sex, among others.
Conclusion
CBD has shown a lot of potential in the treatment of COVID-19. However, it should not be a replacement for a prescribed drugs. It can also help reduce some of the other secondary symptoms of the virus, such as anxiety or depression and maybe restore the body’s balance.
Researchers are looking into CBD to establish its medicinal value and discover other benefits it might have. But remember, quality is key. Always buy CBD from reputable sources as the market is filled with counterfeit products from dishonest vendors looking to exploit innocent users.
Since CBD can interact with many prescribed drugs such as opioids, antihistamines, or benzodiazepines, consult a medical professional before consuming CBD to know whether it is a good fit for you.