Your immune system plays a vital role in your overall well-being, protecting your body from germs and toxic substances that could make you sick. It doesn’t get much attention when everything is going well, so we don;t often give it much thought. But when your immune system is overactive or over-stressed, it may not be able to do its job properly. In some cases, rather than protecting your health, it can even contribute to various health problems.
Those who want to take better care of their immune functions often turn to natural supplements like cannabidiol, more commonly known as CBD. Is this an effective approach or just another health fad? Does CBD really help your immune system?
While research into the medical applications of CBD is still ongoing, it’s known to affect the human endocannabinoid system, or ECS. The ECS helps to regulate a huge number of different functions in the human body — including your immune response. In this article, we’ll explore what current science tells us about how CBD may have a positive role to play in immune health.
In this article, we'll cover:
Does CBD improve your immune health?
CBD, AKA cannabidiol, is a non-psychoactive component of the cannabis plant. A growing body of studies indicates it has numerous health benefits, though there’s not yet a firm consensus. Its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, painkilling, and neuroprotective properties are still under study, but early findings are promising.
To understand how CBD may help your immune system perform better, we should start by understanding the endocannabinoid system (ECS) and how it works. The ECS and your immune system are interrelated in so many ways.
The ECS plays a vital role in regulating immunity and keeping you safe. It is made up of endocannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2), endocannabinoids (e.g., anandamide [AEA], and 2-arachidonoylglycerol [2-AG]), and enzymes that break down the endocannabinoids or modify their action on receptors.
Researchers believe this system can affect your immune function in many ways, but its typical function may be maintaining homeostasis. In other words, when your immune response is overactive or underactive, the ECS may help to dial it up or down, acting like a biological thermostat. This means cannabinoids like CBD may act as immunomodulators — chemicals that can alter the activity of your body’s natural defenses.
Although the full extent of ECS's immunomodulatory effects is still being studied, what we know so far suggests it could have several positive effects, including:
We’ll discuss these effects in more detail below when we delve into CBD’s interactions with your immune system.
Does CBD boost your immune system?
The idea that CBD is an “immune booster” is a common misconception, but that’s actually a good thing. Most healthy people don’t need their immune system’s activity to be strengthened or increased. In fact, excessive immune activation when you’re not fighting off an infection can damage healthy tissues and organ systems, increasing your risk for problems like heart disease, digestive issues, diabetes, and even some kinds of mental illness.
That’s where CBD can come in handy. Researchers have found that it may help suppress inflammation, which could help protect your body against unhealthy effects. So although it might not boost your immune system, CBD could support better overall immune health.
What does CBD do to your immune system?
Phytocannabinoids may not interact with the ECS in the same way endocannabinoids do. For example, while human cannabinoids activate the CB1 and CB2 receptor cells, CBD does not.
Researchers think cannabidiol might influence ECS function by inhibiting the breakdown of certain endocannabinoids to prolong their effects. It’s also known to influence a variety of other receptors that are “downstream” of the endocannabinoid system.
For example, the transient receptor potential vanilloid 2 (TRPV2)—a protein that improves cellular communication with the extracellular environment—is a key player in healthy immune system functioning. Studies show that CBD activates the TRPV2 receptors and impacts other transient receptor potential (TRP) channels that support immunity.
Other findings indicate that CBD may increase activity in serotonin receptors, potentially explaining how it could help reduce anxiety and promote a positive mood.
But how exactly do these effects from CBD impact the health of your immune system?
Promoting the activity of natural killer cells
Research on the cannabinoid interaction with immune function suggests that CBD oil from hemp may potentially affect your immune system by supporting the action of natural killer (NK) cells (white blood cells). The NK cells are essential in shaping the body's response to viruses and tumor cells, as well as suppressing certain immune-modulated diseases. Using cannabidiol might enhance these natural defenses.
Keep in mind that this research has not yet been replicated with studies in humans — these findings have mainly come from animal research or in vitro studies. More investigation will be needed to confirm CBD’s positive effects on NK cells.
Supporting a healthy inflammatory response
Studies show that CBD possesses anti-inflammatory properties and could help maintain healthy inflammatory responses. For example, it has been shown to suppress the production of cytokines and reduce neutrophiliain mice.
Cytokines are proteins that regulate the growth and activity of immune system cells and other blood cells. They essentially trigger the immune system to do its job. However, if their production is not regulated, the result can be severe inflammation (cytokine storm).
Promoting healthy gut microbiota
The microbiota is a diverse community of fungi, viruses, bacteria, and other microorganisms in a specific habitat, such as the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract). The microbiota's primary job is to defend the gut from invasion by external germs and potentially hazardous microbes through various strategies, including competing directly for limited resources and regulating host immune responses.
Typically, inflammation is a sign that the body's immune system is functioning. However, too much inflammation in the GI tract can lead to an imbalance in gut microbiota, intestinal permeability, and poor immune system response.
Fortunately, the ECS plays a critical role in maintaining balance in the gut. Human trials suggest that CBD supports healthy gut inflammatory responses.
Calming mild stress
CBD's immune-enhancing properties might also be linked to its stress-relieving abilities. Even though research is ongoing, several studies indicate that CBD may induce positive outcomes in people with stress. This could have indirect positive effects on immune health since stress has been shown to trigger inflammation. A 2020 review of 76 studies published between 2019 and 2020 on the effects of CBD on anxiety, stress, depression, and dementia concluded that it might be a promising alternative treatment.
Since CBD does not bind to cannabinoid receptors like endogenous cannabinoids, its action mechanism is tied to its effect on the 5-HT1A serotonin receptor. In particular, CBD has been shown to boost serotonin signaling in animals, thereby contributing to a calming effect.
In human studies, CBD has been shown to reduce mild stress during public speaking. For instance, in a 2018 study, researchers noted that a 300mg dose of oral CBD made the speakers calmer and more relaxed during their speech.
While CBD's stress-relieving properties are promising, it is important to remember that it may not work for everyone.
Improving sleep
Some findings also suggest cannabidiol can have positive effects on sleep duration and quality. In one study conducted in patients undergoing treatment for psychiatric illness, a majority of participants showed improved sleep quality for a month or more when receiving nightly doses of CBD.
This may be another indirect pathway toward CBD’s helpful immune effects. Sleep deprivation is known to be linked with harmful inflammation, so anything that helps you get better rest may help your immune system’s function.
Counteracting harmful bacteria
There’s emerging evidence that CBD might work alongside your body’s immune cells to help tackle disease-causing bacteria. Several studies show encouraging effects of CBD on a variety of harmful pathogens, including some that are difficult to treat by other means.
A paper from 2021 reported that methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) cells were killed by treatment with CBD. This organism has evolved an immunity to standard antibiotics and can cause problems ranging from lung infections to bacterial sepsis. It’s currently considered a significant public health risk.
Another study found that CBD had antimicrobial effects on the bacteria responsible for tuberculosis, a deadly disease that remains a major cause of death worldwide. The researchers found that cannabidiol helped cure cells infested with this bacteria, with no apparent negative impacts on the human cells.
It’s important to remember that these findings are still preliminary, and we’re a long way from the viable use of CBD as an antibiotic. Still, the results suggest another possible way that CBD might support your immune system.
Protects against brain damage and degeneration
Inflammation and immune-related toxicity may also play a role in the development of degenerative neurological conditions. A hyperactive immune response could cause a slow accumulation of damage to brain cells, contributing to various forms of dementia such as:
- Alzheimer’s disease (the most common cause of dementia)
- Parkinson’s disease (a degenerative brain disorder involving loss of motor control and cognitive function)
- Vascular dementia (caused by an accumulation of small strokes)
- Frontotemporal dementia (a type of disease involving the breakdown of brain areas involved in language and behavioral control)
Multiple studies, for example, show that cannabinoids are therapeutic in animal models of brain injury, cerebral ischemia, stroke, and harmful protein buildup in brain cells. These studies also show that the immune system plays a significant role in these neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases.
Scientists are still investigating the exact mechanisms involved in this effect, but a few possible answers are emerging. First, CBD may reduce overall inflammation and stress. Second, it may also activate a receptor called PPAR-gamma which triggers the breakdown of amyloid beta, a malformed protein that clumps around brain cells in Alzheimer’s disease. Third, CBD could block an enzyme called GSK3-beta, which seems to be involved in the buildup of harmful amyloid and tau proteins that cause brain degeneration.
Does CBD help with autoimmune diseases?
It does appear that CBD can strengthen the immune system and therefore may offer some benefits to people with autoimmune diseases.
Two research reviews conducted in 2020 and 2021concluded that CBD has anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties. These properties could be beneficial for people with autoimmune diseases, considering that inflammation is a common symptom.
In the 2020 study, the evidence strongly suggested that CBD is immunosuppressive. It exerts this property by directly inhibiting or activating multiple immune cell types, inducing immune cell apoptosis, and stimulating regulatory cells, which regulate other immune cell targets.
Although CBD shows promise in improving immune system function, research findings are preliminary. More in-depth investigations are required to comprehensively understand how it interacts with the immune system.
How much CBD to take for autoimmune disease
CBD is not currently approved by the FDA for the treatment of any autoimmune disorder. As such, there’s no standardized dosage. However, many users have reported positive effects on inflammatory immune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis from using this substance.
Because responses to cannabinoids can vary from person to person, and autoimmune illnesses are so diverse, the therapeutic dose range varies substantially across individuals. It may take trial and error to determine your ideal dose.
With CBD, starting slow and low is often advised. Take the recommended daily dosage based on your weight (2 to 6mg for every 10 pounds of weight). Continue at this level for a week or so, then start adjusting the dosage as necessary. People generally don't develop CBD tolerance, so once you've identified your sweet spot, lock in that dose and stick to it.
Check with your physician before starting CBD, especially if you’re taking any prescription drugs. Your doctor may be able to give you more insight into CBD dosage and help you avoid potentially unfavorable drug interactions.
Best CBD for the immune system
CBD may offer much-needed benefits to your immune system, especially if it’s hyperactive or you want to improve your general health. You can take it in a variety of forms depending on your needs and preferences. The most important thing is to choose a reliable source of high-quality CBD products so you can avoid the contamination and inaccurate dosing that plague the industry.
FOCL offers a wide variety of premium CBD products, all of them carefully tested by independent laboratories so you can be confident that they’re pure and contaminant-free. We source our CBD from organic, domestic hemp to offer maximum reliability and quality control.
For fast-acting relief, we suggest taking CBD oil sublingually (placing drops of oil under the tongue), where it can quickly enter your bloodstream. FOCL’s Good Night Sleep Drops are designed to give you a perfect night's sleep, with organic CBD, CBN, and organic lavender and peppermint extracts.
If you prefer a product for daytime use, we recommend our Daily Calm CBD Drops. Their simple, vegan formula contains only CBD-rich hemp extract, natural flavorings, and organic coconut oil.
Another option is to take edible CBD products, which kick in more slowly but tend to have longer-lasting effects. FOCL’s Daily Calm Gummies offer the same all-natural hemp-based goodness as our CBD drops in a deliciously chewy form. You can choose between Sour Watermelon or Tropical Punch for a burst of plant-based flavor. Experience the power of our high-quality CBD drops to enhance your immunity and overall well-being.
