Meta title: CBD Benefits for the Immune System
Meta description: CBD affects the immune system by suppressing it, which could benefit patients with autoimmune conditions.
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Your immune system is incredibly important. It’s your line of defense against pathogens and anything that could cause you to get sick. That’s why it’s incredibly important to make sure your immune system is functioning properly and has everything it needs to keep you healthy.

Your immune system might have an surprising friend in CBD. CBD is one of the main cannabinoids in cannabis, and research shows that it may hold many benefits for your immune system if your immune system goes haywire, like with an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases occur when your immune system starts to attack healthy cells in your body. This can lead to a range of debilitating symptoms and are notoriously hard to treat.

CBD’s immunosuppressive qualities mean that this cannabinoid may improve the symptoms of many autoimmune diseases and help to keep an out of control immune system in check.

What Is an Immune System?

Your immune system is made up of a network of cells and proteins that identify and protect the body from bacteria or viruses. Your immune system is very complex and can recognize microbes previously seen to target and destroy them. Without an immune system, your body would be defenseless against infection, leaving you more vulnerable to illness. Some people have weakened immune systems due to cancer treatments or illnesses like HIV. People who are immunocompromised are more likely to experience infection (e.g., bacteria and viruses) because they are less able to fight off infection. They are also more likely to experience severe symptoms from those infections, having less ability to develop an immune defense.

Your immune system is vital to your health, and any boost to your immune system will result in increased protection for you and your health.

CBD and Your Immune System

CBD is intrinsically linked to the immune system because of the endocannabinoid system.

CBD is a cannabinoid and can be found in cannabis. Other cannabinoids include THC, CBG, and CBN. Your endocannabinoid system is a cell signaling network within your body that involves cannabinoids and receptors. The system plays a role in the regulation of many bodily functions. The endocannabinoid system is essentially how cannabinoids exert most of their effects on the body.

One role of the endocannabinoid system is to signal to and impact the immune system. Endocannabinoids are thought to control immune functions and play an important role in immune homeostasis (1).

There is still a lot more research to be done on the interactions of the endocannabinoid system; however, there is a link between the endocannabinoid system and the immune system.

CBD as an Immunosuppressant

CBD can affect your immune system through its many properties. The main benefit you can expect from CBD in regards to your immune system is its ability to suppress the immune system.

There is strong evidence supporting the idea that CBD is immunosuppressive, meaning that it can prevent an immune response from occurring (2). This may sound negative seeing as how important your immune system is in protecting you from infection, but some conditions benefit from immunosuppressants.

Autoimmune diseases are diseases where the immune system attacks the body. Conditions like psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and type 1 diabetes are all autoimmune diseases. CBD’s ability to suppress the immune system could improve the symptoms of these diseases.

Studies involving CBD and multiple sclerosis (3), rheumatoid arthritis (4), type 1 diabetes (5), and psoriasis (6) all show that CBD demonstrates potential as a treatment for these conditions.

Anti-inflammatory Effects of CBD

One of the most well-researched actions of CBD is its ability to reduce inflammation. Inflammation is a normal response and is one of the ways your immune system fights against pathogens. However, chronic inflammation can result in pain and is often involved in autoimmune conditions.

By reducing inflammation, CBD may be able to reduce some of the symptoms of autoimmune disorders by reducing the effects of a misfiring immune system.

Current research highlights that CBD has shown an ability to reduce inflammation in autoimmune conditions such as:

• Rheumatoid Arthritis: A2019 review of clinical studies involving cannabinoids and rheumatoid arthritis patients found that CBD was able to induce anti-inflammatory effects (7).
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): A 2019 study found that CBD reduced inflammation and increased permeability in the human colon, indicating that CBD could have therapeutic uses for inflammatory disorders like inflammatory bowel disease (8).
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS): A 2015 animal study investigated the effects of topical CBD treatments on the symptoms of MS. The study found that CBD reduced T-cell release, indicating its ability to reduce the damaging inflammatory attack standard in this autoimmune disease. CBD also reduced the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and other markers of inflammation (9).
• Type 1 Diabetes: A 2016 study found that CBD was able to reduce the pancreatic inflammation caused by an autoimmune response in mice with type 1 diabetes. Pancreatic inflammation is largely responsible for reduced insulin production in type 1 diabetics (10).
• Psoriasis: A 2019 study found that topical CBD significantly improved the skin condition of patients with psoriasis, with this improvement largely thought to occur through CBD’s anti-inflammatory action (11).

The Bottom Line

CBD has demonstrated a strong ability to act as an immunosuppressant, and while that might not be beneficial for some, it offers great therapeutic potential for those suffering from autoimmune diseases.

CBD’s strongest immunosuppressant action is its ability to reduce inflammation. This anti-inflammatory action means CBD may be able to reduce some of the inflammatory effects of an out of control immune system, helping the body to function normally.

More research is needed into the exact methods of action and efficacy of CBD as an immunosuppressant to establish its effects. However, current research is promising.

If you are considering giving CBD a try, consult your physician regarding how CBD might affect you or interact with any current medication before consuming.