CBD & Homeostasis

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

A little-known fact: nothing about our health or homeostasis is static. 

You might’ve heard that CBD promotes homeostasis (aka full-body balance), but homeostasis itself requires a near-steady stream of course correction. Hormones constantly balance and counterbalance each other, and overall this collection of systems we call the body miraculously keeps itself in check.

Could it be that health isn’t really about balance or trying to avoid damage, but instead about regeneration? Science is beginning to think so: 

Besides the obvious and important practical ramifications of improving human health, the study of regeneration also provides [..] unexplored grounds to obtain a greater understanding of the fundamental molecular and cellular activities governing biological function.”

Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado, PhD, Stowers Institute

In order for one’s body to regenerate quickly, it has to ‘think’ fast. Internal communication needs to be optimal in order for each biological system to govern itself, and internal synchronization needs to be at its peak. 

This is where the endocannabinoid system comes into play. The ECS does more than just promote a generalized form of balance or homeostasis. It actually increases the body’s ability to communicate with itself, paving the way for regeneration to happen more quickly and efficiently than ever. 

In a nutshell (or would it be hempseed?), that is how CBD reduces the signs, symptoms, and downsides of aging. 

By acting through the endocannabinoid system to enhance regeneration, CBD may be able to slow down — or even reverse — age-related diseases. 

In this book, we’ll be breaking all of CBD’s most regenerative qualities down. We’ll also include simple, actionable ways you can harness CBD to improve your own health, almost regardless of age. 

CBD AS AN ANTIOXIDANT? YES, ACCORDING TO THE GOVERNMENT…

We’re not the only ones fascinated by CBD’s anti-aging qualities. The US government is interested, too, and has been for quite a while. Just check out this patent they finished filing way back in 2001: 

If this seems a little technical, don’t worry — it’s not important to understand everything, and we’ll take you through the main points. 

First, government-backed researchers establish that cannabinoids like CBD have “antioxidant properties”. What does that mean? Good question!

SECRET ANTIOXIDANTS

Though better-known antioxidants like vitamin C get plenty of attention these days, most still people don’t understand what antioxidants are, not to mention why they’re so beneficial.

Just as metals exposed to the elements eventually succumb to wear and tear (and lots of rust), we humans also slowly ‘oxidize’ over time. That’s because our preferred energy-generation techniques, while effective, also generate lots of byproducts!

Foremost among them are molecules called free radicals. Our normal metabolic state generates tons of free radicals; speed up the metabolism through exercise or stress, and you’ll quickly produce even more. This is why antioxidants are specifically beneficial for athletes. 

To counteract free radicals and their oxidative stress before any damage is done, the body uses anti-oxidants. It regenerates.  Intuitive, right?

CBD AS AN ANTIOXIDANT

One antioxidant is especially important: glutathione. Unlike vitamin C or CBD, this “master antioxidant” is produced internally from the amino acids we eat. Thankfully, CBD has been shown in initial studies to boost glutathione levels. According to Ph.D. Christopher Shade of Quicksilver Scientific: 

Now, a lot of what CBD does, it does through interacting with receptors, and gene triggers […] which turns up all your glutathione genes.

By promoting glutathione production, CBD may help you regenerate quicker in the face of oxidative stress.

Since this now-infamous patent was filed we’ve only learned much more about CBD’s antioxidant properties. And it’s recently been discovered that oxidants aren’t bad at all! Like everything else, it’s not about damage prevention but about regeneration. 

Oxidants like free radicals actually signal to various parts of the body, including the endocannabinoid system, that they need to compensate by getting stronger. 

If follows that chronic antioxidant intake may not be a good thing. Don’t worry, though —  that doesn’t mean we should quit taking CBD. Why not? More recent research also shows us that CBD may be a selective antioxidant, capable of promoting oxidation and inflammation in cells that need to be eliminated (think cancerous cells). 

There’s an almost intuitive aspect to the whole thing, all thanks to the endocannabinoid system. 

CBD’s holistic behavior might just make it the perfect antidote for age-related disease. According to the government patent, again: CBD may be “useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases”, such as those related to degeneration and aging.  

How useful? Dr. Bob Melamede calls cannabis an “anti-aging” plant for this very reason. And a 2011 study expanded CBD’s antioxidant-induced benefits list, citing improvements in “rheumatoid arthritis, types I and II diabetes, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, hypertension, the metabolic syndrome, ischemia-reperfusion injury, depression, and neuropathic pain.”

Pretty impressive, right? As it turns out, many diseases have excess oxidation at their roots. CBD, by helping us process energy more cleanly and efficiently, may well be the anti-aging tool of the future. Reaping these benefits may be as simple as taking balanced amounts of CBD daily —  the fuller spectrum, the better. 

CBD AS A NEUROPROTECTANT

Most antioxidants are neuroprotectants as well. That’s because unchecked oxidation is especially harmful to our body’s most energy-hungry component — the brain. 

CBD is no different. As a versatile neuroprotectant, it quite literally protects the brain from its own metabolic demands. 

It’s worth noting that neurological problems include “ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma,” as well as “neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and HIV dementia,” according to the US Patent’s authors. As you can see, they credited CBD with being pretty diverse. 

Translation: if you’ve recently had a stroke, CBD may be able to help. This rodent study found that 7 days of CBD use reduced the long-term damages associated with stroke. Improvements occurred through a variety of mechanisms, including improving cerebral blood circulation and balancing out the post-ischemic immune response. Authors noticed that all these effects were “CB1-independent” — meaning they didn’t act on THC’s receptors and therefore didn’t cause a high. 

NEURODEGENERATION: HOW DOES IT HAPPEN?

Those with neurodegenerative diseases stand to benefit too. Most of these diseases are marked by hyperactive microglia, specialized cells that ‘scavenge’ for intruders. 

In other words, age-related neurological problems can be thought of as immune system problems. When the immune system is chronically activated, amyloid-based plaques can build up between the brain’s message-sending neurons and cause all sorts of problems. In the case of Alzheimer’s, this includes memory loss, speech impairments, and reduced social behavior. 

Eventually, the microglia meant to fight stress succumbed to an even-more-stressful, highly oxidative environment. Neurons can get damaged or even destroyed. Even neurons that aren’t damaged by amyloid plaques may be tangled by tau proteins. And while dead neurons can be recycled in many parts of the body, brain neurons must be regenerated or restored. 

As amyloid plaque and tau proteins accumulate, even the blood-brain barrier is impacted. The brain may become deprived of the fuel it needs (glucose), making inflammatory responses even worse. 

As you can see, the causes of Alzheimer’s and other neurological diseases are pretty complex. It all comes down to inflammation of the brain, however.  According to the National Institute on Aging, “Because it appears that Alzheimer’s is both a cause and consequence of vascular problems in the brain, researchers are seeking interventions to disrupt this complicated and destructive cycle.”

But that’s a subject for another time. Read more about CBD & Aging in this post!