With the current state that our world is in, it has never been more important to relish in hope and positivity whenever we possibly can. Recently, studies have shown some surprising revelations regarding CBD and Covid-19. Let’s take a look.
Covid-19
On December 31, 2019, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) China office was informed of a strange pneumonia-like illness circulating around Wuhan City, China. January 7, 2020 marks the date that the mystery illness was recognized as a new strain of coronavirus--COVID-19. By January 9th, the first corona death was recorded in China. Slowly but surely, the virus made its way to other countries. Come early March, the virus had spread to over 100 countries and the number of global cases surpassed 100,000. This led to the WHO officially declaring this a pandemic.
From here, things escalated at an alarming rate. Cases doubled, tripled and even quadrupled in a matter of days, and most of the world was put into some form of lockdown. Since then, the entire world has embarked on a long and scary journey through isolation, anxiety and many unknowns. What was originally meant to last a couple weeks turned into a month, and so on. In the United States, most of us are going on roughly our eighth month of some form of lockdown. Global cases currently sit at 51.1 million with 35.9 million of those recovered and the death toll is at 1.26 million and they don’t seem to be slowing.
Relevant Symptoms Of Covid-19
Different types of coronavirus include Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Covid-19, all of which can cause a number of respiratory, gastrointestinal and neurological diseases in humans and animals. Some symptoms of Covid-19, specifically, include typical symptoms of the flu, along with shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle or body aches, loss of taste or smell and so on. However, arguably the worst part of Covid-19 is how it can attack the lungs. Covid-19 can lead to pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome and sometimes sepsis which can also cause lasting harm to the lungs and other organs.
Along with the physical toll this disease takes on the body, there is also the very real concern of an increase in mental health issues associated with the byproducts of COVID-19. By late June 2020, 40% of adults in the United States reported struggling with either mental health or substance abuse. This is a jump from the 11% of adults reporting from January to June in 2019. The effects of this pandemic paired with isolation has caused cases of anxiety, depression and PTSD to spike drastically. I’m sure just reading this post has caused some form of sadness or stress to wash over you; it'd be hard for it not to. Since we’re in the business of mood boosting, let’s switch to something slightly more uplifting.
CBD Takes on the Pandemic
After months of testing, CBD is showing some promise in reducing the risk of cytokine storms, which is an immune response in which the body starts attacking its own cells rather than fighting off the virus. This symptom can lead to severe inflammation, swelling, pain and loss of organ function and is thought to be the cause of many Covid related deaths. When blood pressure or other types of inflammation are high, the body normally produces an excess of something called apelin. Apelin is a peptide found in several different organs that aids in reducing inflammation. However, when infected with Covid, it seems that the body does not produce enough apelin to regulate inflammation. This is where CBD can help.
CBD helps increase the level of apelin in the body, meaning that it reduces inflammation and lung damage caused by Covid-19. Research actually suggests that CBD along with Terpenes (Broad-spectrum CBD) may be as much as 2x more effective at inhibiting cytokine activity than conventional treatments, such as corticosteroids. This is a huge win based on the fact that Covid-19’s attack on the lungs can be one of the most permanent and damaging symptoms.
Plus the Byproducts
When it comes to Covid-19, think of its byproducts as the anxiety you may feel when turning on the news or even leaving your house to grab essentials or the depression you might be feeling from not being able to see some of your loved ones or close friends. Whatever your scenario may be, know that we are all in this together. But, if you really want to stay proactive with your mental health, CBD might be a good option for you.
As you’ve probably heard by now, CBD has been shown to help aid in sleeplessness, reduce anxiety, boost mood and even aid in withdrawal from drugs. CBD is thought to address anxiety and depression by working with a receptor in your brain called CB1. Researchers believe that CBD’s interaction with this receptor helps to increase serotonin levels, which boosts mood and allows you to relax. CBD has also been shown to decrease cravings for people suffering from addiction issues, which is important because of the spike in new drug users during the pandemic. To help you get some better sleep after months of stress and sleepless nights, CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system which regulates bodily functions such as sleep and circadian rhythms. The possibilities are truly endless with CBD.
With Love,
We know that times are hard right now. Whether you have been personally affected by the illness, know someone who has or are just struggling to stay afloat mentally during lockdown, we at Better Conditions just want to do whatever we can to help. With our products and industry knowledge, we think that we can make these hard times just a little bit easier for you. Sending you all the love and positivity in the world, from our family to yours.
