CBD + Homeostasis: Finding Your Bodily Balance
The environment around you is ever-changing and often out of your control, yet you strive to achieve a sense of balance. Your body works around the clock regulating its functions to make sure you are surviving and thriving! This innate regulation process is called homeostasis.
What is Homeostasis?
Homeostatis is the bodys tendency to maintain a stable internal environment. Homeostasis is made up of an abundance of individual and interdependent processes that keep our bodies functioning properly and harmoniously.
Why is Homeostasis important?
The conditions of your body must be controlled and monitored because your cells need a healthy bodily environment to function and thrive. Think about how changes in your daily environment affect your body.
Things like stress, temperature, and food intake are all external factors that cause internal reactions - for example, stepping outside on a hot summer day may cause your body to sweat. Or imagine you are sitting in traffic, late for a big presentation at work (ugh). Your body responds by releasing stress hormones, like adrenaline and cortisol, preparing your body for emergency action. You’ll feel an accelerated heartbeat, tensed muscles, quickened breath and sharpened senses.
These automatic control systems continuously make adjustments to maintain proper levels of vital conditions like hydration, oxygen, and internal temperature. If the body fails to correct disturbances to equilibrium, it can lead to minor symptoms such as headaches or dehydration and serious health problems. Long story short: homeostasis keeps us in check!
Maintaining Homeostasis - The Basics
If you aren’t sure how your body regulates all of these different systems, don’t worry, you aren’t alone! Maintaining internal stability requires constant, minor adjustments. This regulation is done primarily through negative and positive feedback loops. Though most bodily processes are regulated by negative feedback, some use positive feedback loops.
Negative feedback loops counteract changes of various bodily properties from their initial target values (these are called set points). Example: If your body temperature starts to get too high, negative feedback loops will bring it down to your core body temp (the set point).
Positive feedback works in the opposite way. Positive feedback loops enhance or amplify changes in the body. Example: The miracle of life… Childbirth! The uterus will continue to contract until the baby is born.
Feedback loops are the biological mechanisms our body uses to maintain balance. Simply put, disruptions to your feedback loops = disruption to homeostasis in your body.
Does CBD Help Promote Bodily Balance?
Cannabindiol, commonly referred to as CBD, is a natural compound derived from hemp. Cannabinoids are produced by both the human body (endocannabinoids) and the hemp plant (phytocannabinoids). Our incredible bodies naturally produce cannabinoids to assist with inflammation, unhealthy cell growth and nerve dysfunction. Sometimes our bodies aren't able to produce the necessary levels of our natural cannabinoids in order to maintain homeostasis. In these instances, the phytocannabinoids present in CBD can supplement the deficiency and bring balance back to the body.
CBD and Homeostasis
CBD interacts intimately with the ECS so while our bodies naturally produce endocannabinoids (the compound very similar to CBD), boosting your natural reserves with CBD encourages optimal ECS functioning. Research by Dr. Ethan B Russo found that often, not enough cannabinoids are created for the ECS to thrive. This means they could use a little help! Just like if you have an iron deficiency and take iron supplements, supplementing your natural reserve with CBD helps support balance in the body which is critical to whole body health and wellness.
If you're on the search for balance - exercising, getting better sleep, going outside, and mindful food intake are all ways to add equilibrium to a hectic life. Incorporating CBD into your wellness routine can aid your body in its natural quest towards peace and balance.
Let’s Talk! Do you have questions about how CBD can help Homeostasis? Reach out to us at support@venacbd.com.
