Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the adage, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” were true? We all know that an apple a day is better for your overall health than, say, a quarter pounder with cheese and bacon. In fact, one of these burgers on a daily basis contributes to increased risk of nearly every chronic disease, including hypertension, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease,” says expert nutritionist Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN, LD, CLEC, author of the First Time Mom’s Pregnancy Cookbook and Fueling Male Fertility. And while I can extoll the benefits of the apple a day by comparison, I have found something better. A chance meeting with a former Olympic Steeplechase competitor, turned me onto something that I had dismissed as ‘snake oil’. But hearing his story compelled me to go home that evening and do some much-needed homework. I awakened the next day on new mission of discovery, research, and testing that has led me here. I will keep the facts brief and to the point, and you should leave with a much better understanding of why I call CBD (and other cannabinoids) our ‘new apple a day’.
Let’s start by mentioning homeostasis. Homeostasis is the process that keeps the biological internal environment balanced and constant. Even when the external environment is rapidly changing, homeostasis keeps the body’s internal environment constant and steady. It is akin to a symphony where every instrument provides a unique contribution and if an instrument is out of tune, out of time, or not contributing, it can ruin the entire melody.
Our next very important topic is inflammation. Inflammation is the first step in the progression of disease in our body. Inflammation is our body’s defense against injury and infection. The 5 signs of inflammation are pain, heat, redness, swelling, and loss of function. However, some inflammation can go unnoticed as it presents no symptoms. Over time, chronic inflammation can cause changes in the body that can increase the risk of heart attack, cancer, and other age-related diseases. Chronic inflammation is associated with chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis, to name a few. Moderate exercise, quitting smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, stress reduction, and a healthier diet can all contribute to a healthier overall state. For the purposes of this blog, I will address adding a potent anti-inflammatory supplement to the diet in the form of cannabinoids.
The most important aspect to the effectiveness of cannabinoids as an anti-inflammatory supplement is the sheer number of cannabinoid receptors found throughout the body. Our blog on the endocannabinoid system (insert that blog link here) is a little more in depth, but it should be noted here that because cannabinoid receptors are found throughout our entire body it makes them a super effective anti-inflammatory for numerous conditions. (And why I should not have dismissed the claims that I had heard about the nature of cannabinoids as a ‘cure all’). While cannabinoids may not be a cure all, they certainly are a ‘help all’. That is, with a daily, thoughtful addition of cannabinoids to the diet, they will certainly help the body maintain homeostasis. A very important takeaway from this blog is the importance of a daily, uniform dose of cannabinoids added to the diet. Remember, taking a cannabinoid does not necessarily make you ‘high’. In fact, most cannabinoids are non-psychoactive. Product information on our site will help you navigate the best cannabinoid for you and if you still have questions, please contact us as we are very happy to educate. And if you take away just one thing from this blog, I would like for that to be the phrase, ‘a cannabinoid a day, may help keep the doctor away’.