CBD and DNA Protection
We have all heard that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell, but the mitochondria is literally what keeps us alive and well. When the mitochondria are not able to function properly, they cannot receive instructions from our DNA to produce energy which is needed for cell survival and making sure our cells are functioning optimally. If cells are not functioning correctly, different diseases and cancer take place along with increased cellular oxidation and neuroinflammation. This means that cellular oxidation leads to mitochondrial dysfunction and can even cause our telomeres (what protects the ends of our chromosomes) to shorten at a more rapid rate. This means that we are speeding up the rate at which we are aging, which is the last thing we want to do.
So, what causes mitochondrial dysfunction, rapid aging, and increased cancer rates? How can we slow this process down?
The first prevention is diet and lifestyle factors. Aging is a normal thing of course, but we can speed up the rate at which we age through consuming processed foods because they increase inflammation, cellular oxidation, and damage our DNA. On the flip side, we can also protect ourselves and our DNA through a diet that is full of antioxidants. Eating whole foods that are high in antioxidants means that we are reducing free radicals, cellular oxidation, and fighting inflammation instead of causing it, which means protection for our cells and DNA. We want to consume foods that protect our cells from these bad guys (Reactive Oxygen Species).
Protecting our cells through diet is where it all begins. We want to eat a diet full of antioxidants that neutralizes free radicals, protects our cells and DNA, which will in turn reduce rates of disease and cancer (1). When we eat our medicine in the form of food, we can have optimal health and longevity because whole foods protect our cells and influence our DNA expression.
In addition to a proper diet full of whole foods (antioxidant rich), we can include CBD in our daily routine to offer cellular protection. CBD as well as other cannabinoids are high in antioxidants, which is the very thing that protects us from ROS, increased cellular aging, and protects our DNA from destruction, thus reducing rates of cancer (2).
Because cannabinoids like CBD are so high in antioxidants they can offer neuroprotective properties and protect us down to our DNA (3). In addition to the antioxidants, they are also anti-inflammatory, which is great because cellular oxidation and mitochondrial dysfunction is directly related to cellular inflammation.
These amazing plant compounds act on our Endocannabinoid System (ECS), which is the largest receptor system that is responsible for maintaining homeostasis within the body. When we have disease, cancer, or increased cellular oxidation, we are having a shift from homeostasis which causes an imbalance in our body followed by an immune response (inflammation).
In addition to maintaining homeostasis, the ECS also controls immune response, which means we can reduce inflammation on a cellular level by activating this amazing receptor system through these powerful plant compounds.
Because of the immune modulatory, anti-inflammatory, and cell protecting properties that cannabinoids have when acting on our ECS, medical researchers are now using these plant compounds as an alternative to address different disease processes and cancers. As more studies unfold, we can discover the true potential of these plant compounds when it comes to health and disease. This amazing receptor system gives health professionals a target to improve how we face disease and dysfunction. The best part? These natural plant compounds come without the negative side effects that is typically seen with pharmaceutical use.
Cheers to these amazing, safe, and effective plant compounds.
Bee Well,
Brandon Farless
References
- Kaliszewska, A., Allison, J., Martini, M., & Arias, N. (2021). Improving Age-Related Cognitive Decline through Dietary Interventions Targeting Mitochondrial Dysfunction. International journal of molecular sciences, 22(7), 3574. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22073574
- Kang, S., Li, J., Yao, Z., & Liu, J. (2021, March 9). Cannabidiol induces autophagy to protects neural cells from mitochondrial dysfunction by upregulating SIRT1 to inhibits NF-ΚB and Notch Pathways. Frontiers. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fncel.2021.654340/full
- Atalay, S., Jarocka-Karpowicz, I., & Skrzydlewska, E. (2019). Antioxidative and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Cannabidiol. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), 9(1), 21. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox9010021
