What’s the Deal with CBD, antioxidants, and free radicals?

What’s the Deal with CBD, antioxidants, and free radicals?

When it comes to helping our four-legged friends put their best paw forward, we get super excited about the potential of CBD for lots of reasons. And one of the biggest is the apparent ability of hemp to help fight free radicals. 

In dogs and cats (and us humans, too!), inflammation happens when an injury or invaders like germs or foreign bodies are spotted by the immune system. White blood cells rush to the scene, and all the nearby blood vessels expand in order to get as many of them there as fast as possible. This causes redness, swelling, and pain, but that’s okay! It just means the immune system is working. Without this activity, healing would take a lot longer and injuries and infections might get the upper hand.

Sometimes, though, the immune system gets confused. When this happens, it attacks otherwise healthy tissues and what comes next is free radical damage that makes our pets suffer. That’s a lot different, and that’s where CBD comes in.

All animals have a master regulatory system called the endocannabinoid system, which produces CBD-like substances called (surprise!) endocannabinoids. Like a key in a lock, these molecules attach to special receptors located on the surface of many kinds of cells to control everything from pain, mood, and appetite to stress, sleep, and immune systems

Science is still working out the details, but CBD from hemp seems to boost the body’s own cannabinoid supply And CBD may not be the only hero here. There’s evidence that the terpenes in cannabis play a role in curbing inflammation, too. (Side note: that’s why it's important to use whole-plant hemp extracts with more than just CBD isolate).

The truth is, there’s a lot we don’t know. But the pet owners we meet say they know plenty already. Every one has their own story about how our CBD dog treats and dog and cat CBD oils produced positive changes they could see. We’ve seen those happy endings ourselves in our own canine companions from Brady to Austin and beyond. 

Back to blog