New Findings: CBD Effective Against “Cytokine Storm”:
Syndrome Responsible for Many COVID Deaths

by Dan Reich

You may have heard the term “cytokine storm” with respect to COVID-19. A deadly condition whether related to the coronavirus or something else, a cytokine storm is a cascading sequence of events in which the body’s immune system unleashes cytokine – a protein produced by immune cells – to excess, causing the immune system to attack healthy tissue in addition to the threat. In COVID patients, this means lung tissue is damaged beyond repair, and one by one, the body’s organs begin to shut down. It is thought to be a factor in many if not most deaths due to COVID-19.

A new study from the University of Georgia heralds some exciting findings, as it appears that CBD reduces the damage wrought by a cytokine storm by raising the body’s levels of a natural chemical called apelin, a peptide thought to be responsible for reducing inflammation. COVID patients often have extremely suppressed amounts of apelin, and patients whose apelin levels were elevated by CBD suffered less damage from cytokine storms.

Similar findings are being reported in Brazil, where clinical trials are underway to gain more insight into the role CBD might play as a helpful tool in the fight against the coronavirus.