Oxidative Stress and Pelvic Floor Dysfunction: How Full Spec. CBD and Immune Stack Can Help

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It's commonly understood that the weakness of supportive pelvic structures is the underlying cause of pelvic organ prolapse. However, the mechanism involved in these changes is not completely understood.

A growing body of studies suggests that oxidative stress and increased mitochondrial dysfunction may contribute to the development of pelvic organ prolapse (POP). In a study of 65 women, 26 with advanced-stage POP and 29 healthy, biomarkers of oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction were significantly higher in patients with pelvic organ prolapse compared to controls, regardless of stage.

In this article, we start by defining pelvic floor dysfunction. We then present our findings on the impact of oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction on pelvic floor dysfunction. Lastly, we provide clinical evidence outlining the ways Full Spec. CBD and Immune Stack can support your body's oxidative balance and mitochondrial function with the aim of restoring pelvic health.

What is pelvic floor dysfunction?

Your pelvic floor is a group of muscles found in the floor, or base, of your pelvis. Pelvic floor dysfunction is a common condition where you’re unable to appropriately relax and coordinate the muscles in your pelvic floor to urinate or to have a bowel movement. You may also feel pain during sex.

If you think of the pelvis as being the home to organs like the bladder, uterus, and rectum, the pelvic floor muscles are the home’s foundation. These muscles act as the support structure keeping everything in place within your body. Your pelvic floor muscles add support to several of your organs by wrapping around your pelvic bone. Some of these muscles add more stability by forming a sling around the rectum.

The pelvic organs include:

• the bladder (the pouch holding your urine)
• the uterus and vagina
• the rectum (the area at the end of the large intestine where your body stores solid waste)

Normally, you’re able to go to the bathroom with no problem because your body tightens and relaxes its pelvic floor muscles. This is just like any other muscular action, like tightening your biceps when you lift a heavy box or clenching your fist.

But if you have pelvic floor dysfunction, your body keeps tightening these muscles instead of relaxing them as it should. This tension means you may have:

• trouble evacuating (releasing) a bowel movement
• an incomplete bowel movement
• urine or stool that leaks

What causes pelvic floor dysfunction?

Your pelvic floor is able to support organs thanks to the muscles, pelvic fascias, and ligaments that make it up. Dysfunction of these structures threatens their ability to support your organs, leading to a descent of pelvic organs and other associated pathologies and symptoms.

Your connective tissues' ability to effectively support these structures depends not only on the quantity, but the quality of their cellular components. Numerous studies have demonstrated that altered connective tissue leads to the pathogenesis of pelvic organ prolapse.

These connective tissues consist of fibrous elements like collagen and elastin. Other important components include fibronectin, fibrinogen, vitronectin, laminins, thrombospondin, integrins, and other glycoproteins.

The most common risk factors impacting the health of these connective tissues are:

• traumatic injuries to the pelvic area (like a car accident)
• pregnancy
• overusing the pelvic muscles (like going to the bathroom too often or pushing too hard), eventually leading to poor muscle coordination
• pelvic surgery
• being overweight
• advancing age

These events expose your pelvic floor to sustained mechanical stress, a proven key factor in pelvic organ prolapse. A 2017 study found that this was due to increased levels of free radical production and mitochondrial dysfunction.

While free radical production and inflammation are a normal part of our natural metabolic and stress-regulating processes, if these processes remain in constant flux or your stress response becomes exaggerated, aggressive oxidative stress and widespread inflammation follow.

Oxidative stress is an important factor in the progression of pelvic organ prolapse. It is responsible for numerous molecular changes that weaken the integrity and resistance of pelvic muscles, fascias, and ligaments, thus favoring the development of this pathology.

One reason is that oxidative stress hinders normal cellular signaling pathways, as well as different important cellular components like proteins, lipids, and cellular DNA, therefore significantly interfering with the process of collagen and elastin synthesis.

Mitochondria, besides being one of the main sources of free radical production, are also heavily affected by oxidative stress. When the overproduction of free radicals compromises your body's balancing measures, oxidative stress in the mitochondria can lead to dysfunction and cell destruction that significantly alters the collagen synthesis process, and greatly increases collagen and elastin degradation rate.

Oxidative stress is also studied to damage the elastic fiber assembly process, favoring the prolapse of pelvic organs.

Full Spec. CBD and pelvic floor dysfunction: A clinical summary of its therapeutic potential.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the active phytocannabinoids in the cannabis plant. It is non-psychoactive but exerts a number of beneficial pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Preclinical and clinical studies have contributed to our understanding of the therapeutic potential of CBD for many diseases, including diseases associated with oxidative stress.

CBD has been shown to modify and balance the level and activity of both oxidants and antioxidants. CBD, like other antioxidants, interrupts free radical chain reactions, capturing free radicals or transforming them into less active forms.

Numerous studies demonstrate CBD's ability to, directly and indirectly, reduce the levels of free radicals, increase antioxidant activity, restore cellular structure integrity, and promote healthy aging by protecting cells from oxidative stress.

This makes it a promising therapeutic tool for both the prevention and treatment of oxidative stress-induced damage to connective tissues that lead to pelvic floor dysfunction.

Immune Stack and pelvic floor dysfunction: A clinical summary of its therapeutic potential.

Cordyceps, Chaga, Turmeric, Cinnamon, and Vitamin B3. A potent antioxidant complex dripping with stress-regulating and immune-modulating nutrients, Immune Stack is our go-to for supporting the body during periods of stress.

Turmeric and Cinnamon are renowned for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. Cinnamon alone has over 1,145 studies and trials concluding that cinnamon supplementation may be an adjuvant therapy for reducing inflammation and oxidative stress in humans.

So, for the purposes of this article, we're focusing on two emerging and studied antioxidant powerhouses: Cordyceps and Chaga.

The elderly have traditionally used Cordyceps to reduce fatigue, boost strength, and ignite sex drive. Researchers believe that Cordyceps' potent antioxidant properties may explain their anti-aging potential.

In animal models, studies have found that Cordyceps increase antioxidants in aged mice, helping improve memory and sexual function. Of particular note was the increase in Glutathione levels, your body's master antioxidant. Of the numerous antioxidant systems present in your mitochondria, mitochondrial glutathione emerges as the main line of defense for maintaining the appropriate mitochondrial redox environment.

One study found that mice given Cordyceps lived several months longer than mice given a placebo.

Chaga is believed to have potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, making it a potential alternative remedy for concerns like arthritis and high blood pressure. It may also help lower blood sugar, and even slow the progression of cancer cells.

Studies indicate that the anticancer effect of Chaga is partly due to its high content of antioxidants, which protect cells from damage by free radicals.

In particular, Chaga contains the antioxidant triterpene. Test-tube studies reveal that very concentrated triterpene extract can help kill cancer cells.

In an eight-week study on rats with high cholesterol, Chaga extract reduced “bad” LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglycerides. Researchers believe this was due to the significant increase in antioxidant levels.

Related Reading: 5 Reasons to Use Cordyceps for Daily Health, Backed by Science

Related Reading: Horny Science: How Cordyceps Boosts Libido and Fertility in Men and Women

Related Reading: Chaga Mushrooms: Are They Healthy?

Why Get Up + Glow?

Get Up + Glow delivers critical nutrients to help alleviate the emotional, mental, hormonal, and physical manifestations of inflammation, oxidative stress, and an exaggerated stress response. Just two products — Full Spec. CBD and Immune Stack — help promote your body’s ability to combat oxidative stress and recover from it, restoring cellular health and bringing you back to homeostasis.

Take 2 – 4 caps in the AM for 4 days, followed by a 3-day break. Commit to a microdosing protocol and you should see transformational results in your mood, cognition, and vitality within 6 weeks.

Related Reading: Microdose Cycling: What It Is, and Why You Should Be Doing It

Final remarks.

Pelvic floor dysfunction, including pelvic organ prolapse (POP), is associated with an imbalance between several components, including aggressive free radical production, decreased antioxidant activity, lowered collagen and elastin levels, and mitochondrial dysfunction.

Oxidative stress is an important factor in the progression of pelvic organ prolapse. It is responsible for numerous molecular changes that weaken the integrity and resistance of pelvic muscles, fascias, and ligaments, thus favoring the development of this pathology.

Everything is chemistry. By using safe, natural therapeutics to target the effects of oxidative stress at their source and restore antioxant activity and mitochondrial function, we're hoping we can help you with yours.

Discover Get Up + Glow.

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