Nature demands balance.... from the tiny microbiomes (communities of bacteria and other one-celled organisms) to the vast marine ecosystem (largest ecosystem on Earth), balance is crucial for survival. In this article we are going to take a look at Homeostasis and how everything in nature, including our own bodies, is always fighting to achieve balance to live on. 

What is Homeostasis?

Homeostasis is defined by Merriam Webster as "a relatively stable state of equilibrium or a tendency toward such a state between the different but interdependent elements or groups of elements of an organism, population, or group". The resulting balance is known as Dynamic Equilibrium, which means as external factors change the body works to maintain relatively stable conditions.

In the human body what this means is that without Homeostasis, our cells would die. It can get very very complex, but basically our bodies are constantly monitoring for any changes that need to be brought back into balance. A perfect example is our bodys ability to maintain a healthy, consistent temperature.

• If we get a fever, our immune system ramps up and gives us what we need to bring it back down
• If we overheat, our sweat glands go to work to cool us back down
• If we get too cold, our bodies will shiver to produce heat

The microbiomes within our bodies are an absolute gold mine of examples of homeostasis. We have a plethora of microbes within our bodies that are in constant fluctuation depending on the state of our body and what we put into it. When we consume bad bacteria, our body gets to work purging it in many ways... vomiting, diarrhea, sweating, etc. are our body's way of restoring balance. This microbiome is established at birth for those of us who are born vaginally. A baby born vaginally gets in essence it's first inoculation when traveling through the birth canal. Exposure to this beneficial bacteria early in life is crucial to the development of a healthy immune system. Babies born via C-Section have been associated with an increased risk of developing immune system disorders and metabolic diseases. C-Section babies swabbed with microbes from thier mothers birth canal has shown promise of helping to restore the infants microbiome. Infants also get beneficial microbes when breastfed giving them much needed gut flora.

Examples of balance in nature and how important that balance is

1. Predator vs. Prey: Predator and prey populations ebb and flow and follow a cycle. When the food for prey decreases prey population decreases, predator populations also decrease due to lack of food. When prey populations begin to increase, predators have more food to feed their young - increasing the predator populations. This continues in a cycle of environmental balance
2. Deforestation: A heavy decrease in forest flora leads to drought, drought causes a decrease in food sources, which leads to death and can lead to a complete extension of a species. 
3. Water Cycle: The sun takes water from large bodies of water, the water falls to the earth & waters the plants, excess water goes back into the large bodes of water.... and so on and so on
4. Plants: Plants go to great lengths to maintain homeostasis. For example, sunflowers "turn their heads" following the sun to maximize photosynthesis. Another great example is the fight plants face against gravity. They put down roots with the gravitational pull, while at the same time pushing their shoots up against it.
5. Animal microbiome: All I can say about this one is thank goodness that we humans are born with the proper bugs we need to maintain homeostasis in the gut. Some young animals eat the feces of their parents to obtain and maintain their microbiome... YUK!

No matter how you look at it, my first statement stands very true.... Nature. Demands. Balance. Your Endocannabinoid Systems only job is to promote and maintain balance and it needs cannabinoids to function properly. You do not have to have some sort of "ailment" to need cannabinoids like CBD, your body is designed to run on it. It's all about that Homeostasis!