Endocannabinoid System 101
The endocannabinoid system is a biological system that your body needs to maintain homeostasis, or homeostasis. It is known to regulate multiple body functions which are vital to good health and well-being. This system plays a key role in maintaining your health and is the main system that cannabis works on to provide therapeutic benefits.
If you are considering starting a regimen containing cannabis, you must understand how the endocannabinoid system works and how cannabis interacts with your body. In this article, you will learn about the role of the endocannabinoid system (ECS), why the ECS system is important, and how cannabis works with the ECS system. We spoke with Dr. Matty Moore, MD, from Washington, to learn more about ECS.
Here are the topics we cover:
What is the Endocannabinoid System?
The ECS is an endogenous biological system made up of endocannabinoids and receptors (cannabinoid receptors) that help regulate and maintain homeostasis within your body.
Cannabinoids is the name given to all the chemicals that help communicate and join cannabinoid receptors and the brain.
The ECS plays an essential role in our central nervous system and immune systems. People talk about the ECS as being responsible for functions such as: eating, sleeping, relaxing, forgetting, and protecting. research It states that it regulates about 15 major bodily functions. We can augment the system or improve these processes by influencing them to work better.
There are two ways you can regulate your endocannabinoid system. You can improve some natural activities such as eating foods, exercising, doing stress-relieving activities such as meditation or yoga and/or you can take an external cannabis plant (Hemp by Hemp). The two most popular types of phyto-cannabinoids are delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (Convention on Biological Diversity).
Everything you do to improve the functionality of your ECS should be with moderation in mind. This is because the ECS helps maintain balance.
Parts of ECS
The ECS system consists of two parts:
- cannabinoid receptors
- cannabis
To demonstrate how ECS works, we will first explain the parts individually.
cannabinoid receptors
There are two types of cannabinoid receptors in our bodies: CB1 receptors and CB2 receptors.
CB1 receptors are located throughout the nervous system. They sit on the part of the nerve that communicates with the postherpetic nerve. When CB1 receptors are activated, they slow down the release of neurotransmitters. Scientists believe this slowing down in transmission could help explain why cannabis can have an anticonvulsant effect.
CB2 receptors are mostly found in the immune system, specifically in the organs and cells involved in the response. Some examples of CB2 receptor sites are the liver, spleen, monocytes (cells), macrophages (cells), B cells, and T cells. For example, in autoimmune hepatitis, activation of CB2 receptors reduces inflammatory messages called cytokines. As another example, through CB2 receptors, damage to neurodegeneration and the blood-brain barrier in TBI is slowed.
Types of cannabis
There are two main types of cannabinoids:
- Endocannabinoids
- phytocannabinoids
Endocannabinoids
Endocannabinoids is the short word for endogenous cannabinoids or cannabinoids from within the body. Our body makes these cannabinoids naturally. Each person’s body may manufacture different amounts and have an abundance or deficiency of these cannabinoids. There are two main endocannabinoids that our bodies make: Anandamide and 2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG).
Anandamide is a Sanskrit language for bliss, and is known to be responsible for the feeling of “runner’s high” after exercise. It ligands to the CB1 receptor, which means that it binds to the receptor and creates or enhances the effect. 2-AG is an agonist (activator) of the CB1 receptor and has high concentrations in the brain. 2AG has been associated with the following therapeutic properties: reducing pain, antiemetics (reducing vomiting), stimulating appetite, and inhibiting tumor growth.
Phytocannabinoids
Phytocannabinoids are phyto (botanical) plants that occur naturally in various plant species. However, the term is most commonly associated with the cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. Hundreds of cannabinoids are found in cannabis. The most popular and well-known chemicals are CBD and THC, followed by CBN, CBC, and CBG.
These plant-based cannabinoids have a chemical structure similar to that of endocannabinoids, and therefore help with internal processes when ingested.
Cannabinoid interaction and ECS
How does the endocannabinoid system work?
Endocannabinoids and phytocannabinoids bind and interact with each other and many other receptors in the body. Cannabis works with receptors like a lock and a key. Receptors are like locks, and cannabinoids are keys. Once the cannabinoid receptors are triggered, a process begins to slow down the nerve signal. For comparison, hemp can act as a dimmer on a light switch or a thermostat on an air conditioner.
ECS regulates the creation and transmission of a message from one neuron to another. Different cannabinoid receptor interactions have different effects on the body and help regulate many vital functions. We will now cover THC and CBD to give you a stronger understanding of how ECS and cannabis work.
THC and your ECS
THC is the most abundant of the phytocannabinoids and is an important therapeutic agent with a wide range of medicinal properties. People often think of THC as the psychoactive component of cannabis. The psychoactive effects of THC result from the activation of CB1 receptors in the brain. Brain receptor activity occurs throughout the cortex, midbrain, cerebellum, and spinal cord. Since THC acts directly on the receptors, using too much THC can actually flood the receptors creating tolerance. This is one of the reasons you may need a file Breaking THC tolerance If you use THC frequently or in very high doses.
While THC can increase anxiety, slow reaction times, and impair memory when used frequently or in a very high dose, it also has many positive effects, such as relieving pain. It may improve cancer-related symptoms such as increased appetite, reduced nausea and vomiting, and improved sleep.
Your CBD and ECS
CBD is the second most abundant cannabinoid in cannabis and is a harmless cannabinoid. It is believed to have the ability to reduce some of the negative side effects of THC. CBD has a higher affinity for binding to the CB2 receptor and does not bind to the CB1 receptor like THC.
CBD is also thought to interact with other receptors in your body, including opioid, dopamine, and serotonin receptors. Due to its unique interaction with multiple receptors, CBD is known to improve the immune system, reduce inflammation, pain, depression and anxiety, and help with addiction.
Conclusion
Keeping your ECS at peak performance is important to your overall health. The ECS helps maintain homeostasis within your body by using cannabinoids and receptors to send messages and modulate internal processes.
You can regulate your ECS naturally or by supplementing it with botanicals, including cannabis. CBD and THC have different effects and work on different parts of the body. The two main cannabinoids overlap but differ in their therapeutic qualities.
Hemp products can help improve your ECS; However, like all other supplements or medications, overeating can harm your health and wellness. Medicinal cannabis products They come in different forms with different types of cannabinoids, terpenes, and other chemicals that may help regulate your endocannabinoid system.
And while cannabis is generally well tolerated and safe, it doesn’t work for everyone. If you think medical cannabis is right for you, talk to your doctor or specialist.
