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The
Endocannabinoid System | Why Does CBD Work on So
Many Conditions?
As I started learning about
CBD, I became curious about the science
behind how it helps
people with so many different conditions – from bone
fractures to asthma to epilepsy and cancer.
The answer lies in the
Endocannabinoid System,
an integral part of our physiologies, which was discovered and named in
the mid-1990s by
Israeli researcher Dr. Ralph Mechoulam.
Dr. Mechoulam was also the researcher who identified THC as the main
active ingredient in
cannabis in the early 1960s. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is
thought to be the most
important physiologic system involved in establishing and maintaining
human health. It
plays a role in many if not most of our body’s processes
including mood regulation, memory,
inflammation, appetite, muscle tone and movement, perception of pain,
protection of nerves
and brain tissue, traumatic memory extinction, tumor regulation, bone
growth, stress
management, eye pressure, gastrointestinal motility and seizure
activity. It is considered a
master control system of virtually all our physiology.
Dr. Mechoulam discovered two main types of receptors in our bodies
which he named
cannabinoid 1 (CB1) and cannabinoid 2 (CB2). These receptors for
cannabinoids are the most
prevalent neurotransmitters throughout the human brain and are
expressed in nearly
every tissue and cell throughout the body. They are even found in the
organs, bones, and skin.
Endocannabinoid
System – CB1 Receptors
CB1 receptors are primarily
found in the brain, are present in the male
and female
reproductive organs, and are in neurons throughout the body . Current
research shows that
THC is specifically keyed to the CB1 site. CB1 receptors are not
present in the part of the brain
that regulates heart rate and respiration. That is the reason that,
unlike narcotics, there is no
lethal dosage threshold for THC.
When CBD is present, it moderates the effects of THC. It actually
knocks THC off the CB1
receptor, so if someone is experiencing THC intoxication, a strong dose
of CBD can counteract
those effects.
It’s the CB1 receptors that play a role in why cannabis helps
things like PTSD, anxiety, stress
and depression. CB1 receptors are responsible for extinguishing
traumatic and fearful
memories. So when your CB1 receptors are functioning normally, you are
desensitized to the
fearful or traumatic event. But when the CB1 receptors don’t
function properly to diminish the
impact of these types of events, the initial reaction to the triggering
event can remain
sustained and PTSD, anxiety and depression can result.
Endocannabinoid
System – CB2 Receptors
CB2 receptors are primarily found in the
immune system, with the
highest concentration
located in the spleen. The CB2 receptors are keyed to CBD and work as
an anti-inflammatory
agent. The immune-boosting functions of CB2 are just beginning to be
understood.
The
“Magic” of CBD and The Endocannabinoid system
In each tissue throughout the body, the endocannabinoid system performs
different tasks but
the goal is always the same – homeostasis – the
maintenance of a stable internal
environment despite fluctuations in the external environment. This is
the reason that CBD
“magically” improves so many different ailments.
Examples of homeostasis include the
regulation of temperature and the balance between acidity and
alkalinity (pH). It is a process
that maintains the stability of the human body’s internal
environment in response to changes
in external conditions.
The total effect of the ECS is not only to regulate homeostasis, but
also to prevent disease and
aging.
Endocannabinoids
and Cannabinioids
After the discovery of the ECS, researchers began to look for
substances made by our own
bodies that would bind with it. It would have been quite shocking to
have the most important
physiologic system in our body only able to bind to molecules of plant
origin. And sure
enough, endocannabinoids have been discovered; these are substances
that are made within
our bodies that bind to the ECS just like CBD and THC do. They are the
endogenous arachidonate-based lipids anandamide
(N-arachidonoylethanolamide, AEA)
and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG).
In addition to endogenous (Anandamide and 2-AG) and plant-based
cannabinoids (like CBD,
THC and CBN), attempts have been made to stimulate the ECS with
synthetic cannabinoids
such as Marinol, the synthetic version of THC. The side effects of this
FDA-drug can be
extremely unpleasant, although some patients have experienced benefits
from using it.
Clinical Endocannabinoid
Deficiency (CECD)
When we don’t have enough endocannabinoids in our body, a
condition called Clinical
Endocannabinoid Deficiency can result. Researchers are connecting CECD
to a number of
ailments including illnesses previously considered untreatable like
irritable bowel
syndrome, migraines and fibromyalgia.
Levels
of Endocannabinoids Drop Under Stress, Rise with Cannabis
Scientists from the University at Buffalo found that under stress,
production of
endocannabinoids dropped and therefore levels of endocannabinoids in
the brain also
dropped. This produced symptoms like anxiety, stress, depression and
PTSD. When cannabis
was introduced into the body, the levels of endocannabinoids increased
and the animal test
subjects began to show signs of relieved stress.
When the ECS isn’t healthy, any number of things can go
wrong. The cannabinoids in cannabis
can helps us bolster the ECS, which is why the herb is so effective for
so many different ailments.
a member of the
HealthWealthGroup on Facebook. Once a member you can search the entire
group
for testimonials and see the results for yourself. It’s truly
amazing. Join
below:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/healthwealthgroup/
We
hope
you experience great health and well-being as well.
Thank You to all of those who
put in the time and research to pull this information together. We are
simply sharing it.
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