CBD and Your ‘Endo-Cannabinoid’ System

Have you ever wondered how CBD oil works? The oil delivers its therapeutic benefits by interacting with the endocannabinoid system. The system regulates key aspects of human biology to maintain health and well-being.

To understand the endocannabinoid system, you should know about homeostasis. It is the concept in which most biological systems are controlled actively to maintain conditions within a specific range. The body needs to satisfy specific conditions to maintain maximum performance. One of the most important molecular systems of the body is the endocannabinoid system because it helps keep the cells in their optimal zone.

endocannabinoid-system_UK_CBD

Key Elements of the Endocannabinoid System

Humans share the endocannabinoid system with all vertebrate species. The system plays a similar role in all the species because they have the same components, which are cannabinoid receptors, endocannabinoids, and metabolic enzymes.

Cannabinoid Receptors

You can find the cannabinoid receptors on the cell’s surface that allows it to monitor the conditions outside of the cell. They send the information about conditions to the cell that will make it react appropriately.

The two major cannabinoid receptors are CB1 and CB2. They are the fine cannabinoid receptors discovered by researchers. CB1 is abundant in the brain, and they interact with THC that makes people high. CB2 is more abundant found outside the nervous system. Take note that you can find both cannabinoid receptors throughout the body.

Endocannabinoids

The human body naturally produces endocannabinoids. They are molecules that bind to and activate the receptors. The two major endocannabinoids are 2-AG and anandamide. They are made from molecules similar to fat within the membranes of the cell. They are also synthesised on demand, instead of being packaged and stored for future use.

Metabolic Enzymes

Metabolic enzymes destroy the endocannabinoids once the cells already used them. MAGI breaks down the 2-AG endocannabinoids, while the FAAH destroys the anandamide. The enzymes ensure that the cells used the endocannabinoids when needed and destroy them when they are no longer required. This is the difference between endocannabinoids and other molecular signals in the human body. Other neurotransmitters and hormones persist for minutes or are packaged and stored for future use.

You can find the three key elements of the endocannabinoid system within all the major systems of the human body. When something is not right within the cells, the three components get to action to make things right again.

Regulation of Inflammation

One of the most popular uses of CBD oil is to treat inflammations. Inflammation is a natural reaction of the immune system in response to physical damage or infection. The role of endocannabinoids is to limit or suppress the inflammatory signals of the immune system. By preventing excessive inflammation, the cells get back to their optimum condition faster.

As you can see, the endocannabinoid system plays an important role in making sure that the cells and the systems stay in their optimal zone. The system deploys its key elements when and where the body needs them. The endocannabinoid system is a complex one that is useful in ensuring the overall wellness of the body.

HOW CBD BINDS TO THE ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM

Up to 1992, the endogenous cannabinoid system remained elusive to scientists. While trying to explain how marijuana produces psychoactive effects, they discovered the system present in most mammals.

Simply put, it is a communication system, with receptors and endocannabinoids found throughout the body: in the organs, brains, immune cells, and glands. Its action thus affects virtually all organs and systems. It can affect how you feel, react, move, sleep, and more. Note that the body produces its own cannabinoids, which are similar to CBC or THC.

Once they interact with the EC system, essential body functions are regulated. For instance, recreational users of cannabis have an increased appetite after use; it is caused by the introduction of cannabinoids, which affect the physiological response. Remember that the EC system is all over the body. That is why cannabis users can experience short-term memory loss and lack of coordination.  So how does CBD work in the body? How do CBD cannabinoids bind to the EC system?

How Endocannabinoids Work Uniquely from Other Neurotransmitters

The EC system is made mainly of neurons surrounded by an aqueous solution. However, they conduct synaptic signals differently. Brain cells will relay messages to and from the body by sending chemical messages through neurotransmitters such as GABA or glutamate. The chemicals released from one pre-synaptic cell journey through the synapse, which is just a small gap. The chemical reaches the post-synaptic cells, which triggers the production of more chemical messages spurring a set of events.

CBD does not interact with the CB1 or CBD 2 receptors directly. It will interact with the post-synaptic neurons. They respond by producing cannabinoids, which move back to the pre-synaptic neurons. Here, they will interact by attaching to the cannabinoid receptors CB1 or CB2. Now think about it. CBD is unlike other neurotransmitters. It controls the presynaptic neurons and affects how messages are relayed.

Share this article