Each and every one of us have incredibly delicate systems in our body, such as the endocrine system, the nervous system, and the respiratory system, all of which serve to maintain homeostasis, optimum health, and well-being. These systems have been well known to science for many decades. In the early 1990s, an entirely new system in the human body was discovered.
Introducing Your Endocannabinoid System!
The endocannabinoid system is remarkable. It is found in humans and in all mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and more. The endocannabinoid system is an ancient part of our biology and may hold the key to many of our body’s mysteries. The endocannabinoid system and its diverse functions have only just begun to be discovered. In 1990 a team of researchers, including Dr. Ralph Mechoulam and his colleagues, discovered a critical function of the system: cannabinoid receptors.
Cannabinoid receptors are present throughout the human body and regulate biological harmony in response to changes in the environment. Researchers have discovered two Cannabinoid receptors and speculate there may be more. The first receptor is known as CB1, predominantly present in the nervous system, connective tissues, gonads, glands, and organs. The second cannabinoid receptor identified is known as CB2, predominantly found in the immune system and its associated functions. Endocannabinoids and both CB1 and CB2 receptors are found in the brain, organs, connective tissues, glands, and immune cells, and each are linked to a different action.
Research has proven the fundamental role that cannabinoids have in our health by maintaining that biological harmony or homeostasis. Remarkably, the endocannabinoid system in all of us is similar to the compounds of endocannabinoids found in hemp plants. The study of these molecules has been astounding as scientists have proclaimed that they are the most versatile molecules known to exist. This incredible discovery has proven that our endocannabinoid systems regulate a number of functions from pain, immune response, to motor function, sleep, and even memory.
Cannabinoids and Cannabidiol (CBD)
Cannabinoids are compounds produced naturally in our bodies and in many plants. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a compound found in hemp and cannabis plants. CBD alone does not have any psychoactive effects and has proven to have many medicinal effects targeting areas in the body that are out of balance. If you had a mild injury, for example, and you took CBD, the cannabinoids would communicate with the cells and the injured tissues and work to decrease the release of activators and sensitizers to stabilize the nerve cells and prevent the firing of pro-inflammatory substances.
When you take CBD, your cannabinoid receptors are targeted, and the cannabinoids mechanism of action is to regulate internal and cellular homeostasis. This way, the right enzymes are released to the area in need. These cannabinoids travel to the areas in your body calling out for balance and have one purpose, to reduce pain and damage caused by injury and maintain homeostasis. Taking CBD is a natural way to deliver therapeutic benefits to your endocannabinoid system, which supports the harmony of major body functions.
How Does CBD Effect Our Endocannabinoid System?
Plant cannabinoids such as CBD have medicinal effects on humans due to our innate endocannabinoid system of receivers that CBD interacts with. Our endocannabinoid system regulates a number of functions, some of the ongoing discoveries include: pain, immune response, motor function, sleep, mood, and even memory. These discoveries inspire our dedication to share the potential and value CBD has to enhance our quality of life and improve overall wellness for many. We have discovered that understanding the endocannabinoid system is critical to maintaining a thriving environment for your body to perform at its best!
The reason that plant cannabinoids such as CBD have therapeutic effects on humans is because we are naturally born with an innate endocannabinoid system of receivers that CBD interacts with. The endocannabinoid system is full of cannabinoid receptors. Definitive evidence for the existence of specific cannabinoid receptors was found after the availability of a specific technology which is credited with making the research of biomolecular studies possible; the radioligand. The radioligand allowed the mapping of receptors in the brain by autoradiography. As a result of the mapping of receptors in the brain, a specific type of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), was discovered and is known as CB2 receptors, the brain receptors for cannabinoids.
CB1 and CB2 Receptors
CB1 receptors are the most abundant receptors in the mammalian brain, but are also present at much lower concentrations in a variety of peripheral tissues and cells. A second cannabinoid was recently identified in the cells of the brain, the liver, pancreas, and even bone. These receptors are GPCR and CB2, which are expressed primarily in the cells of the immune system.
Under a microscope, CB1 receptors appear like a bundle of microscopic spirals, like our DNA, called helices. But these spirals, seven in all, are actually made of amino acids that are able to weave in and out of a cell’s membrane, activating or inactivating, generally fulfilling that receptor’s expressed needs. As a cannabinoid enters the receptor, each of those seven spirals binds and wraps itself around the receptors binding site making it whole and complete.
Crystallography revealed that the helices twisted and collapsed together, shrinking the receptor to less than half its size when stimulated with cannabinoids. This is good news as these shrunken, stimulated receptors are no longer calling out and are generally less demanding on the cellular level of our body overall. This is an example of how CBD works for pain.
Science and Research Developments
Mapping and modulating the activity of our endocannabinoid system turns out to hold tremendous therapeutic promise. Discoveries are showing us that the endocannabinoid system targets a wide range of diseases and conditions, ranging from movement disorders such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, Huntington’s disease, neuropathic pain, spinal cord injury, to cancer, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, stroke, hypertension, glaucoma, obesity/metabolic syndrome, and osteoporosis. That’s only mentioning a few!
The endocannabinoid system is amazing, but there’s still a lot we don’t know about it. Experts are developing a better understanding of how the endocannabinoid system could eventually hold the key to treating several conditions.
The growing amount of research and interest in the underlying science has been matched by a growth in the number of cannabinoid drugs available in pharmaceutical development from only two in 1995 to over 27 in 2004. Currently, the FDA has approved 4 cannabinoid-based drugs for medicinal use in the US. The FDA has also submitted a request to the White House and Congress for CBD research guidelines to be re-evaluated. CBD derived from cannabis had been labeled under Schedule 1 substances, prior to hemp legalization, thus limiting the data and research in the U.S. The FDA is currently working on revising the enforcement policy and rulemaking regulations around hemp and cannabis to hopefully eventually allow CBD into dietary supplements. These are exciting advances that open up possibilities for the future of cannabinoids.
The successful mapping and continued research on endocannabinoid receptors in humans and animals has provided a plethora of evidence for the potential therapeutic use of cannabinoid-related medications. It is clearly a huge step forward in CBD research and the emerging importance of this life-altering field.
As science continues to unlock the mysteries of the endocannabinoid system, we are actively following the latest developments in cannabis science and research. Our story has led us here, to helping others get access to high quality cannabinoid formulas for complicated health issues. Our team at Strainz is inspired to empower you by delivering you up to date research, data, and current events in the cannabis and hemp industry. We are a team of CBD advocates here to educate and evolve the industry by supporting scientific advances and staying up to date on the latest farming and extraction technologies. Our collective voice and contributions shape the future of cannabis and hemp.
Strainz is committed to providing you with natural ways to improve your quality of life and meet your wellness goals through pure cannabidiol formulas. Strainz offers a full range of CBD products online and we also offer THC-CBD combination products at legally licensed dispensaries in the US. We are dedicated to serving you high-quality CBD products derived from organically grown plants. We want you to have the best experience, find products that fit your lifestyle needs, optimize your health goals, and provide you with lasting results so you can thrive! Contact us if you have any questions about our products or visit Strainz FAQ’s to discover more about Strainz.
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