The endocannabinoid system (ECS) can be found throughout the body. It plays an important role in keeping us healthy and releases substances like CBD and THC to change our brain and body chemistry.
Decades of experimental research have only just begun to unlock the enigmas of the endocannabinoid system. It’s possible to hold the key to fully learning how some useful plant substances can provide extraordinary beneficial effects.
What is the Endocannabinoid system?
The endocannabinoid system is a chain of chemicals and receptors found throughout the human body. Its function is still not fully figured out, but current research suggests that it is a chemical warning system that helps to return your internal body conditions to a state of healthy balance.
The processes that keep this harmony are known as the homeostatic system. They keep our bodies in good health by assuring that things such as temperature and acidity are kept within safe levels. Just like the thermostat in your home’s heating system, the homeostatic mechanism makes tiny adjustments to keep the ideal balance.
Stresses that come from outside our bodies, as well as internal ones like disease, can upset this balance. If your ECS is in good health and has everything it needs, your body can rapidly return to normal.
If it’s not performing well or does not have adequate signaling molecules, you may remain out of balance for longer.
The ECS is made of several different parts, including:
Endocannabinoids
These are molecules that can combine with other body systems to produce effects such as, motivation, pleasure, and pain regulation. They are produced within the body; ‘endo’ comes from ‘Endogenous’ which means ‘originating within an organism’.
The two endocannabinoids that have been identified are called Anandamide and 2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG).
If your body doesn’t generate enough endocannabinoids, the ‘endocannabinoid deficiency’ theory suggests that it may not be able to effectively restore a state of balance.
When body systems are put under pressure by external stress or internal issues like disease, without enough endocannabinoids they can’t respond efficiently. The theory shows that this could allow diseases and chronic conditions to develop.
Endocannabinoid receptors
These are receptors that your body’s endocannabinoids bind to directly to as part of a chemical signalling process. The two that scientists have discovered so far are known as CB1 and CB2.
CB1
Most commonly found in the brain and spinal cord. It’s a protein that binds directly to anandamide and 2-AG. When activated it regulates several brain functions, including the release of serotonin and dopamine.
It also creates an effect that improves the transmission of electrical signals as they travel from nerve cell to nerve cell.
CB2
These receptors are also proteins and are present on immune cells around the body as well as in the spleen, bones and liver. When endocannabinoids bind with CB2, it switches on processes that can reduce inflammation and promote cell survival.
Other chemicals and enzymes
Several other chemicals are present around the receptors and can affect how the endocannabinoids bind to them. The ones that we know most about are enzymes. These enzymes are responsible for breaking down the endocannabinoids once they’ve bound to the receptors and their job is done.
What are cannabinoids?
The endocannabinoids in our bodies are part of a broader group of substances known as cannabinoids. The name cannabinoid refers to a group of natural chemicals that have the same shape or function as those found in cannabis plants.
Cannabinoids produced in humans and animals, like anandamide and 2-AG, are known as endocannabinoids and those found in plants, CBD and THC are phytocannabinoids (plant cannabinoids). CBD and THC are the most well-known plant cannabinoids and are the ones found in the highest concentrations in most cannabis plants.
When a plant cannabinoid, like CBD or THC, is absorbed by a human, it affects their ECS. Because it interacts with receptors differently to the animal’s own endocannabinoids, they produce a range of different effects.
How does CBD interact with the body?
While as yet, there is no conclusive evidence of exactly how CBD interacts with your body, there are some things we do know and a couple of useful theories. We know that CBD doesn’t bind directly with either CB1 receptors or CB2 receptors. Instead, most scientists believe that it interacts with nearby enzymes that are present to break down the endocannabinoids anandamide and 2-AG.
By doing this, they block the enzymes and prevent your endocannabinoids from being broken down after they’ve been used. As a result, your endocannabinoid levels build-up, allowing your body to respond quickly and efficiently to imbalances.