"People should really take note and understand how fundamentally important it is - The ECS exists and is active in your body even if you don’t use cannabis."
According to the World Health Organization, wellness is “the state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity.” Wellness is an active process: You learn how your lifestyle choices can impact your health and longevity, and then you use that knowledge to make decisions that improve your well-being.
With the rightful change in attitude, a rediscovery of cannabis use for wellness and health reasons and a wider acceptance of the plant - stigma is slowly changing. Cannabis has been used as a wellness tool for many, many years - centuries even, so the discovery of the Endocannabinoid system [ECS] has been such an important revelation.
In 1964, Dr. Raphael Mechoulam identified and isolated tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) for the first time. In addition, Mechoulam also successfully isolated cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychotropic cannabinoid generally associated with antioxidant and neuroprotectant properties. These cannabinoids are referred to as “phytocannabinoids” because they are naturally occurring in plants. Being able to isolate these phytocannabinoids for the first time was a critical stepping stone in discovering The Endocannabinoid System.
The Endocannabinoid system is a molecular system responsible for regulating and balancing many processes in the body, including immune response, communication between cells, appetite and metabolism, memory, and more. It is through this system of receptors and metabolic enzymes that cannabinoids interact with the human body and trigger beneficial effects. The ECS performs different tasks but the goal is always the same: homeostasis - [A state of balance among all the body systems needed for the body to survive and function correctly].
What Are the Benefits of Stimulating and Supporting Your Endocannabinoid System?
Modulating the activity of the endocannabinoid system has turned out to hold therapeutic promise in a wide range of disparate diseases and pathological conditions, ranging from mood and anxiety disorders, movement disorders such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease, neuropathic pain, multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury, to cancer, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, stroke, hypertension, glaucoma, obesity/metabolic syndrome, and osteoporosis, to name just a few.*
There is a theory* known by experts called Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency (CECD). This theory suggests that low endocannabinoid levels in your body can contribute to the development of certain conditions such as:
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Major depression
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Generalized anxiety disorder
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Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
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Multiple sclerosis
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Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
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Sleep disorders
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Fibromyalgia
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Parkinson's
Why taking CBD daily can help
CBD [Cannabidiol] is one of many cannabinoids found in the cannabis plants. The compound has a wide range of potential benefits, especially helpful for stress, anxiety, depression, epilepsy, pain, and inflammation. When we suffer from pain or fever for example, the ECS kicks in to keep internal processes stable and to help return your body to normal. Taking CBD can help natural endocannabinoids [Anandamide and 2-AG] from being broken down, allowing them to have more of an effect on the body.
Incorporating CBD into your routine should be as important as drinking water. A fundamental to your daily life!
Links
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3817535/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27086601
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359644616302926
* Dr. Pal Pacher, M.D., Ph.D