You have probably heard many times how beneficial cannabidiol is for the human body, and the many positive therapeutic effects it can cause. However, many people don’t know how CBD can have its effect on the human body.
That’s easy, through the endocannabinoid system found in many parts of the human body. However, it’s not just naming the system, it’s knowing how it works inside the body, so you will know much more about how the effect of best organic CBD oil is triggered through this particular system.
What is the endocannabinoid system?
One of the most important physiologic processes involved in human health establishment and maintenance is the endogenous cannabinoid system, which is named after the plant that led to its discovery. The brain, lungs, connective tissues, glands, and immune cells, among other areas, can all contain endocannabinoids and their receptors.
Its job is to keep metabolic processes in check and our bodies running smoothly. It is critical in the regulation of our physiology, mood, and day-to-day experiences.
In different tissues, the cannabinoid system serves a variety of functions. However, the goal is often the same: homeostasis, or maintaining a constant internal environment despite external changes.
Importance of the endocannabinoid system
As mentioned above, this is a neurotransmitter system found in different areas and tissues of the human body. It consists of a series of interacting cannabinoid and endocannabinoid receptors and enzymes that regulate the life cycle of the endocannabinoids.
The brain, organs, central and peripheral nervous systems, tissues, glands, and immune cells all have cannabinoid receptors, except for the medulla oblongata, which regulates autonomic functions like respiration. The endocannabinoid system performs different tasks in each field, but the result is always the same: homeostasis or equilibrium, the maintenance of a stable internal environment despite external fluctuations, which is why this system is so important.
How the endocannabinoid system works
As mentioned above, the endocannabinoid system is composed of cannabinoid receptors and endocannabinoids that interact in the same way as a lock and key.
Endocannabinoids, endogenous lipid ligands formed by various body cells, function as a perfect key that binds to the receptors, and cannabinoid receptors are cell membrane proteins that act as the lock. This activation causes changes within the cells, which contribute to the endocannabinoid system’s final behavior on the body’s physiological processes.
Types of receptors of the endocannabinoid system
Through the different studies that have been carried out over the years, it was discovered that the endocannabinoid system has mainly two receptors, CB1 and CB2. Furthermore, it was shown that these receptors are much more abundant in the brain than any other type of neurotransmitter receptor.
These receptors are related both to the endocannabinoids that our body produces naturally and to the phytocannabinoids, which are the compounds present in cannabinoids such as THC and Cannabidiol (CBD). Our bodies not only have receptors for cannabinoids, but they also manufacture them internally, according to one scientist.
How CBD acts on the system and its receptors
As we already know, the endocannabinoid system has mainly two types of receptors, and here we explain the effect that CBD has on each of them:
CB1 receptors
These receptors are primarily found in the hippocampus, cerebral cortex, cerebellum, basal ganglia, hypothalamus, and amygdala, which are responsible for mental and physiological processes including memory, higher cognition, motor control, breathing, appetite, pain perception, and emotions.
The compound in cannabis that is most closely linked to the CB1 receptor is THC, and it functions by moderating pain. This receptor also regulates brain cell growth and stem cell migration.
The CB2 receptors
These on the other hand are concentrated in the immune system and nervous system, but also the intestine, spleen, liver, heart, kidneys, bones, blood vessels, lymph cells, endocrine glands, and reproductive organs.
CBD, in particular, is related to CB2 and acts as an anti-inflammatory. CB2 receptors can be found in the brain when it is damaged, such as after a traumatic injury or a degenerative disease.
Conclusion
As we have been able to learn, whether or not to consume cannabis goes far beyond the simple consumption that one can have. It is a whole system of our human body that is in charge of acting together with these cannabis compounds to produce different effects in the human body.
