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What is your Endo-Cannabinoid System?

What is your Endocannabinoid System and how does it respond to CBD?

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The Endo-Cannabinoid System

The ECS balances the body to maintain optimal health and well-being.

Cannabinoids and their receptors are very much like a lock and key.

In the tissue in your body, you have two kinds of cannabinoid receptors, CB1 & CB2. These are the locks. CB1s are abundant in the central nervous system and CB2s can be found in your immune cells, the gastrointestinal tract and the peripheral nervous system.

Because these receptors are found in so many places in the body, they are responsible for regulating a huge amount of bodily functions, such as:

  • Sleep
  • Mood
  • Digestion
  • Motor Control
  • Immune Function
  • Pain
  • Memory
  • Reproduction and Fertility

What are endocannabinoids?

Endocannabinoids are the keys that open the cannabinoid receptors (CB1 & CB2). They tell your body when to start all the different processes (sleep, moods, motor control, etc). When this system is disrupted you will experience dysfunction in some or all of your bodily processes.

The body produces its own endocannabinoids but we, as humans, get a lot of them from food, especially foods high in Omega 3 fatty acids.

Enzymes in our bodies also play a huge role in regulating our ECS. Enzymes float around the body and break down any leftover cannabinoid receptors (Keys) that haven’t found a receptor to bind with (lock to open).

Anandamide (the bliss molecule) is an endocannabinoid produced by our bodies that affects the immune system, eating & sleeping patterns and pain relief. Having lots of this in our systems can help to regulate our bodily processes but any excess anandamide is broken up by enzymes.

Enter cannabidiol (CBD).

CBD stops the enzymes from breaking down excess anandamide, leaving more of it available for use by your body. This is why CBD can act as a natural mood lifter, without the “high” associated with using cannabis.

So what does this mean for us?

In short, using CBD products helps regulate the systems throughout your body. With the receptors being found in so many systems in your body, CBD can be used to balance and enhance them all. Which enhances your body’s overall health and well-being.