Your endocannabinoid system is a beautiful thing.
It's responsible for keeping all of your systems in check, and it's what makes you who you are. It's your body's way of connecting with the world around it.
The endocannabinoid system is made up of receptors that sit on the surface of cells throughout your body. The receptors are activated by cannabinoids like CBD, THC, and others that occur naturally in plants like cannabis. The receptors help regulate things like appetite, sleep cycles, mood, memory—basically every part of your life!
The ECS maintains its own system of cannabinoid receptors called CB1 and CB2 receptors. CB1 receptors are mainly found in the brain and nervous system, as well as the liver, kidney, and lungs. CB2 receptors are mainly found in the immune system. When you consume cannabis for health purposes, the cannabinoids will interact with these receptors.
How Does Cannabis Interact With These Receptors?
When a person consumes cannabis, it interacts with their endocannabinoid system (ECS). Cannabinoids such as THC bind to these receptors on neurons outside of our central nervous system (CNS). Once these compounds bind to these locations, they affect how your body responds to pain signals or other stimuli by increasing or decreasing their effects through other proteins like G-proteins and adenylyl cyclase enzymes that regulate certain cellular functions such as gene expression (cell growth) or enzyme function (metabolic processes). This can also result in changes that affect mood regulation due to endorphin release into synapses between neurons across different regions throughout your brain – ultimately affecting how we perceive stressors from daily life!
Cannabinoids can be found in many plants but are also produced by animals (endocannabinoids) and humans (phytocannabinoids). We have naturally occurring endocannabinoids that our bodies produce on their own such as anandamide (AEA) and 2-AG which are produced by your nervous system to help regulate functions within the body.
Phytocannabinoids are compounds found in the cannabis sativa plant that have medicinal properties. These compounds interact with receptors within our body called CB1 and CB2 receptors, which activate different processes throughout the body such as pain management, mood regulation, appetite suppression etcetera.
One of them is CBD or cannabidiol which has shown therapeutic benefits for many conditions such as anxiety, depression, aches, and pains. CBD does not have any psychoactive properties; it will just activate your ECS without making you feel "high".
If you suffer from chronic pain then this could be a great option for you because there are no known side effects and it's nonaddictive like opiates. Another benefit of using CBD is that it reduces inflammation in the body which can help with arthritis or other inflammatory conditions like eczema or psoriasis.
Do you want to naturally boost your ECS?
A healthy endocannabinoid system is vital to maintaining a balanced lifestyle. It's one of the most important systems in your body, as it controls your immune responses, moods, appetite, sleep cycles, memory, and more. So naturally, boosting this system will help you feel better than ever!
Here are 9 foods that will naturally boost your endocannabinoid system:
1. Avocados
2. Coconut oil
3. Dark chocolate (at least 85% cacao)
4. Eggs (preferably pastured)
5. Hemp seeds or hemp protein powder (make sure it’s non-GMO)
6. Leafy greens such as spinach or kale (mustard greens are also good)
7. Mushrooms (shiitake, maitake, portobello)
8. Nut butter (almond or peanut butter on sprouted grain toast is delicious)
9. Turmeric (add it to a smoothie with some coconut milk and berries)
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