Stimulating The ECS

Stimulating The ECS

As you will come to find out, most, if not all organ systems or pathways can be manipulated and activated. Pharmacology is based on this manipulation or activation. You can also naturally manipulate these same systems as the ancient Egyptians, Chinese and Greeks once did. The ECS can be manipulated into up or down regulation of the system based on numerous external and internal stimuli.

• Activating the ECS properly is important in keeping the body in a natural homeostatic state. Ever wonder why each medication has a list of side effects and another drug to counteract the side effects of the first medication? First medication is unnatural and takes the body out of homeostasis in an effort to mask the symptoms of the disease or attempt to cure it. This imbalance, depending on severity, can lead to anything from headaches, nausea, vertigo, heart palpitations, suicidal ideations or even death.
• Natural alternatives to medications include diet, exercise and supplements to fill in the nutritional gaps.
• The ECS is involved in homeostatic regulation of musculoskeletal, endocrine, cardiovascular, immunological and even reproductive systems of the body.
• Therefore, deficiencies in the ECS lead to the diseased states of the body. Perhaps this is why cannabinoids are found to have many healing properties.
• Under the right conditions, the body produces its own endocannabinoids. However, our body can only produce a few. Phytocannabinoids are cannabinoid like compounds found in plants. Current research is being done on these Phytocannabinoids, like CBD and THC, for their benefits and healing properties.
  • The objective here is to have a simple understanding of activating and maintaining the ECS. Doing so will prevent diseased states and bring balance to the body.
  • Studies show that cannabinoids from cannabis can signal the body to build more cannabinoid receptors and produce more endocannabinoids

Physical Stimulation

Nutrition and exercise play synergistic roles. Nutrition alone is insufficient to fully stimulate the ECS. Exercise and other supplements have been shown to play critical roles.

• Acupuncture: the above linked study showed, “Acupuncture reduced stress-related behavior and normalized HPA-induced corticosterone release.”
  • Electroacupuncture (EA) was shown to increased AEA levels in skin tissue.
  • EA also, “upregulated the expression of CB₂receptors in skin tissues. It appears likely that CB₂ activation in the skin stimulates the release of β-endorphin, which then acts on peripheral μ-opioid receptors.”
• Massages and osteopathic manipulation of asymptomatic patients revealed a decrease of 27% in OEA levels and increased serum AEA 168% over pretreatment levels.
  • Researchers also concluded, “Osteopathic manipulation of participants with low back pain increased serum PEA 1.6-fold over pretreatment levels.”
• High intensity exercise: Dogs and humans were found to have an increase in endocannabinoid signaling after high-intensity endurance running.
  • Serum AEA levels in male and female runners were dramatically increased after 30 minutes of moderately intense treadmill running (70–80% age-adjusted maximum heart rate).
  • Medium to high-intensity exercise in mammals, including humans, increases endocannabinoid signaling, via increased serum AEA levels and possibly increased CB₁ Its hypothesized Runner’s high may be an endocannabinoid induced reward for exercise.
  • Male human subjects were shown to have a serum AEA level that doubled over baseline after ≥30 min running. The same was seen in male subjects after biking.
  • In summary, exercise activates the endocannabinoid system

The ECS In Action

Metabolism

The ECS plays an important role in metabolism, weight management, insulin levels, and thyroid function. Endocannabinoids help regulate the function of fat cells known as adipocytes. The body stores energy in the form of adipocyte accumulation.

• Proper activation of the ECS helps maintain better weight and body mass index.
• Endocannabinoids regulate glucose (sugar) in the body as well as regulating the balance of lipids.
• Although smoking marijuana is associated with the “munchies”, studies show long term cannabis users have an overall lower body mass index then the general population.

PTSD and Memory

Numerous studies have shown the positive effects of cannabis and endocannabinoids in PTSD and memory. Patients with PTSD receive partial remission with current treatment regimens. Patients with unremitted PTSD are associated with high rates of substance abuse.

• Patients with chronic PTSD had “significant improvement in global symptom severity, sleep quality, frequency of nightmares, and PTSD hyperarousal symptoms.”
• One study recently determined people with PTSD were shown to have lower serum levels of 2-ArachidonoylGlycerol (2-AG) , an endocannabinoid.
  • “data support the hypothesis that deficient eCB signaling may be a component of the glucocorticoid dysregulation associated with PTSD.”
• Research has pointed towards normal CB1 receptor signaling deactivates traumatic memories and allows us the ability to forget.
• PTSD is one of many conditions, ailments or diseases that may arise from a dysfunctional ECS

Mental Health

Scientists and researchers have focused on the ECS for questions to mental health, addiction, PTSD and Autism. As more and more research is being unveiled, the ECS is continuing to be a crucial player in midst of all the questions. The integral network of the ECS’s receptors and their functionality is leading research and current medicine.

• Research was published in the Journal of Neuroscience October 2014 which revealed “chronic stress reduced the production of endocannabinoids, leading to depression-like behavior.”
• CBD may help with psychosis, social anxiety, and sleep.

Pre- and Post-Natal Nutrition

The ECS is visible in almost every organ system and activates, deactivates or manipulates those systems, pathways or hormones via cannabinoids.  Pregnancy, fertilization and post-natal care is no different.

• Studies show multiple roles for the ECS during Pre- and Postnatal development.The ECS plays a critical role in embryonic implantation and in the development of the nervous system.
  • • Including regulation of neurogenesis, axon guidance and synaptogenesis.
  • “Immediately after birth, cannabinoid CB1 receptor activation appears to play an essential role in the initiation of suckling, which is necessary for successful postnatal growth, development and thriving.”
• Another study published in 1994 revealed more positive results in neonates whose mother smoked marijuana during pregnancy.
  • The neonates were compared at 3 days and 1 month old. There were no significant differences between exposed and nonexposed neonates on day 3.
  • At 1 month, “the exposed neonates showed better physiological stability and required less examiner facilitation to reach organized states. “
  • The neonates of mothers smoking heavy marijuana “had better scores on autonomic stability, quality of alertness, irritability, and self-regulation and were judged to be more rewarding for caregivers.”
• In 2010 a study published in the journal of the American Heart Association concluded the ECS “promotes white and gray matter recovery after neonatal HI injury.”
  • HI: Hypoxia-Ischemia
• Endocannabinoids are present in breast milkLevels of 2-AG being much higher than those of anandamide

ALS – Lou Gehrig’s Disease

By now you can see the large implications of the ECS in many regulatory functions, disease states, mental health and cancer. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a disease of decreasing motor neuron control. ALS leaves the patient slowly loosing voluntary muscle control.

• In mice animal models, “Administration at the onset of tremors delayed motor impairment and prolonged survival in Δ⁹‐THC treated mice when compared to vehicle controls.”
  • Delta(9)-THC in vitro was impressively effective at reducing oxidative damage in spinal cord cultures.
• As the previous study in 2010 revealed, the ECS exerts neuroprotection in several conditions with grey and white matter recovery.
• There are numerous Therapeutic implications of the endocannabinoid system in neurodegenerative diseases.“decreasing the release of glutamate via activation of the endocannabinoid system, combined with its antioxidant properties, could be proven useful in the treatment of ALS.”
  • Cannabinoids have been tested in several experimental models of autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, colitis and hepatitis and have been shown to protect the host from the pathogenesis through induction of multiple anti-inflammatory pathways.