Anandamide is a chemical that’s in your endocannabinoid system. Deriving from the word in Sanskrit meaning happiness or bliss, this is a molecule with powerful effects and only occurs in small amounts in the world naturally.
For those who have an endocannabinoid deficiency, this is something which can possibly help with this.
A Bit more on Anandamide
While the name may mean happiness or bliss, it’s not always something that’s good.
There are people who have too much anandamide, which is an overstimulation of your CB1 receptor, which results in possible diseases including obesity.
It also isn’t water-soluble, so I needs to be broken down with the FAAH enzymes.
However, this is something that’s produced in a natural sense, and isn’t capable of creating a high that’s noticeable, but it’s responsible for euphoria and bliss, along with elation too.
Homeostasis and anandamide
There is some evidence that says it plays a role in homeostasis, including keeping the body temperature properly regulated, and it does regulate the whole body.
It also helps with the reward receptors, which means that you’re able to have a better choice on what you choose to have. This is similar to how dopamine works too.
How Phyto cannabinoids play a role in this
Phyto cannabinoids are cannabinoids in the plant, and these are part of the cannabis plant.
There are at least 113 of them, but we don’t know all of them, but they interact with your body and have different effects.
How does anandamide work with THC though. THC is one of the most well-known kinds of chemicals, and it interacts with your CB1 and 2 receptors directly, so in a sense, it works the same way that anandamide does, binding to the receptors, and in a way, it’s basically a large concentration of this.
THC is very versatile as well, since it can work with the receptors to properly regulate everything.
The enzymes can break down the anandamide, but it’s less common in THC, which is why the THC high lasts a lot longer, and the anandamide high is a lot more short lived though.
What about CBD
CBD is very different from THC, since it’s got no affinity to this, and it actually limits the uptake of these receptors, which is why it counteracts the affects you see in THC.
But this also inhibits your body’s production of FAAH along with the MAGL enzymes that break down anandamide. It actually increases the anandamide concentration in these receptors, meaning there’s a lot more there before.
While THC floods the body with this, the CBD gives a more direct connection to anandamide and its potential itself.
The Therapeutic potential.
There is a lot that can work here with this, but the problem is that cannabis legislation is still slacking. However, CBD is being studied a lot more since it is not psychotropic and is much more versatile too.
This actually can help with those who have addiction too, since it’s not as easily broken down due to the inhibiting aspects of CBD, so that means that there is a lot less sever withdrawals in this, so it can possibly help with addiction.
Cannabis may also help as well with the inflammatory response, since endocannabinoids actually reduce the markers and also help reduce the inflammatory response as well.
Finally, it helps with neuroprotection since it can protect the body against neurodegenerative disease, and it can actually help reduce apoptosis, which is the programmed cellular death.
Overall, there re a lot of potential changes that can be found, and a ton of benefit.