The Endocannabinoid System

The endocannabinoid system is a complex signaling system of our organism that extends throughout our entire body. It is a cellular signaling system that plays a very important role in regulating many functions and processes in the organism.

The endocannabinoid system affects many functions

The endocannabinoid system affects, among other things, the regulation of:

• sleep
• moods
• body temperature
• memory
• motion functions
• muscle information
• cardiovascular system
• appetite
• skin functions
• fertility (hormonal processes)…

What does balance or homeostasis of an organism mean?

Homeostasis is the ability of our body to maintain the stability of all our internal processes, regardless of the events and changes in the environment. As an example, let’s take our body temperature – it must remain the same, regardless of the temperature of the external environment. Even the beat of our heart must remain in a normal rhythm, the level of our hormones must remain normal, the body must rest after efforts and, after adequate rest, have enough energy for work, for a new start… despite all the changes in the environment around us. Our internal homeostasis. But how can our body maintain it? Let’s see: in the case of external heat, there is a risk that our body will overheat. In this case, the body activates our endocannabinoid system, which immediately reacts and begins to regulate the situation. The body begins to sweat in order to cool down and maintain normal body temperature. We all know the feeling of hunger – but where does the message come from that we need food for energy, fuel? Our endocannabinoid system is responsible. Also, the endocannabinoid system warns us when we need rest, movement, liquid… like our personal scales, which must remain in balance.

Characteristics of endocannabinoid receptors

The endocannabinoid system consists of:

• endocannabinoid receptors, 
• endocannabinoids (molecules that bind to these receptors) and
• enzymes that take care of the correct synthesis and breakdown of endocannabinoids. 

The best known endocannabinoid receptors are CB1 (central nervous system) and CB2 (peripheral nervous system). Endocannabinoids are endogenous agonists of cannabinoid receptors, they are intracellular transmitters of signals between nearby cells. These are lipophilic molecules that become part of the cell membrane after synthesis, and many different enzymes are involved in the synthesis itself. Enzymes are also part of the endocannabinoid system. Enzymes are basically proteins or some protein complex that functions to regulate the rate and direction of reactions in living and non-living cells. Each enzyme acts only on specific substrates or reactions. In the functioning of enzymes, their characteristic is that the enzyme is not consumed during its operation, nor is it permanently changed. Enzymes play a very important role in the endocannabinoid system in the breakdown of used endocannabinoids.

Endocannabinoids are produced in mammalian tissues. Over the years, with disease states, with stress, the level of our endocannabinoids begins to decline. Precisely in this case, we can equip ourselves with the hemp cannabinoid CBD, which has an entry into our endocannabinoid system and, with the help of enzymes, indirectly influence the increased formation and consumption of endocannabinoids. How much we need them!