Highlights
After reading this post you will know:
- The basics of the Endocannabinoid System
- Research surrounding the theory of Endocannabinoid Deficiency
- CBD oil can be used to help treat Endocannabinoid Deficiency
Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency is a mouthful and your head is probably spinning just from reading it. So, let’s break it down.
You know those things called cannabinoids? Those active chemicals in cannabis that make people feel good like THC and CBD? Well there are very similar and naturally occurring chemicals in our bodies that are called endogenous cannabinoids, or endocannabinoids for short.
Essentially, Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency is a theory that our bodies need endocannabinoids to feel good and function properly, but some people’s bodies don’t make enough of them which may lead to an array of illnesses.
What exactly is the Endocannabinoid System?
There have been multiple peer-reviewed journals (aka legitimate) on the Endocannabinoid System or ECS for short. Scientists first discovered it in the 1990s, but there is still a lot to be learned about it.
What we know so far is that it plays a role in regulating sleep, appetite, mood, memory, and fertility. There are two different endocannabinoids made by the human body and our nervous system has receptors to accept and process these chemicals. One type of receptor is in our central nervous system and the other is in our peripheral nervous system (your immune system is a part of this one). THC fits into both of these receptors which is why people can become hungry, sleepy, or paranoid after smoking cannabis.
Is there any research to support the theory of Endocannabinoid Deficiency?
Dr. Ethan Russo, a leading cannabinoid researcher and neurologist has been spearheading the research into what happens when people become endocannabinoid deficient. In a study Russo published in 2004, he found that a lack of endocannabinoids could be the underlying cause of several common conditions that doctors have trouble treating including:
Migraines
Migraines are intense headaches that can be so painful that they’re debilitating. During his research, Dr. Russo found anandamide (one of the body’s naturally occurring endocannabinoids) was involved in serotonin production and pain modulation. High levels of serotonin are believed to contribute to migraines, but that could be counteracted if more anandamide was present to regulate the serotonin production.
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a chronic, long-term condition that leaves people in constant pain. There is currently no known cure for the disease, though the pain can be managed to some degree. Dr. Russo’s research found that the endocannabinoid system regulates the nociceptive thresholds. The Nociceptors are responsible for detecting pain and telling the brain to feel pain. His research found endocannabinoids could block parts of the nervous system from telling the body to feel pain.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or more commonly referred to a IBS, is a condition impacting the digestive system. Serotonin is thought to play a role in this condition as well. Blood-work done on many IBS patients shows they often have increased levels of serotonin compared to folks who don’t have IBS. While this isn’t true for every IBS patient, it’s thought that endocannabinoids could regulate the serotonin which could reduce IBS’ impacts on several patients.
Can CBD Oil Treat my condition(s)?
In his research, Dr. Russo thought introducing outside cannabinoids could vastly improve the health of many people whose bodies couldn’t naturally create enough of their own endocannabinoids. It’s also thought that an endocannabinoid deficiency plays a part in many other auto-immune disorders.
Truthfully, we can’t say without a doubt that taking CBD oil or ingesting cannabinoids will cure any of these conditions. There simply haven’t been enough studies or funding put into this sort of research, but what little research we do have is promising. Plus, many people who suffer from these conditions have noticed incredible improvement in their symptoms after having taken CBD oil or other products containing cannabinoids.
Many of these patients say finding something that brings them relief is few and far between so trying all natural CBD oil could be worth a shot.