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Nutrition & Cannabis by Zachari Breeding, MS, RDN, CSO, LDN, FAND
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annabis use has inarguably sky-rocketed throughout the country, with more states legalizing both recreational and/or medical use. While this is definitely something to celebrate for a variety of reasons, we can’t assume there are no side effects of frequent cannabis use. Just like food, what we put into our bodies has indirect and direct impacts on how our bodies function. Emerging research of the endocannabinoid system sheds some light on cannabis’ impact, but we must also recognize the inherent limitations of the research available.
specific regions of the body to complete their “task,” but overall, the goal is balance. Meaning, the natural release of endocannabinoids (not from external use of cannabis) helps to regulate things such as normal appetite, healthy sleeping patterns, natural healing, immune support, etc.
If we look at this in the context of depression and serotonin, many people produce and release enough serotonin to prevent depression symptoms. When someone doesn’t have enough serotonin production/ release, depression ensues. Similarly, many people may What is the endocannabinoid system? not produce enough internal endocannabinoids, which This system includes both endocannabinoids and the can potentially be a cause for poor sleeping patterns, receptors they bind to (such as CB1 and CB2 receptors) anxiety, inflammation, etc. in order to perform different “tasks” within the body. The With this in mind, just like someone with depression most common endocannabinoids are anandamide and may take a serotonin-regulating medication, 2-AG. These endocannabinoids play a role in regulating cannabis use offers an additional information sent to the brain, urination frequency, blood means of promoting vessel elasticity, sleep, inflammation, pain, and anxiety— endocannabinoids just to name a few. There are other compounds such as that can help to flavonoids and terpenes, however significant research is regulate lacking on their exact mechanisms of action. The role any endocannabinoid plays has everything to do with the receptor it binds to and the location of said receptor (i.e. binding to CB1 is different than binding to CB2). Both CB1 and CB2 receptors are located in
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