One of the most crucial physiological systems involved in building and maintaining human health is your ECS, a complex cell-signaling system. You have endocannabinoids and their receptors all over your body. They are within your:
- Connective tissue
- Brain
- Glands
- Organs
- Immune cells
With their intricate interactions with your brain system, immunological system, and essentially all of your organs, endocannabinoids serve as a physical link between your mind and body. You’ll start to see a link between brain activity and states of disease and physical wellness after you fully grasp this system.
Experts are still working to fully comprehend the ECS. As of today, they are aware that it affects many different processes and functions, such as:
- Mood
- Sleep
- Memory
- Appetite
- Fertility and reproduction
Even if you don’t consume marijuana, the ECS is still present and functioning inside your body.
The words “endo” and “cannabinoid,” which are both part of the name “endocannabinoid,” stand for endogenous and naturally created, respectively, in your body, respectively. Endocannabinoids are therefore your body’s naturally occurring cannabis-like compounds.
The ECS itself consists of several parts:
- Endocannabinoids, which our bodies naturally synthesize.
- Enzymes that help break cannabinoids and endocannabinoids down.
- Receptors around your body and in your nervous system that cannabinoids and endocannabinoids bond with.
Your ECS is a vital and naturally occurring component of your body. You may have heard a lot of reports about the therapeutic benefits of cannabis or the cannabinoids CBD and THC. You might be wondering if what you’re hearing is just a bunch of hype from people wanting the substance legalized because it has so many seemingly unconnected impacts. These reports are supported by medical science, though, and the size and extent of your ECS itself are to blame for the different unrelated consequences.
It appears that your ECS’s major job is to keep your body in homeostasis, or biological balance in response to environmental changes. The ECS is exceedingly old and evolved more than 500 million years ago, according to taxonomic research and analysis. Endocannabinoids are also produced by all vertebrates, including birds, mammals, fish, amphibians, and reptiles.
Initially, studies indicated that endocannabinoid receptors were only discovered in the nerves and brain; however, later research revealed that the receptors were found all throughout the body, including your:
- Bones
- Skin
- Pancreas
- Liver
- Fat tissue
- Blood vessels
- Heart
- Gastrointestinal tract
- Kidneys
Endocannabinoids might be one of the most adaptable and common signaling molecules that we are aware of as humans.
