Cannabidiol (CBD), a naturally existing chemical isolated from the cannabis plant having non-intoxicating and medicinal effects, has recently witnessed a spike in attention. CBD is now available in various forms from various start-ups and online stores to aid with various diseases and symptoms. Given the wide range of ailments CBD can help with, it’s natural to be suspicious of claims that CBD is a miraculous treatment. No chemical will treat all ailments, as any sensible person will tell you. CBD Gummies is the most used method of consuming CBD in your body. CBD gummies UK are gradually gaining popularity among CBD users worldwide as it offers different flavors and sizes.
Homeostasis in the human body
Homeostasis is any physiological process wherein the body must maintain regulated bodily functions in response to a new external or internal environment. All creatures’ existence and effective functioning, including humans, depend on maintaining a healthy interior environment.
However, various factors, such as nutrition, stress, heat, and others, can cause specific situations inside the body to vary, resulting in unfavorable outcomes. Different biological processes and systems will adapt to regain balance through independent yet interconnected processes to guarantee that the system continues to operate correctly.
Managing internal body temperature is a good illustration of how the body responds to changing circumstances produced by changes in its current environment. On a hot day, for example, if the interior body temperature rises too high, the body begins to sweat, which allows the body to cool down as the sweat evaporates. On the other side, shivering is triggered when our inner body temperature drops too low, creating heat. In either instance, the body responds by altering numerous biological activities to restore a balanced temperature.
Today, modern science backs up establishing homeostasis as an essential aspect of health and well-being. It’s helpful to conceive our systems as a network of interconnected processes that all need to work together under certain situations. If these requirements are not satisfied and maintained, the system will fail. The system will fall more severely as the microenvironmental deviates from typical settings.
How does CBD maintain homeostasis in our bodies?
● The Immune System
Inflammation is merely the body’s method of alerting you that your health is in jeopardy. The body activates its immune system as a defense mechanism, leading to inflammation. If your immune system is inflamed, you might have an autoimmune illness like lupus, thyroid disease, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, or multiple sclerosis. Chronic skin disorders such as psoriasis and eczema produce inflammation.
The endocannabinoid system, fortunately, is widely distributed across the immune system. And, as we’ll see, cannabinoids like CBD interact with the ECS to restore the essential balance.
● The Endocrine system
At several levels, the endocannabinoid network regulates glucose and lipid metabolism. An imbalance in energy intake might cause the ECS to become hyperactive and dysregulated in numerous organs crucial to maintaining energy balance. The disruption of the ECS, according to researchers, is an essential component in the formation of extra visceral fat and diminished insulin release from adipose.
● The Central Nervous System
CBD increases the expression of genes that produce anti-inflammatory biochemicals that the immune system can employ to lessen irritation in the CNS. The GABA system, which offers serenity and tranquility to the CNS, is also upregulated. In the same breath, CBD inhibits the genes that generate inflammation in the immune response and the glutamate network in the central nervous system, which is responsible for overexcitation.
● Genes
CBD controls the transcription of approximately 1,100 genes, according to scientists. These include genes that produce signaling molecules that naturally lower inflammation in the defensive and central nervous systems, maintaining the required balance.
Homeostasis and Endocannabinoid system
Endocannabinoids, unlike other neurotransmitters, are not stored in nerve cells. It is located in the fat molecules of the cell membrane. They are responsible for the production of endocannabinoids once their receptors are activated. Through cannabinoid receptors present all across the body, the ECS operates and interacts with other physiological systems. Endocannabinoids are created when the body detects an imbalance, which connects with the relevant cannabinoid receptors, initiating a precise chemical reaction that restores normalcy. Enzymes break down endocannabinoids after they’ve done their job.
While the body contains a variety of built-in reaction processes and homeostatic mechanisms to deal with various changes, they always have three essential components:
- The receptors detect changes in the surrounding environment or environmental stimuli.
- A command center that determines how to respond to changes.
- An effector
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) aids in the maintenance of homeostasis in the body. The ECS regulates body processes such as immunity, mood, hunger, sleep, memory, digestion, and inflammation through cannabinoid receptors.
CBD and Endocannabinoid system
The term “endocannabinoid” is derived from phytocannabinoids, a family of psychotropic chemicals initially found in Cannabis Sativa plants. Endocannabinoids are cannabis-like chemicals that the body naturally produces in nerve cells.
The roles of both endocannabinoids, AEA and 2-AG, have been extensively researched. Several other endocannabinoids have been found, but their activities and involvement in the system remain unknown. CBD has been proved to have a range of medicinal uses. It is now taken as an alternative medication or supplement by many individuals from all walks of life who suffer from various health concerns. CBD is present to inhibit the endocannabinoid receptors signaling in a dose-dependent manner, likely to bind to CB1Rs’ allosteric site and vary the potency of other immediate ligands.
The endocannabinoid system aids in maintaining bodily homeostasis. Cannabidiol, when taken orally, can help our bodies work more efficiently. CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid, dopamine, opioid, and serotonin receptors in our systems. People believe that CBD can enhance many of our body’s processes due to its wide variety of interactions, but the evidence is scarce on the effects of CBD on people. However, we know that it aids in treating some ailments and disorders.