22/09/2023
Enzymes: Building & Recycling eCBs
So far we’ve discussed the messengers and the message-receivers, but who makes the messenger?
Your body has a whole suite of molecules devoted to controlling when & where eCBs are produced, and how quickly they get sequestered or broken down. You might think of these molecules as the administrative system, making sure the messenger is sent exactly when and only when desired.
Endocannabinoids are lipid-based neurotransmitters — which means they are synthesized from fats. Your body has a number of different enzymes that work together to transform fatty substances into anandamide and 2-AG. When your body gets the signal to produce eCBs, these enzymes are put to work.
One important thing we’ve learned about this process: increasing your dietary intake of omega-3s and other essential fatty acids may help your body boost its production of eCBs, because these fatty acids are specific building blocks for eCBs.
Sending the Messenger...
Cannabinoids are fat-soluble, but your body is mostly composed of water. In order for cannabinoids to travel through your body and reach their targets, they need to be escorted by endocannabinoid transport proteins. Much the way soap disperses oil into water, these proteins help eCBs flow smoothly through the body’s waterways.
..Killing the Messenger
Every “on” switch needs a corresponding “off” switch.
Once anandamide and 2-AG have delivered their messages, the body needs a way to prevent them from continuing to stimulate the ECS indefinitely. eCBs are rapidly moved by transport proteins to storage sites and/or delivered to enzymes that degrade eCBs.
The two most-studied enzymes in the ECS are FAAH (which degrades anandamide) and MAGL (which breaks down 2-AG).
FAAH is especially interesting: A genetic variation in 20% of adults impairs their FAAH enzyme — and the result is that these people have increased levels of anandamide and are generally less anxious. Because CBD inhibits these enzymes it tends to increase the body’s levels of feel-good anandamide and 2-AG.
A Growing Family
Each eCB can bind to multiple receptors and vice versa — a complex web of relationships. To add to this complexity, there are other molecules that can facilitate or interfere with this binding.
Like an intricate family tree, the ECS family keeps growing as scientists learn more about each individual’s numerous relationships.
Because it’s involved with so many aspects of human health, research on the endocannabinoid system has exploded since its discovery less than 30 years ago. In recent years, thousands of original research papers have been published on eCBs. It’s amazing that even with all that research, we’re only just starting to grasp the true potential of this system.
One major takeaway from these studies is the unfortunate reality that the endocannabinoid system is very easy to throw out of balance. Stress levels, diet and exercise all influence your body’s ECS, and our modern lifestyles may be taking a toll on this natural system.
If you are trying to rebalance your endocannabinoid system, the recent legalization of cannabis and h**p products in many states and countries has made self-experimentation possible. There are more than 100 different phytocannabinoids — including THC, THCa, THCv, CBD, CBDa, CBN, CBG, etc — and each one can have slightly different interactions with the CB receptors throughout your body.
However, because CB receptors control so many different aspects of your nervous and immune systems, and because of genetic variation in enzymes, it isn’t possible to truly predict what reaction you’ll have without self-experimentation.
In the long run, scientists are developing ways to target specific cannabinoid receptors in localized areas of the body or brain without triggering the body’s entire endocannabinoid system. This will be especially effective for people suffering from very specific ECS disorders and who need more than a holistic approach.
An alternative solution to dosing with phytocannabinoids is to boost your body’s natural production of endocannabinoids. This way, your body can deliver eCBs to the parts of your body that need them the most.
In the next article in this series, we explore different options to help naturally restore balance to your body’s endocannabinoid system.
Written by: Genevieve R. Moore PhD
