Like all the best health and nutrition stories, this one begins with a plant. In this case, the plant is Cannabis sativa – also known as hemp – and it’s been with us a very long time. In fact, it’s probably one of the very first plants to be cultivated, being used in Japan since the Stone Age and evidence of its consumption found in the Japanese Oki Islands from around 8,000 BC.
In fact, the plant was around way before humans arrived and evidence suggests that cannabis first emerged by splitting from its closest relative, hops, over 27.8 million years ago! Put another way, humans and indeed all mammals have been exposed to cannabis, cannabinoids and all of its other compounds throughout their evolution and the proof of that is clear in our biochemistry.
The human brain and cannabis All mammals, us included, have what is called an endocannabinoid system (ECS), which creates the neurotransmitters endocannabinoids, that can influence numerous processes including appetite, pain, mood and memory.
The ECS was fully characterised back in the 1980s and by the early 1990s, the first endocannabinoid was isolated and named ‘anandamide’, after the Sanskrit word for joy or bliss. This discovery confirmed that the human brain produces cannabinoids of its own, which bind with cannabinoid receptors throughout the brain and body, sending chemical messages between nerve cells (neurons) throughout the nervous system. Anandamide has important anti-inflammatory and cardiovascular properties and is closely involved in the regulation of body temperature, locomotion, feeding and anxiety.
However, anandamide is present at very low levels in the body and has a very short ‘half-life ’ due to the action of an enzyme known as FAAH (fatty acid amide hydrolase ) breaking it down shortly after production.
The benefits of CBD So, this is where the benefits of consuming CBD come in handy as CBD is an inhibitor of FAAH, which effectively leads to an elevated level of anandamide and, ultimately, enhanced benefits for our body and mind. CBD is the main, non-intoxicating cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant, with a well-proven safety profile and works in close collaboration with our own body via the ECS.
CBD also supports the activity of the other main endocannabinoid (known as 2-AG), which is involved in a wide range of functions such as emotion, cognition, energy balance and pain sensation .
The most frequently asked question I get is: how does it feel when you take CBD? Well, we are all different and another person’s experience may differ from yours. Some people report it produces the clarity of mind that enables them to start the day with a sense of purpose and focus, or the peace of mind that is essential to a good night’s sleep when the day is done.
Benefits to the environment There is more good news as the plant from which CBD originates provides exceptional benefits to our environment, agriculture and indeed the planet itself.
The Cannabis sativa plant, or hemp, can be refined into a vast and diverse range of commercial products including paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics and biofuel. Hemp seeds also contain almost 32 percent protein – that’s more than chicken, tuna, beef or eggs, over twice that of quinoa and nearly four times that of tofu!
Hemp can be grown without the use of herbicides, pesticides or fungicides so it’s a natural choice for organic cultivation and is in the top five for biodiversity friendliness – performing better than other major crops such as wheat, maize or rapeseed.
CBD can offer real benefits to us all and put simply; helping our own body maintain homeostasis with CBD also contributes to the health of the planet.
Pioneers of Wholefood and Food State supplements, Cytoplan, has recently launched its new Premium CBD, to find out more visit the website here.
