No doubt, you've heard friends and co-workers talking about hemp oil and CBD oil a lot lately.



I predict the Endocannabinoid System will be the most talked-about area of health and fitness over the next decade, and the focus of fascinating research findings. That might sound like a bold statement, since most people don't even know what it is.



In the event you're wondering if the endocannabinoid system is just about weed, it's not.



Although the term endocannabinoid system has an obvious connection to cannabis, or marijuana, the system is more important than Mary Jane herself.



In this guide, I'll first address what the endocannabinoid system is, and then discuss how you influence it with lifestyle, nutrition, and exercise.



As this is an emerging area of research, we still have much to learn. Nonetheless, what we know today is more than fascinating.





Two things worth noting as we begin:




I've tried to avoid getting too technical to make this understandable by almost anyone. If you like to get extra "nerdy," check out the references at the end of the article.



To make this article flow better, I’ll use “endocannabinoid system” and ECS interchangeably.






What is the Endocannabinoid System?



As a "system" the endocannabinoid system is different from other systems of the body, such as the nervous, digestive, or endocrine systems.



It's easy to envision your digestive system: your mouth, esophagus, stomach, small and large intestine, and that final orifice that sounds like the seventh planet from the sun.



However, the endocannabinoid system spreads across the entire body. It's made up of chemical messengers (cannabinoids) and receptor sites (cannabinoid receptors). Based on the activity of the cannabinoids with the cannabinoid receptors, the ECS directs other systems in your body to maintain balance, or homeostasis.



Had it not been for the controversy and curiosity surrounding cannabis, the endocannabinoid system might never have been discovered.



People have used cannabis medicinally for about 4700 years, but it wasn't until 1964 that scientists identified the first chemical in cannabis; tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. THC is the cannabinoid that makes you high, and is only one of more than 80 cannabinoids in cannabis.



In 1990, scientists discovered the first receptors of the endocannabinoid system. They called the first cannabinoid receptors CB1, which are primarily located in the nervous system. Later, they discovered another receptor, called CB2, found in the immune system and many other tissues.



The ECS affects almost every area of the mental and physical wellbeing in the body and mind, making it a true "mind-body system."



You might also like to read Essential Oils For Fitness: Research, Anecdotal Evidence, Experimentation.



What Are Cannabinoids?



Cannabinoids are chemicals that act on the cannabinoid receptors.



Endocannabinoids are cannabinoids produced by the body on its own, following the metabolism of arachidonic acid (AA) and the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA. The two most well-known endocannabinoids are anandamide and 2-Ag. However, researchers have also discovered others, including NADA, virodhamine and noladin ether. Little is known about them because they haven't been well-studied.




The endogenous cannabinoid system—named for the plant that led to its discovery—is one of the most important physiologic systems involved in establishing and maintaining human health. Endocannabinoids and their receptors are found throughout the body: in the brain, organs, connective tissues, glands, and immune cells. With its complex actions in our immune system, nervous system, and virtually all of the body’s organs, the endocannabinoids are literally a bridge between body and mind. By understanding this system, we begin to see a mechanism that could connect brain activity and states of physical health and disease.
-Editor’s Note, Cerebrum, November 5, 2013