Imagine feeling pain every day, waking up tired, and struggling to keep up with your friends and family. This is what living with lupus can feel like. For many, the constant battle against their own body’s immune system makes life incredibly challenging. But what if there was something inside us, a hidden system, that could help ease these symptoms?
Let me guide you through an incredible journey inside your body, where you are the hero. We’ll uncover a secret system that not many people, not even doctors, fully understand. This system, known as the Endocannabinoid System (ECS), could be the key to managing lupus better and living a more comfortable life. The ECS is deeply integrated into many of our body’s functions, influencing everything from pain perception to stress response.
Human Systems
When you search for “Human Systems,” you’ll find that we have up to 12 major organ systems (CK12, 2019):
- Cardiovascular (Heart)
- Digestive (Stomach)
- Endocrine (Hormones)
- Immune (The body’s defence force)
- Integumentary (Skin, hair, and nails)
- Lymphatic
- Muscular (Muscles)
- Nervous
- Reproductive
- Respiratory (Breathing)
- Skeletal
- Urinary
But there’s another system you might not know about. Even many doctors aren’t aware of it!
In 2013, Dr. David Allen discovered that only 13% of U.S. medical schools mentioned this system (Huffington Post, 2017). It’s called the Endocannabinoid System, or ECS for short.
What is the ECS?
The ECS is named from two words:
- Endo: Short for endogenous, meaning something that comes from within the body.
- Cannabinoid: Comes from cannabis, the plant that helped scientists discover this system (Russo, 2016).
So, “endocannabinoid” means ‘cannabis-like substances found within us.’
The ECS has three parts (Di Marzo et al., 2005; Piomelli, 2003):
- Endocannabinoids: These are compounds made in our bodies. The two main ones are anandamide and 2-AG. Anandamide means “supreme joy” in Sanskrit, and 2-AG is found in different tissues throughout the body (Devane et al. 1992; Mechoulam et al., 1995; Sugiura et al., 1995).
- Cannabinoid Receptors (CB1 and CB2): These receptors respond to endocannabinoids. There are two types: CB1 and CB2. Think of endocannabinoids as keys and receptors as locks – when they meet, they unlock a response (Pertwee et al., 2010; Pertwee, 2005; Pertwee, 1997).
- Enzymes: These make and break down the endocannabinoids (Bisogno et al., 1997).
Why Do We Make Endocannabinoids?
Our bodies make endocannabinoids on demand, meaning they are produced when needed (Ahn et al., 2008). They are made:
- When hungry (Kirkham, 2009)
- During exercise, possibly causing ‘runner’s high’ (Dietrich & McDaniel, 2004).
- When stressed (Morena et al., 2016; Hohmann et al., 2005)
- When in pain (Walker et al., 1999)
- When not getting enough sleeping (Hanlon et al., 2016; Scheer, 2016)
These situations increase endocannabinoids in the brain or specific body parts.
What Do Endocannabinoids Do?
The ECS helps with many things, such as:
- Appetite stimulation (Kirkham, 2009; Salamone et al., 2007; Kirkham, 2005; Thornton-Jones et al., 2005)
- Coping with stress and anxiety (Morena et al., 2016; Lutz et al., 2015; Patel & Hillard, 2009)
- Helping us sleep (Murillo-Rodriguez, 2017; Prospero-Garcia, 2016)
- Libido and fertility
- Mood regulation
- Pain relief (Barrie & Manolios, 2017; Russo, 2008)
They balance many functions in our bodies (Alger, 2013).
Did You Know? The ECS helps keep our body stable by balancing our internal environment, a process called homeostasis.
How Does the ECS Maintain Balance?
The ECS helps maintain balance through a process called homeostasis. This means keeping things like body temperature, blood pH, and blood sugar levels stable (Khan Academy 2019; McEwen 2016). If these levels get too high or low, you can become very ill.
The ECS uses a negative feedback loop to keep balance. This involves endocannabinoids targeting CB receptors, which then ‘override’ other cells to restore stability (Sallaberry & Astern 2018).
Example: If you fracture your wrist, cells die, and the lymphatic system increases blood flow and white blood cells to the area. The ECS checks these signals and uses CB receptors to reduce inflammation when appropriate.
Why is This Important for Lupus Patients?
For lupus patients, the ECS might help manage pain, stress, and inflammation. By understanding and possibly enhancing this system, there could be new ways to make living with lupus more bearable.
Quick Tip: To help manage lupus, consider activities that naturally boost endocannabinoids, like singing, dancing, and exercising.
Potential Benefits of the ECS
Endocannabinoids might help with many conditions, including:
- Autism (Zamberletti et al., 2017; Wei et al., 2016)
- Cancer (Velasco et al., 2015; Hermanson & Marnett, 2011)
- Cardiovascular Disease (Steffens & Pacher, 2012; Montecucco & Di Marzo, 2012; Pacher et al., 2008)
- Diabetes (Horváth et al., 2012)
- Epilepsy (Hofmann & Frazier, 2013)
- Gastrointestinal (Izzo & Camilleri, 2008)
- HIV (Maccrrone et al., 2004)
- Inflammatory and neuropathic pain (Donvito et al., 2017; Hill, 2015; Klein, 2005; Rog et al., 2005)
- Liver Disease (Tam et al., 2011; Lotersztajn et al., 2008)
- Neurodegenerative disorders e.g. Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease & ALS (de Lago et al., 2015; Centonze et al., 2007; Skaper & Di Marzo, 2012)
- Obesity (Silvestri & Di Marzo, 2013; Kunos & Tam, 2011; Kunos, 2007)
- Skin diseases (Biró et al., 2009)
Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency
Some conditions might be due to a deficiency in endocannabinoids. Since 2001, there has been a theory that many health issues stem from this deficiency (Russo, 2018; Smith & Wagner, 2014). This theory is called Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency.
Researchers think this might be true for people with (Russo, 2016):
- Fibromyalgia
- Migraine
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
The idea is that supplementing the body with natural cannabinoids from plants could fix this deficiency and improve health.
Cannabis and Its Compounds
Cannabis has over 400 chemical compounds, including phytocannabinoids (plant-based cannabinoids). The main two are cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (Maroon & Bost, 2018).
THC
THC acts as a key for endocannabinoid receptors, mimicking or disrupting the ECS (Alger, 2013). THC can be harmful in high doses but also has benefits, such as pain relief and reduced anxiety (Walker & Hohmann 2005; Maldonado et al. 2011).
CBD
CBD makes up about 40% of cannabis extract. It does not cause the psychoactive effects that THC does (Stella, 2009). CBD can lessen the negative effects of THC and helps restore balance in the body (Rodriguez-Munoz et al., 2016; Laprairie et al., 2015).
Fun Fact: Singing and dancing can increase endocannabinoids by 42%, helping to naturally boost this system.
– Click here to learn more on the topic Medical Marijuana –
Final Thoughts
The Endocannabinoid System is a natural and vital part of our bodies. Understanding it better can open up new ways to manage conditions like lupus. While research is still new, the potential for helping many ailments is promising. For now, CBD products might offer some benefits while we wait for more scientific discoveries.
Call to Action: Ready to learn more about how the ECS can help with lupus? Click here to find out more about CBD and its benefits!
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