As always, we are here to give you the low-down on all the big questions on CBD, as well as some answers you may not expect.
Here’s the first one of those. There is no such thing as a CBD receptor.
Crazy right? Let’s get into why, and everything you need to know about how CBD reacts with the body and the mind.
What? CBD Receptors Aren’t Real?
To say there is no such thing as a CBD receptor is unfair, it’s more that is a misnomer.
There are cannabinoid receptors throughout the human body, and when people refer to CBD receptors, this is what they mean.
Okay, Bit Pedantic, What are Cannabinoid Receptors, Then?
We apologize for our pedantry, but it’s actually necessary, because cannabinoid receptors don’t only interact with CBD, THC and other cannabinoids also work with the body’s cannabinoid receptors.
Anyway, enough of that, on to the slightly more complex business.
Cannabinoid receptors are part of the human body’s endocannabinoid system, which helps to control various bodily functions including appetite, fertility, mood, pain, stress.
These receptors work with the endocannabinoids that occur naturally in the body, but also react to external cannabinoids, most commonly, these are phytocannabinoids (those that occur in plants) such as CBD and THC.
How Does CBD Interact with Cannabinoid Receptors?
This is where things get very interesting. Most external cannabinoids, such as THC, bind to either or both of the two kinds of cannabinoid receptor in the body, CB1 and CB2.
CBD works differently, instead of binding to either receptor, it modifies the ability of that receptor to bind to naturally occurring cannabinoids.
Essentially, CBD has the potential to turbocharge endocannabinoids, which can increase the control over the functions listed above and more.
It is these reactions between CBD and cannabinoid receptors that lead to the possibility of beneficial properties from the cannabinoid.
Wow, Interesting, So CBD is a Cure-All?
Woah now… slow down a little, we definitely didn’t say that. But it does have the potential to offer numerous health benefits.
While it has been proven that CBD has a positive impact on symptoms of epilepsy, including seizures, the research is being carried out in other areas.
We’ve often mentioned this World Health Organisation report and for good reason, it was an important moment in the CBD world.
While accepting that research was in its early stages, the WHO report points to CBD as a potential treatment for symptoms of cancer, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and numerous mental health conditions.
This is all very exciting, and all links back to the relationship between CBD and cannabinoid receptors, and potential CBD benefits.
This is why it is important to understand that CBD receptors aren’t a thing, because CBD does not bind to receptors, it enhances their potential to bind to other cannabinoids, and that’s considerably more exciting.
CBD products are growing in popularity, and as research continues, that popularity only looks set to rise even more!
Originally published at https://plantandhemp.com
