Representation of homeostatic mechanism and the role of cannabinoids (source: Institute ICANNA)
What is stress and how much is too much?
Life in today's modern society is giving many challenges to our endocannabinoid system and this can lead to exhaustion of the supply of endocannabinoids and other systems. If we take a look at one ordinary day, getting up, getting ourselves and kids ready for work and school, all in a hurry, being in traffic, responsible and stressful jobs, challenging relationships, toxic environment, contaminated food, water, and air...it is obvious that in one ordinary day our ECS is facing more challenges than it would in a month or longer some 100 years ago. If our endocannabinoid system is constantly challenged over a longer period of time, this vital SOS mechanism can start to dysfunction. It can dysfunction either by not producing endocannabinoids when we need them or producing endocannabinoids when we do not need them. This is usually one of the first steps in the development of a chronic disease, the first domino to fall in a complex falling domino chain, leading to symptoms and disease. The majority of experts agree that many if not all chronic medical conditions carry an element of stress in their development, and stress is actually considered to be the epidemic of the 21st century.
The fight/flight response has always been a part of our physiology and has served humankind very well most of the time. in keeping us safe and enabling us to access energy when we needed to fight or escape a dangerous situation. It also serves as a protective SOS mechanism in many aspects similar to the ECS.
When our mind perceives a situation as stressful it communicates this stress to our pituitary gland, which then releases hormones to the adrenal glands, which in turn releases more hormones to communicate with other cells and organs within the body. This fight or flight response activates the sympathetic nervous system, inhibits the parasympathetic nervous system, and mobilizes the necessary energies to overcome these stressors. This is known as the HPA (hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenal) axis. In the case of perceived stress, the adrenal gland will produce cortisol (among other things), known as the stress hormone. Increased production of cortisol results in the increased availability of glucose, as it is an energy mobilization hormone, in order to facilitate fighting or fleeing, but cortisol also suppresses the highly demanding metabolic processes of the immune system, resulting in further availability of glucose.
The HPA axis (source: Institute Icanna)
Our body also reacts with a flight/fight response to the everyday situation and this continuous or repetitive exposure to stress is not something our bodies cope well with. We see a staggering increase in chronic fatigue syndrome, insomnia, and burnout, to name only a few that have been connected with prolonged exposure to unresolved stress.
Are we coping?
In a healthy body, the stress-response system is self-limiting but often we do not notice the warning signals that we are under chronic stress. The signs may range from the tiredness you feel for a few days after recovering from an illness to debilitating fatigue that interferes with life and doesn't go away with rest, to recurring infections, to headaches and digestion issues.
So how can this knowledge help us deal with stress?
When we notice that our body is not coping with the challenges its time for action.
Food
The first step is to feed the ECS and see if this will do the job. The foods we choose to eat, the supplements we take, and the variety of meals and drinks consumed over time have an effect on the level endocannabinoids and cannabinoid receptors that the human body can produce. The lifestyle choices can care and feed the ECS or disrupt is. We know that omega 3 fatty acids are precursors for the production of endocannabinoids, so a steady supply of omega 3 is vital for a functioning ECS. When our bodies need to produce endocannabinoids and do not have the necessary building blocks, regardless of how many stimuli there are, our cells cannot produce endocannabinoids. So in essence, the SOS system is turned off.
As Aristotle said, health comes from the gut, and this is true also for the ECS. Our microbiome is in communication and interaction with the ECS and signaling is happening in both directions. A healthy microbiome is critical for a well-functioning ECS in many ways. One is that many of the endocannabinoids are in fact produced in the gut, the other is the brain-gut connection, where many of the neuronal activities are effected by messenger molecules sent by the beneficial or non-beneficial microbes in our gut.
So all in all, it is vital that we have a healthy, beneficial microbial population in our gut and elsewhere in our bodies, for our ECS to function properly. Some foods such as extra virgin olive oil contain phenolic compounds and other bioactive compounds which may encourage the enhanced expression of cannabinoid receptors. So diverse plant-based food is a good step in caring for the ECS.
Phytocannabinoids
If making changes in food choices and lifestyle does not help adequately its time to consider supplementation with phytocannabinoids. Cannabidiol or CBD is the phytocannabinoid that has been best studied in stress prevention and management. Many research articles have studied the effect of CBD on anxiety, depression, stress, and other mood disorders. The common denominator of the studies is that CBD offers relief from these symptoms, employing many different mechanisms. To underline the data from research lab results from users of CBD worldwide is are showing very similar results.
CBD can be used as a preventive measure as it functions as a guardian molecule, it shields the cells from the effects of stress. It regulates and fine-tunes the HPA axis, helping to maintain the proper functioning of our biochemistry even in persistent or unpredicted stress situations. It was shown that CBD offers protection to the adrenal glands, thyroid, and the brain during periods of unpredicted stress, something we can all relate to.
On the other hand, if we are already suffering from a wide range of symptoms related to stress, like fatigue, sleep disorders, immune issues, digestion problems or other symptoms, CBD may also offer relief. CBD can, to some extent, do what our endocannabinoids should be doing. It regulates how much cortisol and neurotransmitters we produce and can give us the needed distance from the stressful situations. Using CBD as a part of recovering strategy from burn out, and fatigue has proven very successful. It helps with neurogenesis in brain regions damaged from prolonged/unpredicted stress, offers cardiovascular protection and modulation of the entire HPA axis. The body can regenerate, when we can turn down to the volume of the surrounding world, rest, digest and restore balance. Cannabinoids can aid significantly in this pursuit.
Dr. Mecoulam's words: "the plant cannabinoids are a neglected pharmacological treasure trove" prove to be very adequate also when addressing stress, the epidemic of the 21st century.
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