What is CBD - Cannabinoids & Endocannabinoid System?

What is CBD?                                                                                                                                             

CBD is short for Cannabidiol, a naturally occurring chemical compound classified as a phytocannabinoid and found prominently in the hemp plant. CBD is a specific non-psychoactive cannabinoid which positively affects all biological systems in the body via the endocannabinoid system and is known to provide a host of health benefits for humans and animals. 

What Are Cannabinoids?

Cannabinoids are a diverse class of organic chemical compounds that are naturally produced in all manner of living things. When produced within plants they are called phytocannabinoids. When produced within humans and animals they are called endocannabinoids. Our bodies contain hundreds of these endocannabinoids, which act upon our neural cell receptors (CB1 and CB2) altering the release of neurotransmitters. CB1 receptors are located mostly in the brain and CB2 receptors are spread throughout the body. Phytocannabinoids are almost identical in physical structure to endocannabinoids, which allows them to interact with the internal system that our endocannabinoids use, the endocannabinoid system or ECS.

What is the Endocannabinoid System (ECS)

Within our bodies there exists a complex network of receptors called the endocannabinoid system or ECS for short. This system operates throughout the body to send and receive important chemical messages for our health and for maintaining homeostasis in the body. Recent studies have shown that the ECS interacts primarily with our nervous and immune systems and is responsible for balancing and optimizing functions such as sleep, relaxation, appetite moderation, controlling inflammatory and pain responses and enhancing cognitive abilities like mood and memory.
Our endocannabinoid system, under normal circumstances, is maintained by our healthy body’s natural ability to produce endocannabinoids. When there is a deficiency of endocannabinoids in the body due to aging or other impairing factors like stress, it affects how we feel and can become problematic for our optimal functioning. Supplementation with CBD is known to help offset this deficiency and restore optimal health. CBD salve