The most versatile plant with a promising approach in health
A plant with thousands of years of history
In fact, cannabis or hemp was one of the first plants cultivated by man thousands of years ago and was used both medicinally and recreationally for its psychoactive and therapeutic effects as an anti-emetic, analgesic and anxiolytic. In ancient India it was considered one of the five most sacred plants, referred to as a source of happiness, joy, peace and freedom.
¿Cannabis o Hemp?
The denominations "Cannabis" and "hemp" are simply genetic variations that have been generated for centuries but that the origin comes from a single plant Cannabis Sativa L. The difference is in its history, Cannabis was considered for its most abundant psychoactive compound (THC) followed by low concentrations of CBD, that is why it later received the name of "marijuana" unfortunately. On the other hand, the term "hemp" started to be used when the great nutritional benefits such as sleep conciliation, appetite stimulation and nausea control, containing one of the most important cannabinoids such as CBD while producing negligible levels of psychoactive substances (THC) were realized.
Both hemp and cannabis contain dozens of other cannabinoids and other compounds that together make a fundamental synergy to provide a wide variety of applications for the benefit of human health.
Did you know that Cannabis Sativa is a plant that contains more than 400 chemical compounds, of which 60 are phytocannabinoids with potentially positive health effects?
Cannabinoids are natural chemical compounds that are part of the biological structure of Cannabis plants. Within this category are phytocannabinoids (from the plant) and endocannabinoids (produced by the human body).
Apart from the 400 components that the plant possesses, there are approximately 60 phytocannabinoids in different concentrations and stages of maturation, two of them being the most important: THC (Tetrahydrocannabidiol) and CBD (Cannabidiol).
In hemp, the most predominant phytocannabinoid is CBD and the others exist in small quantities, but they have a slightly different specific function, and although cannabinoids are fundamental, the other compounds (flavonoids and terpenes) are also necessary so that together they have a better synergy and act effectively causing positive changes in our organism, thanks to the Endocannabinoid System (ECS).
The SEC is a system found in every part of the human and animal body, its main function is to keep in balance all physiological and biological processes to function better, such as modulation of neurotransmitter release, regulation of pain, stress and recovery, maintenance of homeostasis, memory control and countless other benefits that interact in certain locations of the human body.
Overall this plant has a promising approach to human health that has the unique ability to bring about changes in our body, thanks to the Endocannabinoid System which is a particularly important complex modulator in the maintenance of homeostasis.
Published by:
Anthony Betancourt Romero
Pharmaceutical Chemist