Column #107

I never thought about it in these terms, but I’ve been peddling “marijuana” for going on two decades. For all this time one of my mantras was that inflammation in the body is reduced by lowering the essential fatty acid (EFA) ratio. It’s accomplished by increasing Omega-3 consumption while reducing Omega-6 consumption with an objective of reaching the coveted 1:1 EFA ratio in the membranes of the body’s many cells.

This advice was bolstered by more than 40 years of nutritional and biological peer-reviewed reports pounding the table about the high state of inflammation in most Americans because their EFA ratios are between 10:1 and 20:1. Those reports also pointed to the many anecdotal and laboratory studies showing inflammation is reduced as the EFA ratio is lowered.

But this is where it gets interesting.

For thousands of years Marijuana has been used for recreational and therapeutic purposes. It causes euphoria and relaxation, feelings of well-being, grandiosity, visual distortions, drowsiness, diminished coordination, altered perception of passage of time, and memory impairment. It also increases appetite, reduces nausea, and relieves chronic pain which has led to the use of cannabinoids for therapeutic purposes.

Just how marijuana modified brain functions was a long-standing mystery until about 30 years ago when considerable research and scores of peer-reviewed reports begin to clarify the subject.

Endocannabinoid (N-arachidonoylethanolamine) was discovered in 1992. It was termed “anandamide” meaning “bliss.” In 1995, another endocannabinoid (2-arachidonoylglycerol  or 2-AG) was identified. Interestingly, both Anandamide and 2-AG are regarded as two major endocannabinoids in animal tissues.

The third discovery in 2001 was that endocannabinoids mediate retrograde signaling at synapses. And scientists say that it’s now “widely accepted that endocannabinoids are released from postsynaptic neurons upon postsynaptic depolarization and/or receptor activation, and act on presynaptic CB1R to induce transient suppression of transmitter release (endocannabinoid-mediated short-term depression.”

What this has led to in more recent studies is that the cannabinoids found in marijuana are also produced naturally in the body from omega-3 fatty acids. The cannabinoid in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol, causes euphoric effects, but it also has anti-inflammatory benefits. In animal tissue there can be a cascade of chemical reactions that convert omega-3 fatty acids into cannabinoids with anti-inflammatory benefits, but without the psychotropic high.

Foods such as grass-fed meats, Omega-3 meats, Omega-3 eggs, wild caught seafood, and many green leafy and flowering vegetables provide the ideal low EFA ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids that enhances the body’s ability to convert into endocannabinoids – cannabinoids that the body produces naturally. Cannabinoids in marijuana and endocannabinoids produced in the body also support the body’s immune system.

Wow, is this good news or what? I wonder if in the months and years ahead this news will spark a run on low ratio EFA foods instead of more demands for greater access to marijuana for pain reduction? One can only hope!

To your health.

Ted Slanker

Ted Slanker has been reporting on the fundamentals of nutritional research in publications, television and radio appearances, and at conferences since 1999. He condenses complex studies into the basics required for health and well-being. His eBook, The Real Diet of Man, is available online.

Don’t miss these links for additional reading:

Cannabinoids Explanation in Layman Terms from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nutritional Omega-3 Deficiency Abolishes Endocannabinoid-Mediated Neuronal Functions by Mathieu Lafourcade, et. al.

Control of Synaptic Function by Endocannabinoid-mediated Retrograde Signaling by Masanobu Kano

Anti-Inflammatory Omega-3 Endocannabinoid Epoxides by Daniel R. McDougle, et. al.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids Fight Inflammation via Cannabinoids by Steph Adams, Science Writer

Learn About Marijuana from University of Washington

Medical Marijuana by U.S. Department of Health & Human Services