Could eating a better diet make for a better cannabinoid experience? The journal of Free Radical Biology and Medicine published a report, which identifies vitamin E as a “modulator of the cannabinoid system.”

Alpha-Tocopheral is considered the main ingredient of vitamin E, and is well known for its anti-oxidant properties and mood elevating abilities. Low levels of alpha-tocopheral in the brain are associated with health issues such as depression and neuronal degradation.

The authors demonstrated that the actions of vitamin E can be blocked, if the cannabinoid type 1 receptor is blocked by a drug AM251. AM251 can block cannabinoid receptors and prevent them from being activated.

The authors report that the vitamin E and cannabinoid receptor interactions are occurring in a region of the brain known as the hippocampus, which may help explain the benefits of vitamin E other than its anti-oxidant properties.

Vitamin E can have profound effects on brain function, and it is widely used as a food additive. Without vitamin E in the diet a number a symptoms can start to appear, such as anxiety or ataxia.

However, vitamin E does not directly activate cannabinoid receptors, like for example THC, instead alpha-tocopheral modulates the receptor. The receptor modulation from alpha-tocopheral may be an important part of normal cannabinoid receptor function. More research is need to fully understand exactly how alpha-tocopheral obtained from the diet can influence the cannabinoid system.

High-calorie, inexpensive, high-fat and nutritionally deficient diets are common in the United States. These bad diets are correlated to obesity and brain disease. A balance of omega-3 fatty acids or vitamin E can help us live longer and healthier. The mechanism of this wonderful benefit is due to an integrated response between these lipids such as from alpha-tocopheral and cannabinoid receptors.

We ask ourselves the same questions as before; Can our diet can influence our response to cannabinoids and Cannabis? Could the negative effects of cannabinoids be related to nutritionally-deficient diets, which are also associated with mental diseases, such as depression?

This study raises a number of radical ideas that warrant further studies.

By the way…pumpkins have a good amount of vitamin E for some (possible) seasonal cannabinoid receptor system adjustments!

Read more Science at Freedomisgreen.com

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Jahan Marcu is currently investigating the pharmacology of cannabinoid receptors. He was working at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute when exciting discoveries were made showing enhanced anti-cancer effects with THC and CBD from the Cannabis plant. The findings were published in the Journal of Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. In 2009 he received the Billy Martin Award from the International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS). Jahan is currently the vice-chair the Medical and Scientific Advisory Board at Americans for Safe Access (ASA).

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent any University, business or affiliates. While the information provided in this blog is from published scientific studies it is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease.

Given the lack of FDA approved medications for the treatment of drug use, exercise may represent a form of behavioral modification suitable to treat different forms of drug dependence. Building up a “Runner’s High”  from intense exercise may overwrite  pathways in the brain by reinforcing the body’s natural reward system.

A group of subjects who smoked an average of 5.9 joints a day, reduced their daily intake of Cannabis to an average of 2.8 joints a day during the exercise portion of the experiment.

This data agrees with existing scientific evidence which demonstrates the positive effects of exercise on reducing drug craving. Given the low cost of exercise it could represent a treatment accessible to people who do not have access to health insurance or have failed to receive HMO approval for drug abuse medications. More studies are needed to confirm the benefits of exercise on drug dependence…[Read More]

Cannabinoid Researchers at Temple University gathered for their bimonthly meeting discussion on the Endocannabinoid system.Megan Trznadel lead the discussion on a recently published article on nutrition and endocannabinoids. Ms.Trznadel is an undergraduate in Temple’s Neuroscience program, she is currently studying the cannabinoid type 1 receptor in the laboratory of Dr. Mary Abood.

The presentation showed new data that suggests our diet can affect the response to cannabinoids. [Read more]

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Continue reading on Examiner.com: Cannabinoid Receptor Function is Altered by Nutrionally Deficient Diet – Philadelphia medical marijuana | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/medical-marijuana-in-philadelphia/cannabinoid-receptor-function-is-altered-by-nutrionally-deficient-diet#ixzz1KHlRireW

3/16/2011 – A recent medical case-report highlights a striking association between inhaled Cannabis and anti-tumor effects in young adults with brain cancer. This gives scientists new evidence that the chemical compounds from the Cannabis plant (known as cannabinoids) may have significant anti-cancer effects in humans.

Mansoor Foroughi PhD is the lead author of a new paper that suggests the possibility of Cannabis inhalation in the spontaneous regression of gliomas. The MRI images provided in his study demonstrate that the tumors of two patients (11 and 13 years old) did not increase in size after treatment, constituting a state of remission. (To be in remission, a tumor simply must not increase in size.) [Read more...]

Limitations on Cannabis research has hindered our ability to understand Cannabis use and it’s potential consequences or benefits. Among researchers, there has been a call for more detailed characterization of users and the role Cannabis plays in the context of their lives. The existing information on Cannabis-use related research is limited, preventing an effective description of the ‘real world’ impact of Cannabis-use related issues. The limits placed on Cannabis abuse and therapeutic research has been coined as the “grass ceiling”, an artificial barrier preventing scientists and doctors from developing treatments or intervention strategies.

New research in the journal of Molecular Pharmacology demonstrates that Cannabis compounds may be a promising treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. It may seem counter-intuitive that compounds from the Cannabis plant may preserve memory…Continue  reading at www.freedomisgreen.com

The second most abundant cannabinoid in the Cannabis is cannabidiol (CBD). Unlike THC, CBD does not cause any euphoric effects, yet it contains some of the benefits of THC. For instance CBD is a very powerful antioxidant. Researchers suggest that CBD may be an effective treatment to prevent blindness in diabetes patients. Read the full scientific article for free