CBD, SEROTONIN FUNCTION AND DEPRESSION: HOW DO THEY RELATE?

Shall we start with serotonin? We’re starting with serotonin.

What is serotonin? Serotonin is a neurotransmitter.

And what is a neurotransmitter? It is a chemical substance or molecule, also considered a hormone by some scientists, which is naturally produced by the body, is expelled by neurons and is responsible for the transmission of nerve impulses.

What happens when neurons don't expel enough serotonin to be available in the body? A series of functions become deregulated: mood, emotions, appetite, the digestive system and the circadian cycle (internal clock of wake-sleep cycles), which is the same as saying that sleep is compromised.

Where do CBD and serotonin meet?

Serotonin has specific receptors called 5-HT, which are associated with anxiety, sleep, stress response and mood changes. And CBD interacts with serotonin receptors, regulating their functioning and satiety, indirectly on the availability of serotonin in the body.

#1. ABOUT THE FUNCTION OF SEROTONIN

95% of the serotonin in the body is produced by the intestine.

70% of immune system cells are housed in the intestine.

The intestine after the brain is the organ that has the highest concentration of neurons - nerve cells.

Therefore, saying that the intestine, immunity and serotonin are closely linked: it is a direct connection.

If the intestine functions poorly: the body's immunity is compromised, as is the production of serotonin.

It is common to associate depression with the low availability of serotonin in the body. And first of all, you need to make sure that the digestive system, especially the intestine, is working as it should.

But let's focus attention on serotonin.

Serotonin is produced naturally by the body.

But for it to produce serotonin it needs to have tryptophan. Tryptophan is not produced by the body: it is introduced through food and after being synthesized, the body produces serotonin.

@What are the foods rich in tryptophan?

This is the top 12 with the most tryptophan per 100g:

• Cheese, 7 mg
• Peanuts, 5.5 mg
• Cashew nuts, 4.9 mg
• Chicken meat, 4.9 mg
• Egg 3.8 mg
• Peas, 3.7 mg
• Hake fish, 3.6 mg
• Almond, 3.5 mg
• Avocado, 1.1 mg
• Cauliflower, 0.9 mg
• Potato, 0.6 mg
• Banana 0.3 mg

There are also other foods rich in tryptophan: dark chocolate, tomatoes, spinach, asparagus and whole grains.

In addition to tryptophan, it is equally important to make serotonin available in the body by eating foods rich in omega 3 and B complex vitamins.

Foods rich in omega 3 include fatty fish (sardines, trout and salmon), hemp seeds and nuts.

It is very important to ensure that tryptophan, along with omega 3 and B complex vitamins, enter the daily diet to ensure that serotonin is produced in sufficient quantity and promote its optimized function in the body. Homeostasis and general well-being.

#2. IN THE DYNAMICS OF LIFE, WHAT AREAS DOES SEROTONIN AFFECT?

• Mood regulation: low serotonin levels can cause anxiety and can lead to depression. At its best, it improves mood, regulates anxiety and increases the general state of happiness. This is why it is called the happiness hormone.
• Sleep regulation: control the sleep and wake cycle (circadian cycle)

• Bowel movements: these movements that facilitate excretion are helped by serotonin.
• Sexual function: serotonin affects libido, so changes in its levels can alter sexual desire.
• Regulation of nausea: when the body needs to expel toxic substances from the intestine, the body needs to increase the production of serotonin to facilitate the process. This increase in serotonin also stimulates the area of ​​the brain that controls nausea.
• Blood clotting: during wound healing, blood platelets release serotonin to facilitate the wound healing process. Serotonin is a vasoconstrictor and helps with clotting.
• Bone health: significantly high levels of serotonin in the bones increase the risk of osteoporosis, so its imbalance, due to excess, affects bone health.

#3. HOW DOES CBD AFFECT SEROTONIN FUNCTION?

CBD – cannabidiol, is the non-psychoactive component of plants in the cannabis family, which includes hemp.

Hemp, in turn, is the variant of cannabis that has no toxicity since its THC content, the psychotropic component of cannabis, is very low in this specific variant: below 0.2%.

It is not that CBD directly increases the amount of serotonin in the body.

Do you remember that it was said above that to produce serotonin, the body needs to receive tryptophan and omega 3 through food?

Sometimes this tryptophan may have been ingested, but for some functional reason, this tryptophan is not available to be transformed into serotonin.

(A kind of money sitting in the bank, in a term account, but the interest is not making a profit. The potential is there: it's just not being used)

This is where CBD comes in as “The help”: CBD stimulates areas of the brain that are not being stimulated and increases the availability of tryptophan that is “sitting there”.

And by increasing this bioavailability of tryptophan, it also increases serotonin levels, which are released by neurons and become available for the body to use.

That being said, the suggestion is to ensure that you have tryptophan in your body, through your diet.

And if depressive feelings persist – it doesn't mean it's clinical depression – it may be that the tryptophan you ingest is not being transformed in the body.

And then you can take advantage of the “help” of CBD, to activate inactive brain areas and make more serotonin available for your general well-being and good mood.

References:

https://www.hempathiclight.com/blogs/news/inflamed-body-depressed-brain-and-the-cannabis-plant

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30157131/

https://botanika.life/blogs/news/cbd-serotonin-how-they-affect-each-other

https://www.tuasaude.com/alimentos-ricos-em-triptofano/#:~:text=Os%20principais%20alimentos%20ricos%20em,alimenta%C3%A7%C3%A3o%20do%20dia%20a%20dia.

https://www.tuasaude.com/serotonina/#:~:text=A%20serotonina%20atua%20no%20c%C3%A9rebro,ansiedade%20e%20levar%20%C3%A0%20depress%C3%A3o

DISCLAIMER: THIS ARTICLE DOES NOT HAVE ANY ASSESSMENT OF HEALTH ADVICE, IT IS MERELY INFORMATIONAL, THEREFORE, ANY INITIATIVES YOU HAVE, REGARDING MEDICINAL CANNABIS, SHOULD ALWAYS GO THROUGH THE ADVICE OF YOUR PHYSICIAN.