Message from the National Institute of Health in 2006:
In the last decade, the endocannabinoid system has been implicated in an increasing number of physiological functions, both in the central and peripheral nervous systems and in the peripheral organs ...
The Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency Syndrome (CEDS) was first proposed in 2004 by renowned cannabinoid researcher Dr. Ethan Russo. Dr Russo and many other researchers propose that CEDS is the underlying cause of many diseases related to the immune system and inflammation.
When the body is deficient in endocannabinoids and/or cannbinoid receptors the endocannabinoid system becomes inefficient and imbalanced and thus does not function optimally allowing diseases to occur.
Dr. Russo did an extensive literature review and discovered that people diagnosed with certain conditions also had lower levels of endocannabinoids. He came to the conclusion that anyone with a deficiency in either endocannabinoids levels or cannabinoid receptors or both could explain why supplementing with hemp derived cannabinoids (CBD) were proving effective in treating some conditions.
Migraine, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome and related conditions display common clinical biochemical and pathophysiological patterns that suggests an underlying clinical endocannabinoid deficiency that may be suitably treated with cannabinoid medicines.
Another factor that may play into CEDS is the fact that our food chain has become deficient in its cannabinoid content due to the fact since the 1930`s hemp ceased to be the major cash crop that was fed to our livestock and included in the majority of our food supply.
Research reveals that cannabinoids found in plants like hemp interact with cannabinoid receptors in our ECS to elicit chemical responses that help bring about homeostasis in our bodies.
Other diseases like Alzheimer`s and Parkinson`s may be related to CES as the endocannabinoid system is responsible for regulating the production and release of neurotransmitters attributed to these conditions.
With further research the Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency Syndrome theory could open the door for more methods to prevent and manage certain health conditions .Dr Russo believes that CBD from cannabis plants like hemp are essential nutrients that when consumed can optimize the ECS`s function and minimize certain diseases.