Understanding Vijaya’s interaction with the ECS

Modern medicine has acknowledged the incredible therapeutic potential of the revered Ayurvedic herb, Vijaya. Its efficacy in alleviating various acute and chronic health conditions and their symptoms has been established in numerous studies and clinical trials over the years.

But the reason behind this herb’s incredible effectiveness is its interaction with the ECS. To truly appreciate the health benefits of Vijaya, it is vital to understand how its components interact with the ECS to bring about the desired effects.

What Is The ECS?

The ECS, or the endocannabinoid system, is one of the most crucial and extensive biological systems. It regulates a wide range of vital bodily processes, including

metabolism
appetite
digestion
pain and inflammation
sleep
mood
mental health
memory
reproduction
cardiovascular function
homeostasis

It consists of

Endocannabinoids: naturally-produced cannabinoids in the body
Cannabinoid receptors: to bind with the endocannabinoids
Metabolic enzymes: to break the endocannabinoids down

The most prominent endocannabinoids include Anandamide (AEA) and 2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG). Both of them bind and activate the cannabinoid receptors to produce their effects. They are produced on demand when the body has physiological or psychological imbalances.

The cannabinoid receptors lie on the surface of the body’s cells and evaluate the conditions surrounding their cells. When the conditions change, they signal the ECS to take action. There are two primary cannabinoid receptors: CB1 (found mainly in the brain, spinal cord, nervous system, and the associated organs and tissues) and CB2 (found predominantly in the immune system and white blood cells).

The metabolic enzymes quickly break down the endocannabinoids after their task is completed, thus, ensuring that they are not used for longer than necessary.

The Working of the ECS

The ECS serves as one of the major regulators of the nervous system. It works to detect imbalances in the body and then sends chemical messengers to restore a healthy balance. The body activates the associated neurons (nerve cells) during such an imbalance. They then send neurotransmitters (nerve messengers) to the synapse (a junction where different neurons meet).

These neurotransmitters travel to the other side of the synapse and bind with the neurons there, which then activates the next set of neurons, leading to a chain reaction. Typically, this process would repeat itself endlessly. But this cycle has to be stopped at some point to stabilize the body’s overall function and prevent hyperactivity. That is done by the endocannabinoids of the ECS.

When an injury occurs, neurotransmitters activate the neurons across the synapse. In doing so, they trigger the production of endocannabinoids. These then go to the neurons where specialized cannabinoid receptors are located.

Afterward, endocannabinoids bind with those receptors to stabilize the function of the nervous system. They prevent the excess release of neurotransmitters and calm the nearby immune cells to stop the release of pro-inflammatory substances.

Vijaya’s Interaction with the ECS

Vijaya contains over 113 naturally occurring substances called cannabinoids, the most vital among them being THC and CBD. After patients consume the hemp plant, these compounds immediately spread throughout the body’s ECS.

THC binds with the CB1 and CB2 receptors of the ECS and activates them. This is because it has a similar structure to Anandamide or the bliss molecule. Hence, on consumption, the body easily recognizes it and allows it to regulate the body’s physiological and psychological functions. It affects the brain areas responsible for memory, thinking, pleasure, coordination, concentration, movement, time, and sensory perceptions.

On the other hand, CBD does not interact with the ECS the way THC does. Instead of directly binding with the cannabinoid receptors, it first affects the metabolic enzymes and prevents the endocannabinoids from being broken down. This allows their therapeutic action to last longer on the body. CBD then modulates THC’s actions and reduces its possibly psychoactive effects on the system.

In addition to that, Vijaya’s cannabinoids also activate the brain’s reward system. This includes the brain regions that control the body’s responses to pleasurable activities like eating and sex. As a result, the herb enhances such experiences and increases the satisfaction derived from them.

Let us take the example of how the hemp plant helps alleviate cancer symptoms to understand its function on the body better.

Vijaya for Alleviating Cancer

As per a study conducted by the University of Maribor, Slovenia, Vijaya and its derived cannabis-based medicines can effectively modulate tumor growth in cancer patients. The cannabinoids in the plant can control the growth, invasion, and proliferation of cancer cells and promote their death.

Another study showed that Vijaya gave significant relief to patients from cancer-associated chronic/neuropathic pain.

A group of physicians in Nevada conducted a study where they found that cannabis-based medicines helped over 92% of cancer patients reduce their opioid consumption by 50%.

A 2020 Australian study showed that the hemp plant helped reduce chemotherapy-induced vomiting and nausea with no significant adverse effects on health.

A 2022 study found that Vijaya helped alleviate appetite-related symptoms among cancer patients. It significantly improved the sensory perception of food, appetite, and taste.

How Does Vijaya Achieve These Effects?

The reason for Vijaya’s effective anti-cancer activity is that the ECS plays a role in tumor generation and progression. Cancer severely affects the ECS and decreases the levels of metabolic enzymes in the system. Because of this, there are no compounds to break the endocannabinoids down anymore.

As a result, the ECS becomes hyperactive, and there is an excess presence of both endocannabinoids and cannabinoid receptors in the body. When Vijaya goes into the system, it directly acts on the ECS to stabilize its function and promote balance. By activating the cannabinoid receptors, the THC in Vijaya triggers certain proteins that promote apoptosis (cell death) among cancer cells.

Besides the herb’s antitumor effects, the CBD in it is seen to exhibit a significantly strong anti-metastatic activity, i.e., it prevents the cancer cells/tumor from spreading to different parts of the body than where it started.

Reach out to Hempstreet to discover more about Vijaya’s interaction with the ECS and get the best Ayurvedic consultation to leverage cannabis-based medicines to relieve different health conditions.