As we have explained in previous blogs the ECS is our master regulator and controls almost every single physiological function that is necessary for our survival, it is thus one of the most important keys to health. It comes to no surprise that it is also responsible for hormone regulation as well as the reward centers of the brain. The CB1 receptors in the body are directly responsible for neuronal activation and inhibition and are directly connected with seeking a calorie rich meal as well as seeing a potentially attractive sexual partner to pursue.
In the summertime people are more likely to be out on the beach and near nude and many try to work in the year for a ‘beach body’ to be as sexy as possible. For the health-conscious followers of this blog getting in shape or having a beach body is something that can be greatly done through lifestyle modifications such as better diet, including supplements such as OEA (SEE ARTICLE ON OEA) and making sure we eat good fats rather than bad fats.
Sexual attraction
The topic of sexual arousal is one that has been intriguing humanity since our earliest of days and one that has intrigued science for at least 150 years. Many of the groundbreaking study on human sexuality were conducted by Johnson and Johnson in the mid 20th Century as well as by Alfred Kinsey. Much of the studies focused on physiological responses to stimuli such as blood flow to the genitals of male and female participants as well as subjective questionnaires.
Knowledge of the ECS at the time was almost entirely missing in science, thus the idea that we have a master regulator to bring us to balance was not known. The first study on female sexual arousal and the ECS was only conducted in 2012 where Carolin Klein and her colleagues measured the endocannabinoid concentrations in females before and after being exposed to sexually arousing stimuli, they also had a control group that viewed neutral material.
What was found was that endocannabinoids such anandamide and 2-AG were reduced during the arousing event. This is an interesting study albeit, it is done in a lab setting and thus can have some significance in real life but the set up is greatly artificial. What we know about the ECS is that it is responsible for regulating the brain reward systems and thus through CB1 receptor activation is greatly responsible for making us seek out pleasurable food, sexual partners and or sexual attraction as well as propelling us to exercise. These are all example of healthy CB1 modulated activities, this can also be associated with pathologies such as food addiction, drug addiction and even sex addiction.
Living healthy and in balance
Thus it is important to remember that when we are eating well (eating organic and whole food) including good fats, exercising and getting enough sun exposure we are giving our body and more specifically the ECS what it needs. It is important to know that when we look at CB1 positive allostasis, most of what has been on this blog is to point out that our society has too much of this going on with highly accessible fast (unhealthy) food and stress inducing work schedules but in terms of the benefits there are two
activities that can be addictive but have more benefits to health than harms. One is exercise, which we recommend people engage in on a daily basis (from light to athletic level) and the second one is sex which is one of the joys of life. Both of these activities are intertwined with the ECS and can give health benefits, both of these have an addictive potential which should shed more light on the role of CB1 activity on health.
