Studies suggest that exercise increases cannabis-like substances in the body, which helps decrease inflammation and could potentially assist with treating conditions like heart disease, cancer and arthritis.1
Researchers discovered that exercise intervention for individuals living with arthritis not only reduced pain levels but also decreased levels of proinflammatory substances known as cytokines and increased levels of naturally produced cannabis-like substances known as endocannabinoids made by their bodies – all done so via altering gut microbes.
Exercise reduces chronic inflammation that contributes to diseases such as heart disease, arthritis and cancer; but less is understood about its specific mechanism for doing this.
Researchers evaluated 78 arthritis sufferers, with 38 of them performing 15 minutes of muscle strengthening exercises every day for 6 weeks while 40 did nothing at all.
At the conclusion of this study, those who had engaged in exercise intervention not only experienced decreased pain levels but also saw their gut microbe count increase with more anti-inflammatory substance producing strains, higher endocannabinoids levels and lowered cytokine levels.
Endocannabinoid levels increased alongside changes to gut microbes and production of anti-inflammatory substances known as SCFAS produced by gut bacteria. At least a third of all anti-inflammatory effects derived from endocannabinoid increases.
This research shows that exercise increases cannabis-like compounds found in our bodies, providing us with a potential boost for numerous medical conditions.
Due to an increase in interest surrounding cannabidiol oil and other similar supplements, it’s essential that people realize simple lifestyle interventions like exercise can help modulate endocannabinoids.
