You know what really grinds my gears? Anorexia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa is a widely known eating disorder that afflicts around 8 million Americans a year. Anorexia results from a low appetite or a strong fear to lose weight. A possible way to cure this problem is to stimulate the appetite of those afflicted.
Enter cannabinoids. Endocannabinoids are natural occurring chemicals that occur within our body that play key roles in the body, including blocking pain, modulating motor function, and other neuroprotective roles. You may recognize the root “cannabi” from the plant genus cannabis, also known as marijuana, pot, or ganja, which is an external source of cannabinoids for the body. The active ingredient of marijuana is tetrahydrocannibinol (THC). The THC content of marijuana determines how potent a certain species/hybrid of marijuana is. THC binds to cannabinoids receptors, which can result in the properties listed above.
Another way cannabinoids affect the body is through the stimulation of appetite. I am sure you are aware of the “munchies”, the tendency of marijuana smokers to get hungry when they are high. This is at least partially due to the received cannabinoids activating the natural endocannabinoids receptors in the brain, which stimulates appetite and stabilizes body weight. Endocannabinoids also stimulate the liver into increased fat synthesis. By stimulating appetite and converting food into fat at a higher rate, cannabinoids can allow users to gain more weight.
Now, I’m not necessarily saying that the best cure for anorexia is lighting up. THC can be created synthetically and taken alone. There can be drawbacks to taking too much cannabinoids. Higher levels of cannabinoids can induce euphoria, tolerance, or neurotoxicity. However, if taken moderately, cannabinoids can effectively treat anorexia.
1) http://www.macalester.edu/psychology/whathap/UBNRP/cannabinoid06/index.html
Anorexia and Cannibinoids
