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Summary: The Endocannabinoid System

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The Endocannabinoid System and Metabolic Homeostasis In many ways a nutritional diet provides the basis for well-being. Even though this might sound like common sense, the reality is that a large proportion of the population in highly developed western societies lacks sufficient physical activity and an adequate nutritional diet necessary for optimal health. Surely, this combination underlies the rate of obesity in the U.S., which is thought to affect nearly 30% of the adult population (Kim & Li & Watkins, 2011). With the prevalence of health problems associated with metabolic dysregulation-and the well known link between body mass index, inflammation, and disease-it is worth looking in to methods for ameliorating the current health epidemic (Kim et al, 2011). In this regard, mounting evidence is elucidating the role of the endocannabinoid system as a key player in the regulation of metabolic homeostasis. Aberrant endocannabinoid (eCB) signaling is thought to alter proper physiological processes and thus underlie a variety of metabolic related pathologies (Kim et al, 2011; Battista & Di Tommaso & Bari & Maccarone, 2012). …show more content…

More specifically, along with influencing an organism’s diurnal rhythms,the eCB system influences an organism’s energy stores and rate food intake (Hill & Tasker, 2012; Kim et al, 2011) Not surprisingly, elevated eCB signaling increases appetite cravings through an interaction with ghrelin, a hormone involved in signaling hunger (Kim et al, 2011). Furthermore, cannabinoid receptors and transmitters are present in both peripheral adipose tissue and skeletal muscles (Heyman & Gamelin & Acouturier & Di Marzo,

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