Optimizing Your Mental Health Through the ECS

Your body's ECS (endocannabinoid system) greatly affects the status of our mental health. There have been many studies related to the ECS and ADHD, depression, and PTSD.

Think about the beneficial effects of exercise when incorporated into a mental health patient's activities. Aerobic exercises such as jogging, swimming, cycling, walking, gardening, and dancing have been proved to reduce anxiety and depression.

The main reason we see such a benefit is increased production of the human body's own cannabis- like substance when exercising at certain intensities. The chemical (endocannabinoid) your body produces is AEA, otherwise known as anandamide. Anandamide is similar to THC.

Anandamide deficiency has been shown to increase anxiety and stress. Now do you see why exercise is so beneficial to mental health?

By exercising, you increase the level of anandamide in your body (compounds produced by your own body similar to cannabinoids) which then activates the ECS in a way to help regulate your mental health.

The ECS also affects mental health through diet. The balance of omega 3 and 6 will alter the ECS response to affect inflammation. The omega 3 DHA and EPA are of great importance to mental health and they illicit actions on the ECS to promote mental health.

The balance of omegas is key in the ECS diet. It is the combination of proper intensity of exercise with proper ECS diet conditions that will really help optimize your mental health.