Autoimmune disease, clinical endocannabinoid deficiency, omegas, and the microbiome

[Liquid lunch]

Autoimmune disease has recently been found to be just one of many symptoms of clinical endocannabinoid deficiency and can be successfully managed with the supplementation of phytocannabinoids, probiotics, prebiotics, and omegas.

I’ve had success with method before realising that wheat and oats were a problem, so was still eating them.

Since abstaining from gluten in addition to supplementing my endocannabinoid system I now feel there is hope for a full recovery.

I would like to increase awareness of CED (clinical endocannabinoid deficiency) and how best to manage it so have included some links and will check back here and happily respond to any questions.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28861491/

[Liquid lunch]

An interesting discovery made by dr Ethan Russo was that cannabinoids are more effective when taken in combination with each other (there are more than 150 and counting) and with plant terpenes.

Any molecule that interacts with our endogenous cannabinoid receptors is considered to be a cannabinoid and can be found in many other plants, not just cannabis.

Black pepper for example contains 75% beta caryophyllene which is a selective cb2 agonist as well as guineesine which is an effective cannabinoid reuptake inhibitor.

Other foods containing cannabinoids include..

Cacoa, echinacea, maca, raw milk, truffles and many more.

[Liquid lunch]

Something very special happens when cannabinoids are combined with probiotics, an analogy I like that explains it well is that when a rabbit gets chased by a fox it gets flooded with adrenaline and cortisol which is necessary for the rabbit to put its full focus on escape, it’s digestion along with all other secondary functions are temporarily shut down and gut bacteria that are associated with secondary functions like maintaining permeability of the gut lining and converting sugars into B12 are reduced in preference of those that are more focused on obtaining energy for escaping the immediate threat.

The combination of exercise and focus during the chase floods the rabbit with endogenous cannabinoids which flush out the adrenaline and cortisol and change the composition of the microbiome back to a state of normal functioning, enabling the rabbit to quickly go back to eating grass.

Like the rabbit, we are designed for short term stress in combination with exercise, long term stress in the absence of exercise puts our microbiome in a permanent state of stress response, which negatively impacts our ecs signalling.

With the combination of probiotics and cannabinoids we can reset this reciprocal relationship.

[Liquid lunch]

Omegas also play a vital role, in order to modulate cannabinoid (cb) receptors we need a 1:1 ratio of omega 6 and 3 in our diet. The western diet is about 10:1, far too much omega 6 and not enough omega 3.

Omega 7 also appears to positively impact the ecs and the composition of the microbiome, it’s pretty rare and can only be found in fish, macadamia, and sea buckthorn.

[Liquid lunch]

Choosing a cannabis plant that is suitable for your needs can be overwhelming, some can give you the energy and focus needed for completing every tasks while others are better at providing physical relaxation and pain relief.

It’s worth keeping in mind that a higher diversity of cannabinoids will have a wider therapeutic value but sadly most cannabinoids are not tested for.

A pure Thai landrace variety that may contain a greater diversity of cannabinoids than a modern skunk hybrid will test as pure thc, while most hybrids also contain cbd but have a significantly reduced diversity of cannabinoids that are not tested for when compared with any pure landrace.

Cannabis used to contain over 150 cannabinoids, most of which are not tested for, modern skunk hybrids tend to contain 2.

[Liquid lunch]

 I’ve found an alternative for the link I posted re. exercise upregulating the endocannabinoid system,:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30290200/

For more information you can search ‘runners high’ which is a result of increased endogenous cannabinoid production, or Thai chi and yoga which have also been found to be effective.

[LaLeoLoca]

I’m really interested in this, as high dose CBD is the only thing that has ever muted daily severe seizures… And yesterday, after one serving of dairy kefir, I slept seven whole hours! I am constantly awakened by painful gas, bloating, diarrhea, and urinary incontinence, and believe the kefir must have helped. I also had some chicken pate yesterday that tasted strongly of black pepper and maybe the pepper helped as well.

I hate to ask but am slogging through severe brain fog… Is there a simple daily formula for getting enough of the right endocannabinoids and cannabinoids? Is one serving of kefir (about half a glass) enough or is more okay? Or do you just experiment and see what you can handle?

What are your thoughts on CBD? I am convinced cbdMD premium oil, 7500 mg (per bottle in MCT oil base) is one of the few reasons I am still alive. It has been bad, guys. I take 750-1200 mg a day, depending on how bad the seizures are. Seizures have not disappeared but have reduced in the three weeks since I quit gluten. I can’t begin to say how this feels. I have been a prisoner in my own body for years. I believe CBD works by reducing the inflammation that caused my seizures but this is a guess. It is the only thing that has helped even a little. 

I often feel good with a little hardcore dark chocolate or just cacao beans but can learn to like black pepper. I will look at links more in depth again but my brain is just not functioning as well as I would like.

Thanks to you guys, especially about the kefir… If it continues to help the relief would be indescribable. The GI and urine issues make sleep impossible and getting seven whole hours is beyond any treasure. Seriously! I appreciate you, very much. 36 doctors in three years and the kefir recommendation was better than a whole week at the (for me, useless) mayo clinic! 

[Liquid lunch]

Hi @LaLeoLoca, I’m so happy that the kefir is helping :). If you can find raw milk to make it with this contains anandamide which is the same as the anandamide that your body naturally produces when you combine exercise with focus, yoga has been really helpful for me. The anandamide is not heat stable so is lost during pasteurisation. I read on this site recently posted by wheatwacked that grass fed cows produce a 1:1 omega 3 and six ratio which is perfect for modulating cannabinoid receptors, so grass fed raw milk is ideal if you can get it.

I find the more kefir I drink the better I feel, but too much if you’re not used to it can actually cause some gas and bloating so start low and increase as you feel ready to.

Cbd is a selective cb2 agonist which is the cannabinoid receptor associated with pain and inflammation, the problem with it is that you need huge quantities for it to be effective, to treat crohns with cbd alone costs upwards of £30000 a year. You can drastically reduce the dose needed by taking it in combination with thc (the entourage effect) and the cbd is an antagonist at the cb1 receptor so it will prevent any psychoactive effects from the thc.

I prefer to use black pepper (beta caryophyllene) than cbd which is also a selective cb2 agonist but doesn’t cost so much and it contains guineesine which is a cannabinoid reuptake inhibitor so you get more relief from any other cannabinoids that you ingest or produce endogenously.

I’ve also found it’s well worth taking echinacea every day which is full of cannabinoids and is much cheaper than cannabis from a private gp here in the U.K.

[Liquid lunch]

2 hours ago, LaLeoLoca said:

Is there a simple daily formula for getting enough of the right endocannabinoids and cannabinoids?

I pretty much live on smoothies that I’ve designed specifically for ecs upregulation, and yoga.

A super tasty one for the kefir contains,

1 pint kefir 

1 1/2 to 2 bananas depending on size

2 stewed apples

1 tablespoon of cooked (decarboxylated) cannabis coconut oil

1 teaspoon of cacao

1 teaspoon of freeze dried blueberries 

1/2 a teaspoon of freeze dried strawberries 

1/2 a teaspoon of black pepper 

1/4 of a teaspoon of açai powder

[Liquid lunch]

2 hours ago, LaLeoLoca said:

The GI and urine issues make sleep impossible and getting seven whole hours is beyond any treasure.

For sleeping you need cbn which you can make by over cooking thc. The cannabis plant when raw doesn’t contain much thc, the cannabinoids are all in their acidic form (thca) so need to be either heated or fermented to convert them into thc which is very similar to our endogenous anandamide, if you then cook them for a bit longer the thc converts to cbn which is what you need for sleep. It’s amazing stuff! Quality of sleep also improves and you wake up feeling great :).

I don’t think I’m allowed to post links to sites containing advertising but if you search ‘decarboxylation’ you will find lots of information hidden between the ads.

[Liquid lunch]

3 hours ago, LaLeoLoca said:

I believe CBD works by reducing the inflammation that caused my seizures but this is a guess. It is the only thing that has helped even a little. 

You are definitely right about the inflammation, you might also benefit from turmeric and black pepper supplements which are amazing for inflammation. The piperine in the black pepper massively increases uptake of the curcumin in the turmeric.

Cannabis contains anti inflammatories (canflavins) in the vegetative tissue so green smoothies made from the leaves will help.

Cannabis also causes neurogenesis which will repair any damage done by the seizures. Another thing that is capable of neurogenesis is Lions mane mushrooms, I put these in my coffee every morning.

[Liquid lunch]

Here is a link re. thc induced neurogenesis in rats..

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28933048/

[ValerieC]

On 1/3/2023 at 9:15 AM, LaLeoLoca said:

I’m really interested in this, as high dose CBD is the only thing that has ever muted daily severe seizures… And yesterday, after one serving of dairy kefir, I slept seven whole hours! I am constantly awakened by painful gas, bloating, diarrhea, and urinary incontinence, and believe the kefir must have helped. I also had some chicken pate yesterday that tasted strongly of black pepper and maybe the pepper helped as well.

I hate to ask but am slogging through severe brain fog… Is there a simple daily formula for getting enough of the right endocannabinoids and cannabinoids? Is one serving of kefir (about half a glass) enough or is more okay? Or do you just experiment and see what you can handle?

What are your thoughts on CBD? I am convinced cbdMD premium oil, 7500 mg (per bottle in MCT oil base) is one of the few reasons I am still alive. It has been bad, guys. I take 750-1200 mg a day, depending on how bad the seizures are. Seizures have not disappeared but have reduced in the three weeks since I quit gluten. I can’t begin to say how this feels. I have been a prisoner in my own body for years. I believe CBD works by reducing the inflammation that caused my seizures but this is a guess. It is the only thing that has helped even a little. 

I often feel good with a little hardcore dark chocolate or just cacao beans but can learn to like black pepper. I will look at links more in depth again but my brain is just not functioning as well as I would like.

Thanks to you guys, especially about the kefir… If it continues to help the relief would be indescribable. The GI and urine issues make sleep impossible and getting seven whole hours is beyond any treasure. Seriously! I appreciate you, very much. 36 doctors in three years and the kefir recommendation was better than a whole week at the (for me, useless) mayo clinic! 

your mention of seizures and diet prompts me to suggest the book, Brain Energy by Chris Palmer, MD, a psychiatrist on faculty at Harvard and practicing at a Harvard affiliated hospital. 

[Wheatwacked]

On 12/27/2022 at 6:23 PM, Liquid lunch said:

Omegas also play a vital role, in order to modulate cannabinoid (cb) receptors we need a 1:1 ratio of omega 6 and 3 in our diet. The western diet is about 10:1,

Our western diet has been estimated to be from 15:1 to as high as 27:1.

        The Importance of Maintaining a Low Omega-6/Omega-3 Ratio for Reducing the Risk of Autoimmune Diseases, Asthma, and Allergies  "Up until about 100 years ago, the omega-6/3 ratio has been around 4:1 or less. However, the typical Western diet now provides an omega-6/3 ratio of approximately 20:1 in favor of omega-6. This predisposes to supraphysiologic inflammatory responses and perpetuates chronic low-grade inflammation. "

• 100% grassfed milk 1:1
• commercial dairy milk  5:1
• wheat flour  27:1
• sweet potato  16:1
• russet potato  3:1
• raisins  12:1
• rolled oats  21:1
• fresh fish   1:1 to 1:7
• farm raised salmon   1.3:1
• yellow sweet corn   33:1
• lettuce  1:1

Then I read things like this:

Quote

Sweet Potatoes

The beta-carotene in sweet potatoes has been shown to fight inflammation, and eating them regularly can help ease joint pain and other symptoms of inflammatory conditions like arthritis. If you’re looking for a delicious way to reduce inflammation, add some sweet potatoes to a salad or bake alongside protein!

• Quote

  The omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of the present Western diet has been calculated to be as high as 15–17/1 [15:1]. Even though our results showed that the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 of farmed Atlantic salmon was more than ten times higher (0.7 vs. 0.05) than that of wild salmon, and has increased from 0.4 in 2010, it is still below 1. Thus, farmed Atlantic salmon will contribute positively by lowering the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of the diet.   An Update on the Content of Fatty Acids, Dioxins, PCBs and Heavy Metals in Farmed, Escaped and Wild Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar L.) in Norway

[Liquid lunch]

12 hours ago, Wheatwacked said:

Our western diet has been estimated to be from 15:1 to as high as 27:1.

        The Importance of Maintaining a Low Omega-6/Omega-3 Ratio for Reducing the Risk of Autoimmune Diseases, Asthma, and Allergies  "Up until about 100 years ago, the omega-6/3 ratio has been around 4:1 or less. However, the typical Western diet now provides an omega-6/3 ratio of approximately 20:1 in favor of omega-6. This predisposes to supraphysiologic inflammatory responses and perpetuates chronic low-grade inflammation. "

• 100% grassfed milk 1:1
• commercial dairy milk  5:1
• wheat flour  27:1
• sweet potato  16:1
• russet potato  3:1
• raisins  12:1
• rolled oats  21:1
• fresh fish   1:1 to 1:7
• farm raised salmon   1.3:1
• yellow sweet corn   33:1
• lettuce  1:1

Then I read things like this:

•  

Thanks @Wheatwacked this is useful information, I didn’t realise sweet potatoes were so high or that the average intake had gotten so high in 6.

I’ve started keeping quail to convert epa into dha omegas in the eggs, they have a better range of amino acids than chicken eggs and the depth of flavour is incredible.

[Wheatwacked]

The big difference seems to be quail eggs have twice as much B1, B2, B3, B12 and cholesterol.  More importantly quail eggs are considered hypoallergenic.  Then the other question is at the same iodine level, why don't quail eggs precipitate DH or have I misunderstood?

Nutritional comparison of chicken and quail eggs.  Chicken Eggs , Quail Eggs

Eggs, Fresh2372

 

 

[Liquid lunch]

Wow, I hadn’t seen the iodine levels. It probably depends a lot on what they’re fed too, I think the reason the amino acid ratios are different is because their dietary needs are more specific than chickens. 

I’ve not noticed any issues with them causing DH but I’ve not had them long. Chickens can be used in the same way to make omegas more bioavailable but the eggs aren’t nearly as tasty.