Exercise increases the body's own `cannabis-like' substance which
reduces chronic inflammation

Date:
November 17, 2021
Source:
University of Nottingham
Summary:
Exercise increases the body's own cannabis-like substances, which
in turn helps reduce inflammation and could potentially help treat
certain conditions such as arthritis, cancer and heart disease.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Exercise increases the body's own cannabis-like substances, which in
turn helps reduce inflammation and could potentially help treat certain conditions such as arthritis, cancer and heart disease.


==========================================================================
In a new study, published in Gut Microbes,experts from the University of Nottingham found that exercise intervention in people with arthritis, did
not just reduce their pain, but it also lowered the levels of inflammatory substances (called cytokines). It also increased levels of cannabis-like substances produced by their own bodies, called endocannabinoids.

Interestingly, the way exercise resulted in these changes was by altering
the gut microbes.

Exercise is known to decrease chronic inflammation, which in turn causes
many diseases including cancer, arthritis and heart disease, but little
is known as to how it reduces inflammation.

A group of scientists, led by Professor Ana Valdes from the School of
Medicine at the University, tested 78 people with arthritis. Thirty-eight
of them carried out 15 minutes of muscle strengthening exercises every
day for six weeks, and 40 did nothing.

At the end of the study, participants who did the exercise intervention
had not only reduced their pain, but they also had more microbes in their
guts of the kind that produce anti-inflammatory substances, lower levels
of cytokines and higher levels of endocannabinoids.

The increase in endocannabinoids was strongly linked to changes in the
gut microbes and anti-inflammatory substances produced by gut microbes
called SCFAS. In fact, at least one third of the anti-inflammatory
effects of the gut microbiome was due to the increase in endocannabinoids.

Doctor Amrita Vijay, a Research Fellow in the School of Medicine and
first author of the paper, said: "Our study clearly shows that exercise increases the body's own cannabis-type substances. Which can have a
positive impact on many conditions.

"As interest in cannabidiol oil and other supplements
increases, it is important to know that simple lifestyle
interventions like exercise can modulate endocannabinoids." ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Nottingham. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Amrita Vijay, Afroditi Kouraki, Sameer Gohir, James Turnbull,
Anthony
Kelly, Vicky Chapman, David A Barrett, William J Bulsiewicz, Ana
M Valdes. The anti-inflammatory effect of bacterial short chain
fatty acids is partially mediated by endocannabinoids. Gut Microbes,
2021; 13 (1) DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2021.1997559 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/11/211117100053.htm

--- up 6 days, 2 hours, 55 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)