Study Shows Gut-Calming Effects Of Chili Peppers And Marijuana

A common link between chili peppers and marijuana could have implications for how we treat diabetes and colitis, as well as other conditions in the digestive tract, according to a new study from the University of Connecticut.  The study was published in the April 24 issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.   Researchers say chemicals found in the peppers and marijuana interact with the same receptor in our stomachs. Scientists first focused on the chemical capsaicin, which is responsible for the hot sensation of eating a chili pepper. They fed capsaicin to mice, and “found the mice fed with the spice had less inflammation in their guts.” Here’s a rundown of what happened next: When they looked carefully at what was happening at a molecular level, the researchers saw that the capsaicin was binding to a receptor called TRPV1, which is found on specialized cells throughout the gastrointestinal tract. When capsaicin binds to it, TRPV1 causes cells to make anandamide. Anandamide is a compound chemically akin to the cannabinoids in marijuana. It was the anandamide that caused the immune system to calm down. Knowing that the brain also has anandamide receptors, researchers began to “imagine ways the immune system and the brain might talk to each other” through the common language of the anandamide, explained Pramod Srivastava, professor of immunology and medicine at UConn School of Medicine. Researchers...
Source: Science - The Huffington Post - Category: Science Source Type: news