How Anandamide Benefits You

Article Summary:

• Because of its beneficial effects on various human functions — including emotional well-being — anandamide is known as the ‘bliss molecule.’
• Although the benefits of anandamide include support for mental well-being and overall health,* its mechanisms of action in providing these benefits are not yet well understood. 
• A low level of anandamide in the body can be addressed by adopting a diet rich in foods containing anandamide, an active lifestyle, and taking an anandamide nutritional supplement.

Although you might not have heard much yet about anandamide, it’s a nutrient that plays a critical role in making you feel happy. Its name comes from ananda — the Sanskrit word for internal bliss or happiness. Although it is a lesser-known brain compound, anandamide is one of the most important endocannabinoids — the lipid molecules the body produces that influence brain functions and regulate our emotions and behavior. 

Below, we discuss various benefits of anandamide and how to enhance its natural production to support mental and overall well-being.*

Anandamide Benefits: An Overview

Before understanding anandamide’s benefits, let’s take a closer look at how the human endocannabinoid system functions and how anandamide, as an integral component, works to stimulate it.

As a complex biological system in humans and other animals, the endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays a part in various physiological functions, like pain sensation, mood, appetite, and immune function. The ECS has three core components: endocannabinoids, receptors, and enzymes.

• Endocannabinoids. These naturally occurring compounds are similar to the constituents of cannabis, which explains their name. Lipids like anandamide (arachidonoyl ethanolamide or ACE) and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG) are among the best-characterized endocannabinoids. 

• Receptors. These are proteins  found on cell surfaces. When a physiological system needs attention, like regulating pain or inflammation, the body produces endocannabinoids that bind to these receptors, like plugging an electrical cord into a socket. Two primary cannabinoid receptors, CB₁ and CB₂, mediate the endocannabinoid functions. While the CB₁ receptors are primarily found in the central nervous system, the CB₂ receptors are most frequently located in the peripheral nervous system. The effect and function of endocannabinoids are determined by a receptor’s location and which endocannabinoid binds there.   

• Enzymes. After an endocannabinoid has done its job, enzymes break it down. For example, anandamide is broken down by fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), whereas monoacylglycerol acid lipase (MGL) breaks down 2-AG.  

Acting as a neurotransmitter, anandamide binds to and activates cannabinoid receptors in the brain and the body to maintain a state of balance called homeostasis.* The table below details some key anandamide benefits for supporting homeostasis.* 

Anandamide further provides beneficial support for motor control⁵, reproductive system function, muscle formation, and bone remodeling and growth.* However, the various mechanisms by which anandamide influences these functions and dispenses its beneficial effects are not yet fully understood. 

Stimulating Anandamide Production in Your Body 

As noted above, the chemical structure of anandamide is similar to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), which are derived from the plant Cannabis sativa, or marijuana. Although biochemical studies suggest that cannabidiol can enhance endogenous anandamide signaling, there are different approaches to stimulating the body’s anandamide production:   

• Food Sources: Chocolate contains small quantities of anandamide, as well as compounds that delay the breakdown of the bliss molecule. Truffles, black pepper, long pepper, virgin olive oil, walnuts, fatty fish, and eggs also elevate anandamide levels.     

• Active Lifestyle: Some studies⁴ correlate physical activities with enhanced expression of CB₁ cannabinoid receptors and endocannabinoids like anandamide. An active lifestyle that includes exercise could spike anandamide levels and support optimal brain health.  

• Nutritional Supplements: If your body does not produce sufficient anandamide or has difficulty maintaining anandamide homeostasis, then a nutritional supplement can enhance your level of anandamide.* 

AnaQuell^TM, developed by Tesseract Medical Research, is an advanced nutritional supplement formulation that contains anandamide and L-Citrulline to support a healthy response to mild anxiety (not Generalized Anxiety Disorder), mood changes, and stress.* Tesseract’s proprietary CyLoc^® – DexKey^® nanomolecular delivery technology solubilizes anandamide to deliver it through the gut wall for unprecedented absorption and bioavailability.  L-citrulline — a necessary component for producing nitric oxide, further enhances overall nutrient delivery and blood flow to the brain, thereby promoting your neurological health.* 

Citations:

¹Gobbi, G et al. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America vol. 102,51 (2005): 18620-5. doi:10.1073/pnas.0509591102

²Pandey, Rupal et al. “Endocannabinoids and immune regulation.” Pharmacological research vol. 60,2 (2009): 85-92. doi:10.1016/j.phrs.2009.03.019

³Jamshidi, N, and Taylor DA. British Journal of Pharmacology vol. 134,6 (2001): 1151-4. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0704379

³Murillo-Rodriguez, Eric et al. Sleep vol. 26,8 (2003): 943-7. doi:10.1093/sleep/26.8.943

⁴Stone, Nicole L et al. Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience vol. 12 269. 26 Nov. 2018, doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00269

⁵El Manira, A, and A Kyriakatos. “The role of endocannabinoid signaling in motor control.” Physiology (Bethesda, Md.) vol. 25,4 (2010): 230-8. doi:10.1152/physiol.00007.2010