Study: Marijuana & The Fountain of Youth

If you’re old enough to remember the Summer of Love, burning your bra, and the slogan “Never trust anyone over 30”, then you’re going to love this: Marijuana may actually hold the key to the Fountain of Youth - not to mention being a blockbuster wrinkle treatment!

Of course not in the form of Mary Jane you probably remember.

But new studies out of Hungary, Germany and the UK suggest that the human body naturally produces a substance known as an “endocannabinoid” – a molecule very close in structure to THC, the “psychoactive” cannabinoid found in the marijuana plant, also known as “cannabis”

Moreover, the human endocannabinoid appears to play a key role in skin health and anti aging skin care.

“ Just as THC is believed to protect the marijuana plant from pathogens, our own cannabinoids may be necessary for us to maintain healthy skin," wrote lead researcher Gerald Weissmann in a study to be published in the October issue of the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.



Marijuana: Turning On Skin Cells

According to the new research, this human “endocannabioid” helps regulate and produce skin lipids. These are essential fats linked to oil production and believed to play a role in acne (when we over produce) or dry skin (when we under produce).

These same oil secretions are also linked to hormone production, particularly estrogen - one reason our skin looks plump and moist when we are young and estrogen production is high, and dryer and wrinkly as we creep towards menopause – a time when estrogen production is dropping.

So what’s the link between cannabinoids and aging skin? They appear to act as a kind of “signal” regulator, that turns lipid production on and off. Keeping it “turned on”, say researchers, may be one way to encourage plumper, younger looking skin.

The next step will be to isolate the human cannabinoids and, if possible, turn them into an anti aging skin care ingredient.

The other alternative: Extract the cannabis molecules we already have in the hearty marijuana plant - a move that may not be as far off as you might think.

Indeed at least one part of the cannabis plant has already made its way into several skin care products in the form of hemp oil – currently available in a number of moisturizers, creams, and other cosmetics. The Body Shop, for example, features a hemp-based line of products, as does Burt’s Bees.

But if you’re thinking you can get high on your skin care, guess again. According to Dr. David West, who holds a degree in plant breeding from the University of Minnesota (yes, they really give degrees in this!) unlike THC, which contains high levels of the psychoactive component of marijuana, industrial hemp is mostly CBD, which is the anti-psychoactive constituent of marijuana. Still, the anti aging effects on skin lipids may be similar.

But just in case you’re getting the idea that you can just “light up” and give your skin a boost of youth – not a good idea. Legalities aside, ( and won’t you feel silly telling the judge you were just trying to get rid of your wrinkles) the truth is that when it comes to skin aging, smoking marijuana is a lot like smoking cigarettes: It produces pollutants that actually gobble up collagen and cause skin to prematurely age ( think Mick Jagger and Keith Richards). Of course you might not care …but still, you will look older!

My advice for right now: Until we have more research on the role of cannabis in skin care, stay out of the sun, use sunscreen when you do go out, and when you’re indoors – put on some moisturizer and an old Joni Mitchell album and just relax. You won’t recreate the summer of love – but your skin will look a lot better.

You might also enjoy reading: (click on the titles)

Your Perfectly Pampered Menopause;

Wrinkle Injections: How They Compare

Or visit www.RedDressDiary.com - The Destination for Fabulous Women Over 40!

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