Specific terpenes show potential to relieve pain in animal study
What are Terpenes?
Terpenes are highly aromatic compounds that are responsible for the smell, flavor and color of many plants and herbs, they play a vital role for plants by attracting pollinators. Some terpenes also play a protective role in the plant by helping it to recover from damage dressage and as part of the plant’s immune system.
Common terpenes include linalool (lavender), myrcene (hops), limonene (citrus), pinene (pine) and caryophyllene (pepper), they are also found in abundance in the cannabis plant.
What do they do?
To humans and animals, terpenes have shown to have therapeutic properties both on their own and as part of the cannabis plant. Terpenes are showing to work synergistically with cannabinoids to enhance their individual effects. Linalool, for example, has long shown the potential for stress relieving properties and is used in many common natural human therapies. If you know of lavender as being relaxing, that’s the linalool doing its job.
In a paper first published online in Scientific Reports this April, researchers investigated four terpenes — alpha-humulene, geraniol, linalool and beta-pinene — each on their own and in combination with a cannabinoid agonist. Researchers determined that using terpenes on their own “mimic the effects of cannabinoids, including a reduction in pain sensation,” notes a statement from the University of Arizona Health Sciences. But when terpenes were combined with cannabinoids, “the pain-relieving effects were amplified without an increase in negative side effects,” investigators report.
Why do they matter to my horse?
CannaHorse products include specific terpenes in each formulation, Equilibrium contains both linalool and pinene, featured in the above study. These terpenes are specifically selected by Strainprint Technologies using the world’s largest dataset of medical cannabis patients.
By combining pharmaceutical grade cannabinoids with selected isolated terpenes our products are designed to be more effective than by using CBD alone.
Read more about the study HERE and read the study HERE.
Some common terpenes and their potential effects:
Beta-caryophyllene
A major ingredient in cloves, rosemary, and hops, beta-caryophyllene could be beneficial for managing symptoms of stress and depression.
Beta-pinene
If you’ve strolled through a coniferous forest, you know the smell of beta-pinene, which could also have potentially both anti-depressant and anti-cancer properties.
Humulene
This terpene is found in ginseng, which has long been used in folk medicine for energizing effects.
Limonene
One of the most commonly found terpenes, limonene has distinct citrus notes and may potentially have anti-cancer properties. In mice, it’s been shown to have stress relieving properties.
Linalool
Lovers of lavender as aromatherapy may want to seek out cannabis with linalool, which may help alleviate stress.
Myrcene
Found in mangoes, myrcene has antifungal and antibacterial properties and could also have sedating effects.