Natural medicine goes back to the beginning of the human race, people have been using plants and other natural compounds to help heal wounds and treat medical conditions. Recently one group of natural compounds that have received a lot of attention is terpenes and we are here today to talk about what these are and how they are good for us, after that we want to talk a little bit about where you can find them.
What Are Terpenes?
While terpenes may be a popular subject in the cannabis world right now, don’t be surprised if you haven’t heard of them before. Despite not knowing what terpenes are specifically, you have probably experienced them, even if you have only ever smelled cannabis. The unusual smell that cannabis has is caused by the terpenes that are found in the plants and are found in unique levels in each strain, giving the strains their own unique aromas.
Terpenes are found in every cannabis plant and there have been over 100 different terpenes that have been found in the various strains that are out there.
Scientists now believe that terpenes are responsible for more than the aromatic makeup of cannabis plants and that they make up at least a portion of the health benefits that are provided by cannabis. The recent legalization of cannabis and the push to use cannabis for medical benefits have been responsible for the discovery of the contributions of terpenes to the medical benefits of cannabis. More on this later, but for now, this doesn’t describe exactly what terpenes are.
More specifically than we have talked about, terpenes are compounds that are found within the cannabis plant. Each terpene is responsible for different healing or therapeutic properties. Terpenes compounds are made up of both carbon and hydrogen and they are generated in the trichomes in cannabis, the same part of the plant that produces cannabinoids.
Are Terpenes Found in Any Other Plants?
Like Cannabinoids, many people want to know if terpenes are found in other plants, the answer is yes. In truth, terpenes are just commonly associated with cannabis plants, they are in fact found in many other plants. Terpenes are actually responsible for the smell in lavender plants and pine trees and may possibly contribute to the health benefits that lavender has, but research is needed to confirm that.
Some products on the market in the beauty and health world are scented with terpenes that are either harvested or created.
How do Terpenes Affect the Body?
A good portion of terpenes are bioactive, meaning that when they enter the body they interact with the body but how they interact with the body varies greatly. Several different factors are involved in the effects of terpenes on the body, the first being the specific terpene that is being discussed. Every terpene has different effects on the body, different potencies, and may or may not be present in a specific type of plant. Not every plant has every terpene.
Terpenes also affect the body differently based on what concentration they are present in the plant you are discussing and the specific strain of that plant. For example, different types of hemp and marijuana are specifically grown with different levels of terpenes to give them different benefits, tastes, and smells.
Another factor in how they affect the body depends on how you use the terpenes. Smells from terpenes are one of the reasons they are popular in oils, for example.
Examples of Terpenes
With over 100 different terpenes found in cannabis plants, it would be hard to cover them all here but it is important to know that each one has its own benefits. We are going to provide a few examples of some of the most common terpenes found in cannabis plants along with what other plants they are found in.
Myrcene is one of the most common terpenes that you will encounter and as it is present in many commercial forms of cannabis, it is believed to be responsible for at least a portion of the calming effect that marijuana is known for. You can find myrcene in a variety of other plants but a few examples are thyme, mango, and lemongrass, all of which have very notable scents.
Caryophyllene is a terpene but it is also known by science to act as a cannabinoid, it is the only terpene so far to be proven to act as a cannabinoid but it is suspected that others do too. The primary effect of Caryophyllene is as an anti-inflammatory agent. Besides cannabis, you can find caryophyllene in black pepper, cloves, and cinnamon.
Terpinolene is a common dominant terpene in cannabis and is believed to be responsible for giving mood-boosting effects to strains of cannabis. You can find it in other plants such as lilacs, nutmeg, and cumin.
Pinene is considered to be one of the most, if not the most, widespread terpene in the plant world. It is believed to have the possibility of helping with pain and anxiety while also working as an anti-inflammatory. As it is one of the most common terpenes in the world, it can be found in a lot of plants but two other plants that you can find pinene in are rosemary and basil.
How To Maximize The Benefits of Terpenes
If you are using CBD for the great health benefits that come from the cannabinoids and terpenesת you will want to get the maximum benefit. To get that maximum benefit from your CBD you will want to find CBD that is full or broad-spectrum, this means that the CBD includes a vast majority of the compounds that can be found in the plant before it was extracted. Science and experience show us that using the whole plant, as opposed to just part of it maximizes the benefits experienced.
The effect that you receive from using the whole plant instead of just part of it is known as the “entourage effect” and has been a popular topic in the world of CBD recently as people search to maximize the benefits they get from using the compound.
Getting high-quality products will also help to maximize the benefit that you receive from the CBD oil that you get, one way to verify the quality is to buy only from a company that has their products tested by an outside lab. Outside testing helps to guarantee that the CBD is of high quality but also that it contains CBD in the first place.
Choosing the Right CBD For Maximum Benefit
CBD oil tinctures can be hard to choose among, there are a lot of options out there to choose from. Botanima Organics offers a CBD tincture that is designed to give maximum benefit by using the whole plant. The only thing that we filter out of the CBD is the THC so that you get the health benefits without the psychoactive effects that may be present with THC. Any and all ingredients in Botanima Organics products are also natural, as a company, we focus on creating a natural product that meets with science to give you the best benefits without any harmful compounds. By leaving it natural, you get the full benefits of all of the terpenes in the CBD oil.
Terpenes are not the only part of why cannabis gives the benefits it does, as we mentioned briefly, cannabinoids are the major contributor to the benefits and are currently better researched. The two work together with a synergistic effect, Cannabinoids like CBD can be combined with the terpenes to provide wonderful benefits to people who are looking to use CBD oil tincture to improve their health and lives in general.
