What are Terpenes?
Terpenes are the aromatic compounds found in many plants. These fragrances arise due to a combination of terpenes. Terpenes play a vital role in the study of natural organisms and they hold significant importance in the creation of many everyday products, like soap and foods.
In nature, Terpenes exist to protect the plants from predators, like insects or animal foraging, while helping attract pollinators. Terpenes have a protective role in plants because they can operate as part of the plant’s immune system, repelling infectious germs. They also help the plant recover from damage. Apart from the benefits for plants, they can also have a healthy and appealing effect on humans. For decades, therefore, manufacturers have isolated terpenes to create flavors and scents of foods and body products.
Although many terpenes exist, only a few have been studied scientifically. A few of the better-known terpenes and ones that are predominant in cannabis are:
- Limonene, which is responsible for the citrusy scents of fruits. It is commonly used for its anti-inflammatory properties.
- Pinene, which as the name suggests is the factor that brings the scent of pines, is known to aid in memory retention.
- Bisabolol is a terpene that gives the nutty scent of coconuts, it has significant antibacterial properties.
- Myrcene gives a celery-like scent and aids in relaxation.
Benefits of Terpenes
A study published in a 2010 edition of the Journal of Ethnopharmacology revealed that myrcene inhibited nitrogen oxide production to reduce inflammation of the skin. Another study published in the National Library of Medicine revealed that injections of myrcene significantly inhibited pain perception in mice in tests of both peripheral analgesia and Central Nervous System (CNS) modulation.
More and more pieces of evidence such as this tend to arise in support of terpenes. There are many terpenes out there so far, only a handful have been studied. As it stands, the major beneficial properties of terpenes are:
- Anti-inflammatory
- Good sedative
- Neuroprotective
- Anti-bacterial
- Memory retention
Terpenes Cannabis and CBD
Like all plants, Cannabis plants, possess terpenes. Its terpene content is actually higher than the average plant. Most experts believe that the amount of terpene content in cannabis can go well beyond 100. Myrcene is one of the most dominant terpenes, In fact, one study showed that myrcene makes up as much as 65% of the total terpene profile in some strains. Coming second to Myrcene is Limonene.
In the process of extracting CBD from the cannabis plant, the terpene profile (along with other cannabinoids) can be either preserved or not preserved. If preserved it is either broad or full-spectrum CBD. Since CBD in itself has been shown to have numerous health and wellness advantages and since terpenes also show similar benefits, combining them (hence utilizing full or broad-spectrum CBD) can lead to even greater benefits. This is called the entourage effect.
As more research about CBD, cannabis, and terpenes emerges, it has become more evident that terpenes in conjunction with cannabinoids CBD manufacturers and customers are therefore beginning to recognize the potential terpenes have and are opting to go for CBD products rich with terpenes. Additionally, the variety of flavors and scents make the process of using CBD more fun and enjoyable.
If you have any concerns regarding terpenes, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’ll love to offer you any information you require!
