Have you wanted the hemp terpene myrcene explained simply so you can better understand this powerful painkiller and analgesic? In this short post, we’ll do just that…
The terpene myrcene can be found in both the candeia tree and chamomile plant. Myrcene has sedative-like effects, and these have been shown to assist with stress relief and anxiety. Even though myrcene is found in chamomile and candeia, the highest concentrations are found in hemp, with myrcene being one of its most abundant terpenes.
Cannabis Terpenes
Hemp terpenes are kinda like food flavouring and occur naturally in all plants. They give many plants, including the cannabis plant, their flavour and aroma. Dr. Russo, a leading cannabinoid researcher, discovered that terpenes “could produce synergy with respect to treatment of pain, inflammation, depression, anxiety, addiction, epilepsy, cancer, fungal and bacterial infections.”
What is myrcene found in?
Alongside being known for having sedative-like effects, it also occurs naturally in several other plants such as bay leaves, thyme, lemongrass, eucalyptus, hops and mango. If you’ve ever smelt the smell of cloves, you’ll be familiar with that musky scent. Myrcene has a very similar aroma, yet with a little more of an “earthy” smell. Myrcene flavour comes across as similar to that of balsamic and red grapes.
What are the Benefits of Myrcene?
Myrcene makes for an excellent anti-inflammatory with its capability to reduce chronic pain. This is especially helpful in those who suffer from chronic back pain and are looking to hemp for assistance with this. Myrcene looks and acts much like an analgesic, or a painkiller. This is because the terpene myrcene, and other terpenes like limonene help the cannabinoid content inside the hemp plant cross the blood brain barrier, bind to the endocannabinoid receptors, and alleviate pain and swelling. That’s a huge benefit to those who want relief from chronic pain with hemp.
Does Myrcene Help Joint & Muscle Pain?
Myrcene provides massive benefits to those suffering with joint and muscle pain. This terpene has the ability to reduce inflammation and swelling and can be a relief to those struggling with digestive issues. Myrcene’s sedative effects also shows promise in its ability to reduce anxiety and overall stress. This is a great reason to use a high-quality full spectrum hemp oil for those in the corporate sector. No need to worry about which is the best strain of cannabis to use that way.
Can Myrcene Help with Sleep?
Myrcene can help with sleep through its ability as a “sleep aid” helping people fall asleep and stay asleep. This can improve not only the length of sleep, but the depth of sleep, increasing REM sleep time leading to an overall higher quality of rest. Research shows chronic sleep deprivation of 5-6 hours per night (instead of 7-8) leads to depression-like symptoms within just 3-4 weeks. Getting a long night’s restful sleep is important for everyone to improve their overall wellbeing. So myrcene may be especially helpful for those struggling to get to sleep and stay asleep such as new parents or shift workers.
Is Myrcene Antibacterial?
Myrcene is an antifungal and antibacterial, which can reduce issues with candida and other infections within the body. Being an antifungal, a few drops of myrcene containing hemp oil could provide help with athlete’s foot or other similar topical fungal infections. A natural antibacterial, could assist with various bacteria infections in the body from common gut and digestive issues to yeast infections.
Myrcene has also been shown to assist in the healing of infections and wounds when applied topically. This could be especially helpful in athletes sporting common wounds such as in rugby players or football injuries.
Can Myrcene help diabetics?
Myrcene produces interesting benefits to people with type 2 diabetes as well. This terpene is able to regulate the transport of chemicals across semipermeable cells. This means that people who have diabetes and insulin resistance can more efficiently control blood sugar levels, as the myrcene assists with transportation of insulin across cell membranes. This is kinda like having an extra train assist with transporting carbohydrate into the cells instead of having it free flow around the body. Chronic high or low blood sugar can have fatal outcomes, hence the need for diabetics to be medicated and seek appropriate advice from a licenced medical professional.
What are the effects of myrcene
CBD and myrcene are being used in conjunction with cancer treatment. These two compounds have been shown to reduce excessive cell proliferation (the process that results in an increased number of cells) and could reduce tumour sizes. The cancer cells are being killed off before they have a chance to metastasize, or spread, to other areas of the body.
MYRCENE WITH CBD
Myrcene works with CBD to contribute to the sedative effects of strong sativas (cannabis). When coupled together, the effects of the product are significantly faster acting and have a longer effect due to the ability of the two compounds to bind to the ECS receptors. This is what we referred to as the ”entourage effect” in earlier articles.
So here you’ve had the hemp terpene myrcene explained and broken down into its individual health benefit components. You’ll find the research articles linked below.
Sumpter, Luke. “Myrcene: There’s More to Marijuana Than Cannabinoids.” Reset.me. November 24, 2015. Accessed November 13, 2018. reset.me/story/myrcene-theres-more-to-marijuana-than-cannabinoids/
Lee, Martin A. “Terpenes: Smell the Mystery.” Project CBD. March 1, 2014. Accessed November 13, 2018. www.projectcbd.org/science/terpenes/terpenes-smell-mystery
Royal Queen Seeds. “Myrcene: An Abundant Terpene With Surprising Benefits.” Royal Queen Seeds (blog). April 21, 2017. Accessed November 13, 2018. www.royalqueenseeds.com/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3165946/
