Health problems can be due to an imbalance. By restoring balance, CBD offers a wide range of health benefits.
Although CBD has many uses, its synergistic combination with other herbal supplements can optimize its effects.
Why should you combine CBD with other supplements?
In this article, we'll explain why you should combine CBD with other supplements and which supplements you should consider for different symptoms.
Let's start by explaining why you shouldn't rely solely on CBD to treat your symptoms.
The therapeutic use of CBD is not a new concept: people have used it for centuries to treat everything from pain and inflammation to cognitive decline associated with aging.
In all forms of herbal medicine , plants are combined to enhance their action based on symptoms.
It is a common practice in herbal medicine, even in the modern world.
It is only in the modern era that practitioners choose to take a more reductionist approach to medicine. Instead of combining several herbs or drugs to exploit their strengths and compensate for their weaknesses, a single compound is prescribed.
The use of a single (pharmaceutical) compound has advantages during the research phase, as it is easier to determine which compound is responsible for a given result. Combination agents, on the other hand, are much more difficult to study because it is difficult to determine the exact effect of each component.
However, most people don't care which compound is responsible for which effects - they just want to feel better.
A wise combination is by far the best way to get the most out of supplements. This involves taking 2-5 supplements that work well together to provide greater overall benefit.
For example , let's say you're taking CBD to relieve joint pain - a popular use for this compound. You can leave it that way and let the CBD work on its own, but only to a certain extent.
CBD helps block pain and reduce inflammation – two common causes of disease-related pain.
However, what if the causes are morning stiffness and reduced mobility?
CBD won't do much to counter this process.
- so best combined with something like HARPAGOPHYTUM capsules, which is useful for regaining general mobility. By combining this substance, you can speed up the process in the joint and relieve symptomatic pain.
This is just one example of when it is more useful to combine other supplements with CBD for better results. Let's look at five other examples.
The Five Best Supplements to Take with CBD
Choosing which supplements to pair with your CBD will depend on the symptoms you want to treat.
1. CBD and Spirulina as an anti-inflammatory
There are many causes, but the effects we feel during inflammation are the direct result of the system being over-activated.
CBD helps calm inflammation through its ability to increase the activity of a neurotransmitter – which acts as a brake pedal for the immune system.
In a study of diabetics, participants given 8 grams of spirulina daily showed a reduction in malondialdehyde (MDA) - MDA is a compound produced by the body that reflects the ability of the immune system to respond to inflammation
2. CBD and Ashwagandha (KSM-66) for Stress
An effective stress response is essential for maintaining optimal health.
Stress exists in many forms, but all types of stress have a similar effect on the body. It activates an area of the brain called the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus then sends hormones to the adrenal glands, which begin to produce a hormone called cortisol.
Then cortisol:
- Suppresses the immune system
- suppresses digestion
- Increases heart rate
- Increases blood pressure
- Dilates the airways
- Stimulates the brain
Cortisol is useful in the short term to activate the stress response when needed, but if present for too long it can cause serious long term problems including insomnia, brain fog, decreased immunity and weight gain, as well as more serious complications such as diabetes and heart disease.
According to one study , Ashwagandha supplements have been shown to gradually reduce cortisol levels with regular use.
The prevailing idea is that ashwagandha increases the conversion of cortisol into its inactive metabolites, increasing the ability of the hypothalamus to regulate cortisol levels and deal with stress.
CBD combines well with ashwagandha because it achieves similar results by acting on other areas of the nervous system, including GABA receptors.
These compounds can work together to relieve chronic stress .
3. CBD & Turmeric (Curcumin) in Chronic Inflammation
The process of inflammation is incredibly complex - entire textbooks are devoted to it.
Inflammation can vary greatly depending on the cause, which means the inflammation that occurs during an autoimmune disease is very different from the inflammation you experience when you are injured.
Long-term (chronic) inflammation is also very different from short-term (acute) inflammation.
CBD is a great tool for treating chronic and acute inflammation because it blocks most of the molecules involved in triggering inflammation. However, it has its limits.
Adding curcumin (the active ingredient in turmeric) may enhance the effect of CBD by providing additional anti-inflammatory benefits through a variety of mechanisms.
Curcumin stops inflammation by blocking key enzymes involved in the production of inflammatory compounds called COX-2 .
Taking these two supplements together will provide the greatest benefit, as all of these actions are important in stopping inflammation.
CBD, by blocking these enzymes, as well as suppressing the main inflammatory messengers, helps to quickly stop the inflammatory process.
4. CBD, HARPAGOPHYTUM for joint mobility
CBD is useful for relieving joint pain associated with both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis due to its analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties.
Inflammation is a key part of the main causes of arthritis, but it is not the only cause.
One of the biggest problems leading to chronic joint pain as a result of arthritis is loss of mobility, and joint pain.
CBD is effective at reducing symptomatic joint pain and fighting inflammation, but does very little to help with joint mobility.
Harpagophytum has anti-inflammatory and anti-phlogistic properties due to its active ingredients, iridoids (harpagosides and procumbosides)
Taken together, CBD helps reduce inflammation and treat pain, while Glucosamine and Harpagophytum Sulfate help regain mobility in the joints.
5. CBD and Ginkgo biloba in depression
Depression can harm our health, especially if it lasts a long time.
CBD offers a good option for treating depression primarily due to its anti-inflammatory benefits. Neuroinflammation is a key contributor to depression, but it's not the only cause.
Most antidepressants work by increasing serotonin levels in the brain, which CBD cannot.
However, another herb - St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) - can do this.
This herb works similarly to SSRI drugs, which are commonly used to treat depression. It blocks the reuptake and breakdown of serotonin in the brain, leading to increased levels outside neurons.
A study demonstrates that the administration of (19.2 mg per dose, 3 times a day) showed antidepressant effects in 136 elderly adult patients suffering from depression through the modulation of serotonergic and dopaminergic neurotransmission.
Bonus tip for amplifying CBD
Grapefruit juice to prolong the action of CBD?
CBD - like any other compound we consume - is ultimately metabolized and deactivated by the liver.
The liver is an incredibly flexible organ. It can destroy almost any compound that enters the bloodstream through a set of enzymes called cytochrome P450 isoenzyme complex.
Depending on the chemical structure of the metabolized compound, different enzymes are included in the task.
When it comes to CBD, the liver primarily relies on two enzymes - CYP3A4 and CYP3A5. cytochrome P450 studies
Therefore, if we suppress the activity of these enzymes, it will take much longer for the liver to break down CBD.
Several things can achieve this, but nothing is as potent or readily available as grapefruit juice.
This has led many people to drink grapefruit juice or take grapefruit juice extracts alongside CBD, which effectively lowers the required daily dose and provides long-term relief.
Please note : grapefruit juice also inhibits other liver enzymes. Therefore, you should never take this supplement if you are taking other medications as they may cause side effects.
To sum up :
supplements to take with CBD
CBD is an incredible health supplement. However, like many other compounds, CBD is even better when combined with other herbs and supplements.
By using the benefits of CBD in combination with other supplements, we can provide an even more significant effect in reversing, preventing or alleviating symptoms.
