Stress is very unique from other conditions because it’s something that effects every single person at one point or another during their lives. Particularly in today’s world of pandemics and quarantines. On top of dealing with work, family and relationships, we have the fear of critical illness and the fallout of being isolated from other people. It’s no surprise that people are looking for relief. Who can blame them?
How Do Adaptogens Help Relieve Stress?
Interest in adaptogens has literally exploded over the last few years. Adaptogens are a group of natural plants that help your body "adapt" to specific needs. One of those needs is managing the effects of stress. Adaptogens are sort of like a thermostat that helps to balance the bodies response to stress. They do this by providing natural support for the adrenal system, which is in charge of managing your body’s hormonal response to stress. Adaptogens have the ability to stimulate or relax the senses, making them really beneficial for people who experience swings in their energy or mood throughout the day.
Below is a quick list of plant-based adaptogen groups;
Adaptogen mushrooms – reishi, lion’s mane, chaga and others are well known adaptogens in the mushroom family. They are available as food sources, teas, and supplements.
Adaptogen spices – turmeric and rosemary are two very popular adaptogenic spices. They can be added to food or taken as a concentrated supplement.
Adaptogen herbs - ashwagandha, ginseng, rhodiola and holy basil (also known as tulsi) are popular adaptogenics that are sold in healthfood stores and online as herbal supplements. It’s important to ensure that the supplements are standardized to the active ingredient otherwise you may be paying a lot of money for something that has no effect.
These different sources of adaptogens work in different ways to help our minds and bodies respond to stress. Each is a little bit different. If you’re interested in understanding how adaptogens work at the cellular level, the Swedish Herbal Institute has compiled some interesting sources of data.
How Does CBD Help With Stress?
If you’re interested in health and supplements, then you’ve no doubt felt the CBD tsunami wave wash over the natural products world recently. Even in spite of the ambiguous and disjointed regulatory environment, the CBD-infused products market is already worth $11.7B globally, and growing.
The human central nervous system is responsible for controlling our entire body. The endocannabinoid system is part of the central nervous system. There are particular receptors known as CB1 and CB2 that are found in the brain and the central nervous system. CBD is a natural chemical found in plants that interacts with these receptors eliciting a physiological response. CBD’s anti-anxiety action seems to be linked to its ability to support the neurons in the central nervous system. It also interacts with serotonin, an important chemical responsible for feelings of happiness and calm. The problem with CBD supplements lies in the fact that they are relatively new and there is still debate about which form of CBD works best. There are three forms of CBD available and these are known as “spectrums”. The spectrums loosely indicate whether the products chemical profile is highly focused (concentrated) around CBD, like and isolate. Or if it is more broadly focused, containing not just CBD but other cannabinoids as well as phytochemicals known as terpenes. Here are the three different spectrums;
Full Spectrum CBD – the lowest level or processing, containing most of the phytochemicals naturally occurring in the plant. This includes CBD, along with hundreds of others.
Broad Spectrum CBD – a higher level of processing than full spectrum that removes a lot of the naturally occurring phytochemicals but leaves cbd and some of the other cannabinoids.
CBD Isolate – the highest level of processing, which removes everything except pure cannibidiol
Each of these different forms is processed differently and has a different chemical makeup, so it will work differently. In addition, therapeutic use of CBD has been extremely restricted until recently and so the most effective dosage is unknown. While there’s little question that CBD holds health benefits, finding the right form and dosage seems to be the challenge for most people.
Which is Better For Stress - Adaptogens or CBD?
While both adaptogens and CBD offer potential health benefits, the fact that adaptogens have been used therapeutically for a much longer period of time with larger populations, means that there are some major advantages;
More Science – adaptogens are a big group of ingredients and so the science and research on them is significant. And adaptogens are comprised of many different types of plants with various chemical structures that work through many different pathways in the body.
More Choices – there are adaptogenic spices, foods, teas, supplements and so incorporating them into your diet is generally easier.
Less Expensive – adaptogens are generally less expensive (per dose) than quality CBD supplements. The extraction cost of most CBD extracts is currently fairly high – sometimes too high to be used in effective amounts in finished supplement products.
Standardized Potency – through refinements in manufacturing and processing, you can get adaptogens with precise levels of the active alkaloids. There are also high quality ingredient sources with patents and/or trademarks, which often means that they have been clinically studied or produced via a specialized process.
Dosage Recommendations – because there is more science, the recommended dosages for adaptogenic supplements tends to be clearly understood and defined.
While there are clear advantages to adaptogens over CBD today, CBD still holds tremendous potential for various stress and anxiety related conditions. As with every newly emerging category, the price of CBD products will come down over time while the quality and potency will most likely go up. We believe that within the next year or two you’ll see CBD products with much better efficacy track record and at prices that are closer (per serving) to the adaptogens. Until then, we’re faithfully taking our rhodiola capsules and washing them down with our chaga tea. Cheers!
Subscribe to Freshwell for More Helpful Info
If you found this article helpful, please let us know in the comments and signup for our newsletter where we will share other tips and information from vitamin industry insiders. Sign up here:
