CBD vs. Ashwagandha

Natural supplements are becoming increasingly popular nowadays. It seems like every time they're studied, they reveal more properties and potential health benefits. Of all the natural supplements available, CBD and ashwagandha are two of the most sought-after ones.

However, there’s always a debate if one is better than the other. Are the stress-relieving properties of CBD better? How do they compare? Can you take them together?

Here’s everything you need to know to help you understand how these supplements work, their functions, and how they can work together. 

So, let’s deep dive into the ancestral world of these two supplements: the ever-green hemp and the mystical root, ashwagandha.

 

What are adaptogens?

So, let’s know the basics. 

Adaptogens are chemicals found in several plants and mushrooms that help you adapt, restore your system, and maintain overall homeostasis. In other words, these compounds can help to get to your balance.

Nowadays, life can be stressful. From work and day-to-day stress to anxiety or depression, life can get complicated. This is why adaptogens like ashwagandha can be super helpful to help you restore your balance.

There are three qualities that plants or compounds have to be considered as an adaptogen.

• It must be non-toxic when taken in regular doses
• It has the potnetial to help your body deal and cope with stress signals 
• It promotes homeostasis, or basically, it can help you restore the balance of your body

You can take adaptogens in food, beverages, or even as capsules as part of a supplement of treatments. 

 

The health benefits of CBD oil

Before we talk about aswagandha, let’s take a deep dive into cannabidiol, better known as CBD. 

This compound is naturally found in the hemp and cannabis plants abundantly. It’s one of the biggest cannabinoids in the plant, and it has gained lots of popularity due to its potential to deliver therapeutic benefits.

Cannabidiol works by interacting with our endocannabinoid system, which regulates several of our body functions. This is part of our nervous system and regulates some vital functions like pain, appetite, and blood sugar.

It’s also linked to influence stress, inflammation, and sleep.

Let’s delve into these potential benefits a little bit further.

Relieves daily stressors

Evidence has shown that this compound that can be useful when aiding stress. This compound has sedative and calming effects that may help alleviate stress-related symptoms.

This study from 2019 explained how CBD could help with general serotonin modulation. In the research, the participants showed a process towards reversing the anxiety feeling with certain pain pathways and helping with symptoms.

Other papers like this one checked on CBD treatment with teenagers. The participants had multiple diagnoses, like social anxiety, substance abuse, and depression.

In the end, the researchers concluded that this cannabinoid could help as a natural therapeutic alternative to complement medical treatments for anxiety in teenagers. 

In the end, CBD has shown huge potential as a therapeutic supplement. However, much research is still needed to be able to draw conclusive statements. 

Reduces inflammation

This particular study from 2020 showed how CBD could be useful for supporting anti-inflammation and antioxidant effects in our bodies.

In this research that explored the phospholipid metabolism in patients with Psoriasis Vulgaris, the researchers noted that CBD could help the redox balance.

This concluded that CBD might reduce oxidative stress, showing a tendency to help the inflammatory state of these individuals.

This gives cannabidiol potential and hopes for other treatments, such as gastrointestinal inflammation (like this 2019 study noted in rats) or potential for other clinical treatments.

Promotes better sleep

Having a bad night’s sleep can ruin your whole mood. Luckily, CBD studies have shown that it could be helpful in promoting better sleep. This investigation from 2019 showed that CBD could reduce anxiety symptoms associated with insomnia.

In this investigation, the 72 individuals who showed poor sleep experiences or anxiety reported feeling better by taking CBD.

About 79.2% of these patients reported having low anxiety levels. And from these, 66.7% reported having a better night’s rest than the control group.

Pain relief

Thanks to CBD's sedative and anti-inflammatory properties, it has shown great potential as a natural pain-relief aid. As this scientific article noted, CBD is believed to have analgesic effects.

Cannabidiol is believed to play a role in both neuropathic and anti-inflammatory pain. Moreover, CBD’s analgesic effects could help with certain chronic pain diagnoses, such as osteoarthritis.

 

The health benefits of ashwagandha

Now, let’s talk about ashwagandha. This root has been used for ages thanks to its properties, including some beneficial and therapeutic effects. 

Let’s explore some of them below.

Maintains cholesterol levels

This powerful anti-oxidant may help keep a healthy cholesterol level. Thanks to how it can support bloodstream homeostasis, this root could potentially keep things on track.

Boosts the immune system

This root has many antioxidants, which can potentially support your body while fighting diseases. 

While there is still a lot to understand, antioxidants play a big role against viral infections and free radicals, showing potential for this super root. 

Promotes blood production

With regular consumption, anecdotal evidence suggests that ashwagandha could help the process of creating new blood. The stimulation of the development of cells may help towards the prevention the anemia. 

This could also be linked to muscle cell growth and general homeostasis, which is one of the biggest reasons this root is used.

Promotes muscle growth

Ashwagandha is believed to be helpful in muscle repair and growth. 

Research has shown that some of the components of this root possess anti-stress properties, which, when extracted, could promote muscle differentiation and possible clinical treatment to help sports medicine.

Powerful antidepressant

Studies have shown that ashwagandha might have the potential to promote reduced stress and anxiety levels and better sleep, which are symptoms often associated with depression. 

This is thanks to how it interacts with the serotonergic pathways and the hypothalamus. 

Lowers cortisol levels

This study has found that the root could be helpful in reducing cortisol levels, which in simpler words, means it may help reduce the symptoms of both anxiety and stress in adults. 

In the study, a group that consumed a full-spectrum ashwagandha root extract had a substantially reduced stress factor with mild adverse effects.

Ultimately, this research concluded that a high-concentration dose could improve an individual’s resistance to stress and improve their quality of life.

It stimulates the thyroid gland

Some experts in the nutrition community have resorted to ashwagandha tea for certain metabolic diagnoses, like hypothyroidism. 

In ancestral Indian medicine, ashwagandha is used as a natural source for specific hormone secretion and a preventive tea to lower the risks of thyroid issues. Of course, there is a lot to understand, but we also indicate how it could be helpful.

 

Benefits of combining CBD and ashwagandha

Now, what would happen if you could use both super supplements together?

Of course, there is a huge need for more research on the topic, but in general, here are some of our takes on this combo.

Lower cortisol

Thanks to how both components work, they may support lower cortisol levels associated with stress. 

CBD works in our endocannabinoid system, helping reduce the pain and alert signals from our body that cause stress.

On the other hand, ashwagandha has cortisol-reducing properties that can also be helpful in the long term when talking about cortisol and long-term stress. 

Regulate serotonin and neurotransmitters

Both supplements may help with overall mood improvement. CBD is believed to help by regulating mood through the endocannabinoid system. 

At the same time, ashwagandha has the potential to help with sleep and anxiety due to how it can protect the GABA system. 

With their dual action, this can be a potential strong combo towards long-term mood improvement. 

Create systemic balance and restore homeostasis

This is one of the main things about having this power couple.

In their unique ways, both components can help create a systemic balance, either hormonally and with overall homeostasis with ashwagandha or with neurotransmitters and signals from the nervous system with CBD.

Defend against the negative effects of stress

As we’ve stated before, both supplements may help alleviate external stressors.

Ashwagandha does this by lowering cortisol and getting you a better mood, while CBD has strong stress-relieving properties that get potentiated by its neuroprotective effects

Boost immune function

Ashwagandha is a mythical root that can help to boost your immune system by keeping homeostasis and providing lots of antioxidants.

CBD can also support this function with its antibacterial properties, giving you potential double support to your system.

Increase focus, endurance, and mental clarity

CBD has been shown to help with general mental clarity and endurance. 

So with less stress and increased focus, ashwagandha can also help with this mental clarity and overall endurance and homeostasis day and night.

Does CBD reduce stress?

While more research is needed, preliminary evidence suggests that CBD may help support lower stress levels in our bodies.

Nevertheless, we always recommend you check with your healthcare provider or professional before starting any supplement.

And with that said, sometimes a bigger combo like using an adaptogen with CBD could be even more helpful towards lowering the annoying symptoms of day-to-day stress.

Can you use ashwagandha and CBD for stress?

Yes, you can use both to combat stress-related symptoms. While ashwagandha has been known for having greater overall benefits, when combined, they can team up to help you support stress.

One works directly with the stress signals (CBD), while ashwagandha helps with hormone secretion and serotonin. Together, they could bring in the best from both worlds and support your system to help you to cope with stress.

 

Where to buy the best CBD and ashwagandha 

If you want to try out the potential of both CBD and ashwagandha, don’t look any further. Here at FOCL, we are proud to work with fully natural ingredients while being completely transparent in the process, and our FOCL Night capsules are the perfect example.

This fully natural supplement contains the power of both supplements and other four ancient herbal compounds to help you restore and enhance your sleeping routine. FOCL Night has premium hemp-derived CBD, organic ashwagandha, passion flower, valerian, hops cones, and griffonia simplicifolia.

The supplement is fully vegan, non-GMO, cruelty-free, and THC-free. Each capsule contains broad spectrum CBD, making it perfect as a starting point to help you recover your precious nighttime. 

From potentially helping you fall asleep quicker to helping you get deeper sleep, the FOCL Night is a great option to empower your sleep.