Adaptogen Synergy: Combining CBD, Mushrooms & More
By Krysta Fox
Updated on October 22, 2024
When it comes to bringing the body back to harmony, adaptogens are arguably the most crucial part of this goal. When combining them with other similar adaptogens and herbs, you can create a synergy of powerful plant medicine equipped to tackle almost any problem.
Table of Contents
What are Adaptogens?
Adaptogens are substances that enhance the body’s ability to resist stress by improving its state of nonspecific resistance. Essentially, these herbs aid our bodies in responding to and recovering from both short-term and long-term mental and physical stress.
Stress influences the body’s neurological, endocrine, and immune systems. Without effective stress management, adverse physical and psychological side effects can occur, such as weight gain, generalized anxiety, immune dysfunction, and depression. In addition to mitigating the effects of stress, some adaptogens can also boost the immune system and promote overall well-being.
How Do Adaptogens Work?
Adaptogens work uniquely compared to other substances because they don’t merely boost or suppress the functions of the body’s various systems. Instead, they operate on a molecular level to balance the responses produced by the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal glands, which are crucial in managing our stress responses. When we experience stress, our bodies go through a process known as General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS), which includes three stages:
Alarm Phase
The first sign of stress triggers an alarm, causing a temporary drop in blood pressure and body temperature as if the body is injured. This initial reaction is brief, followed by a counter-reaction in which the body releases chemicals like adrenaline to help respond appropriately. The sympathetic nervous system is then activated, managing the fight-or-flight response.
Resistance Phase
After the initial alarm phase, the body transitions into the resistance phase to cope with the stress. During this phase, cortisol is released to help sustain the body’s response to the stressor and repair any potential damage. This phase can last an extended period, enabling the body to maintain its defensive stance against the stress.
Exhaustion Phase
In a typical acute stress situation, the body eventually enters exhaustion as the endocrine system becomes depleted. Ideally, the threat has been neutralized by this time, and the body can rest and recover. However, in cases of chronic stress, the regular depletion of the endocrine system’s resources leads to ongoing weakness and damage throughout the body. This condition, known as “maladaptive stress,” can result in severe health issues such as ulcers, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
Adaptogens are particularly useful in preventing maladaptive stress by helping the body maintain balance and resilience during prolonged stress. They support the body’s adaptive responses, ensuring it doesn’t succumb to the harmful effects of chronic stress.
Benefits of Adaptogens
Unlike the typical stress response, which follows a bell curve of low→high→low, adaptogens help the body maintain a more stable state throughout the stress period. Instead of experiencing a wave of chemical responses, the body achieves homeostasis using adaptogens, making the wave of body processes much smoother.
How do adaptogens accomplish this? Each adaptogen “hacks” the body’s stress response uniquely. They protect the body from heightened or prolonged stress responses by triggering the release of chemicals that counteract stress. For example, Ashwagandha, a well-known adaptogen, reduces cortisol production, lowering the overall stress response.
By maintaining homeostasis, adaptogens help individuals manage both short-term and long-term stress more effectively and help prevent the health problems associated with chronic stress.
In short, adaptogens help the body adapt to stress and respond to stress better over the long term by helping balance stress hormones. Adaptogens also tend to have other benefits, like helping with cognition and energy.
Frankincense, a resin derived from the Boswellia tree, is native to Africa. It has many benefits, including supporting healthy cellular function, boosting the immune system, rejuvenating skin, balancing mood, and providing soothing effects. Frankincense is beneficial for various ailments, including cancer, allergies, joint pain, and asthma. As an adaptogen for stress, it lowers corticosterone levels and promotes restful sleep. Frankincense and Turmeric are crucial in targeting inflammation and strengthening the immune system in our Ease CBD oil for dogs, cats, and horses.
Lavender
Everyone knows the calming aroma of lavender, and for good reason! It is such a powerful calming agent, promoting relaxing and restful sleep. Lavender is an essential adaptogen for acute and chronic stress, working in synergy with other herbs and adaptogens like Full Spectrum Hemp Extract CBD Oil. From a Chinese medicine perspective, stress and inflammation are heat within the body, and Lavender’s cooling energetics help calm the fire during periods of stress.
Full Spectrum Hemp Extract
We can’t discuss adaptogens without highlighting one of the most remarkable: Cannabis!
Hemp, a variety of the cannabis plant, contains thousands of beneficial compounds, including 114 cannabinoids such as CBD and THC. While all adaptogens aim to achieve homeostasis by regulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, full-spectrum hemp extract stands out by primarily regulating the endocannabinoid system (ECS). Unlike other adaptogens, a full-spectrum hemp extract uniquely influences the ECS to such an extent that it brings all the body’s systems into balance, not just the HPA axis. This broader regulatory effect allows for more comprehensive management of the damaging effects of chronic stress.
Combining a full-spectrum hemp extract with other adaptogens creates a powerful synergy, enhancing their overall effectiveness. Full-spectrum hemp extract activates receptors in the brain to promote mental well-being, reduce pain, and alleviate inflammation, thus achieving a superior synthesis of stress relief and overall health. This integrative approach maximizes the benefits of both the ECS and other adaptogenic pathways, providing holistic support for the body’s stress management and wellness.
Synergy & Combining Adaptogens
We know that all these adaptogenic plants have their own benefits, but did you know that combining them with one another (especially with FSHE CBD) can make them work even better? That’s why so many stress support supplements for people are a combination of several of these adaptogens. Research and long-standing plant medicine traditions have shown that when used together, these adaptogens work synergistically, meaning they actually have better results when combined. CBD Dog Health products use several combinations, including:
CBD, Frankincense, and Tumeric in EASE
Our EASE tinctures combine FSHE CBD Oil with Frankincense and Turmeric to achieve the ultimate anti-inflammatory, allergy, and pain-relieving super tincture. Turmeric and its most well-known component, curcumin, have incredible immunomodulatory properties, making it a MUST for allergy sufferers. Frankincense has several therapeutic benefits but has also been shown to be helpful for allergy sufferers and those with asthma and bronchitis. Combining Frankincense and Tumeric with CBD creates the ultimate allergy and inflammation-fighting trio so that our painful or allergy-ridden pets can find relief quickly.
CBD & Lavender in CALM
Stress and anxiety relief are arguably the most significant reasons people turn to CBD, as this is one of its hallmark benefits. But we took a few steps further to provide the ultimate stress relief tincture. First, we hand-select strains of cannabis more suited to calming benefits by selecting strains containing more cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids with calming properties rather than just a generic strain of hemp like other companies. We further enhance its calming properties by adding organic lavender essential oil, renowned for its calming properties. Lavender and cannabis work synergistically.
Combining CBD & Mushrooms for Pets
Combining FSHE CBD and medicinal mushrooms provides a holistic, synergistic approach to supporting your pet’s health—especially their immune system.
Full Spectrum Hemp Extract interacts with the endocannabinoid system, helping regulate immune responses, reduce inflammation, and promote overall balance within the body. On the other hand, medicinal mushrooms like Reishi, Turkey Tail, Shiitake, and Maitake contain bioactive compounds such as beta-glucans, known to boost immune function, fight infections, and inhibit tumor growth. Together, these natural plant and fungi ingredients enhance each other’s benefits, creating a powerful combination that supports immunity, stress management, and overall cellular health.
By combining CBD Dog Health’s full-spectrum hemp extracts and MycoDog’s medicinal mushroom extracts, you can provide your pet with the ultimate immune and stress relief combo. MycoDog Mushroom extract blends are also formulated with additional adaptogens like Ashwagandha, Astragalus, Bacopa Monnieri, and Rhodiola, which offer significant health benefits for pets. This powerful synergistic combination of CBD & mushrooms are why we’ve created several of our bundles, that package our best CBD & Mushroom pairings for the best allergy support, senior dog care, and immune support.
Final Thoughts
Adaptogens have almost limitless benefits for humans and pets. Using them in combination with other herbs like cannabis and medicinal mushrooms creates a synergy like no other. They pack countless health and longevity benefits into one tincture, making it effortless to support your dog’s entire body on almost every level.
