How do CBD and dietary supplements get along? Hemp, legalized under the Farm Bill in 2018, quickly became one of the popular ingredients in many health, fitness, lifestyle, and beauty products. Cannabidiol, or CBD, just one of its hundreds of components, provides many possible therapeutic uses, and it’s often incorporated into products along with vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
CBD is a natural, practical, and health-enhancing option for addressing a range of health issues, including helping to reduce the symptoms of PTSD, insomnia, and anxiety/depression. In addition, it is useful for treating chronic pain, easing diabetic complications, and aiding some epilepsy syndromes. More research is needed, but CBD and marijuana show potential in a range of health enhancement applications.
And while CBD is considered safe for daily use, it — along with THC — according to the FDA, is “excluded from the dietary supplement definition.” Which can leave people wondering if CBD and supplements work synergistically, enhancing one another? Or are they two separate paths to health and wellness? Here is a look at some popular pairings.
Good in Bed: Melatonin and CBD
CBD and melatonin are often used as a nighttime formula to support restful sleep. But is there proof behind those claims? Yes.
CBD and melatonin are complementary. Many people use melatonin, a pineal hormone naturally secreted at night, and that’s associated with the sleep-wake cycle. Melatonin is often marketed as a sleep hormone. A study in the “Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry” suggests that “high doses of CBD (160 mg) increased sleep duration compared to placebo.” So the two, used in tandem or separately, would be a dream to treat sleep issues. This might be what you need to avoid the munchies marathons, where you’re up at 3 a.m. wondering how your exes are doing; if your boss is going to vet your project suggestion; how to make edibles out of dry weed.
Golden: CBD and Turmeric
A time-tested treatment used throughout the world, the active ingredient in turmeric, curcumin, has been demonstrated to help with oxidative and inflammatory conditions. Likewise, studies indicate that CBD may help in preventing oxidative stress. And it can modulate the turning on of the receptors that are “involved in the regulation of redox balance and inflammation.
CBD and turmeric, touted for their individual anti-inflammatory properties, beg the question: Are the healing potential of the two used concurrently magnified? More research is needed into the combined effects; however, current studies point to CBD and turmeric sharing potential medicinal properties. Furthermore, both turmeric and CBD demonstrate healing potential when taken independently and in tandem.
Mighty Calm: Magnesium and CBD
CBD and magnesium are a strong pairing; they both target the stress response. The endocannabinoid system, supported by CBD, helps regulate stress and has a calming response, anti-inflammatory properties, plus other benefits. This is an excellent option to gain mastery of life’s minor problems, such as when you discover that bag of dried out weed you knew you hid ages ago and wonder if it’s still good.
And magnesium is connected to lowering cortisol levels and aiding the body in relaxing. Lower cortisol levels correspond to fewer stress symptoms and feeling greater relaxation. So uniting magnesium and CBD has the potential of enhancing a feeling of well-being and calm. And finding your calm center in the storm is something to get excited about! Now, if someone could explain how to make edibles out of dry weed, things would be really chill!
You’ve Struck Oil: CBD and Omega-3.
Cannabidiol is fat-soluble, or what our friends in the hard sciences call lipophilic. CBD extracts are often suspended in a carrier oil, such as MCT, avocado, sunflower, grapeseed, and arnica oils. The idea here is to simultaneously gain the potential health benefits of fatty acids.
Wait, there’s more! In the case of CBD and Omega-3, the benefits aren’t just independent of each other, although that is still beneficial. There may be evidence to point to a functional interaction between CBD and Omega-3. Pre-clinical trials at Western University suggest that CBD and Omega-3 taken in tandem appear to increase “the efficacy of CBD at a specific nuclear receptor in the brain,” which presents an exciting tool for aiding in mental and emotional illnesses.
CBD and You
CBD possesses natural calming, soothing, anti-inflammatory, and healing properties that, in many instances, may be used with popular supplements, minerals, and vitamins or taken independently. Talk to your health care provider about how CBD products and supplements can support your healthy lifestyle.
