What Full Spectrum CBD, Turmeric and Calcium Have in Common

As Aristotle’s famous saying explains, the whole, finished product is often greater than the sum of the parts that contributed to its creation. Oftentimes when we are working on a new project – whether it be creative, business-related or even just a new recipe — we reassure others (and inevitably, ourselves) with statements like, “I know it looks like a mess now, but just wait until it’s finished.” It’s true: A combination of elements can seem dizzying along the way, then culminate in a final product unique in its aesthetic appeal, innovative thinking or delicious taste. When examining our own physiological chemistry, the synergistic coupling of vitamins, minerals and supplements like CBD tend to work in a similar manner.

Two is Better Than One

So, what combinations of supplements can help you achieve the fullest spectrum of health benefits? A common example is the pairing of vitamin D and calcium. After ingesting calcium, vitamin D actively aids with the mineral’s absorption in the small intestine.¹ Vitamin D does the same for phosphorous and magnesium, allowing the minerals to achieve their maximum potential.¹ So, if you consume the recommended Daily Value (DV) of calcium but are vitamin D-deficient, you may unknowingly be falling short in your calcium goals, too. That is why meeting all of your daily vitamin and mineral recommendations, whether through a balanced, plant-based diet or daily supplements, is such a critical component of nutrition.

Even Superfoods Come with Conditions

It may be strange to think of the healthy foods we consume as having stipulations, but bioavailability, or the proportion of a substance that is actually able to enter the body’s circulation, could be considered a condition of good nutrition. Turmeric, for instance, is a plant with uncapped health potential but very low bioavailability.² Turmeric’s active compound, curcumin, effectively targets health problems ranging from inflammation to arthritis to anxiety, producing many positive effects similar to what current research on CBD has shown. Because of curcumin’s low bioavailability, however, it must be combined with other compounds to reach its full potential. Luckily, the major component of one of the most common ingredients, black pepper, can increase curcumin’s absorption by around 2000 percent.²  

Research shows CBD, too, fares better when combined with a variety of terpenes and cannabinoids. In what is known as the “entourage effect,” cannabis compounds work together to produce a greater physical impact than CBD in its isolated form, with anxiety-related studies in particular showing a significant difference.³ Neurologist and Research Director Ethan Russo may have been one of the earliest to spark this concept when he discussed botanical synergy, or the concept of a dominant plant molecule being supported by more minor plant compounds to produce the greatest effect.³

Farmulated’s Multipart Plan

In addition to hemp-derived CBD, Farmulated Owner Mark Troyer also grows a variety of emerging “superfoods” including turmeric, ginger, ginseng, echinacea, beets, mint, lemon balm and other botanicals. While he recognizes the individual health potential of all his new crops, he’s also fascinated by how specific combinations can increase bioavailability for the greatest dose of health-boosting plant power in a single serving. Within Farmulated’s vast product line, the EASE 600mg CBD Capsules offer a dose of pure CBD with turmeric-enriched, anti-inflammatory herbal blends. Along with Farmulated’s two current CBD Capsules, Troyer’s future plans include far more botanical-infused health supplements.

The Whole is Greater

As is the case with creative endeavors, business projects or recipes, multiple factors working synergistically tend to produce an end product that can’t be adequately appreciated until its final form. And when such collaboration occurs in the plant kingdom, we often end up with an abundance of natural supplements dynamic in their health potential. For farmers like Troyer, working towards his plants’ most powerful, beneficial byproducts is the next step in formulating naturally effective, farm-to-family health products.