The Entourage Effect and CBD: What Does It Mean?

Want to better understand the entourage effect and how to get the most out of your CBD? Keep reading!

CBD has the potential to unlock several health and wellness benefits but it does its best work in combination with other compounds found in the Cannabis plant.

CBD Oil Entourage Effect: Explained

Entourage Effect in CBD:

The Entourage Effect is the theory that all compounds in cannabis work together and, when taken in combination, they produce a better effect than when taken alone. 

Hemp Compounds:

Hemp plants contain more than 100 different compounds called cannabinoids and terpenes that can interact with your endocannabinoid system.

Endocannabinoid system and CBD:

The Endocannabinoid system works to keep your body in homeostasis, or balance. Its purposes range from neuroprotection to regulation of your immune system, impacting things like appetite, sleep, mood, and pain.

Interacting with the Endocannabinoid System is the most prevalent way that CBD impacts the functionality of our body. CBD can protect your endocannabinoids from being broken down by enzymes, allowing more of them to be available for binding with the ECS. The more binding, the more chemicals released. The more readily chemicals are released, the better your body will be at regulating and maintaining homeostasis.

Related post:  How CBD Works With Your Body For Natural Relief

CBD & THC are the 2 most popular cannabinoids. Other cannabinoids like CBN, CBC, CBA, CBG, and THC, and terpenes such as myrcene, pinene, limonene, and caryophyllene, are also naturally present in cannabis and play a supportive role.

Research has shown that taking a precise, balanced formulation of these cannabinoids and terpenes is more effective than taking even the highest quality CBD or THC alone. This is due to an interaction between the cannabinoids and terpenes called “the entourage effect.”

What does the Entourage Effect Mean For CBD Consumers?

In the world of CBD products, this means that in order to experience optimal health benefits you will want to find full-spectrum CBD products. If you can’t take THC, look for broad-spectrum CBD products. CBD Isolate will not provide the same effects, as it contains only the CBD cannabinoid.

This also means that you’ll want to buy from a trusted manufacturer who balances their products with a scientifically-based amount of cannabinoids, flavonoids and terpenes. There are many manufacturers of CBD products who have no idea how much of each cannabinoid are in their product, and you’ll find the effects will vary with each purpose. This is because it isn’t balanced or consistent.

Simply put – The Entourage Effect means that CBD works better in combination with other cannabinoids and terpenes found in the hemp plant (including some THC) than when isolated. As a consumer, you will want to use full-spectrum CBD products for maximum benefits. If you can’t take THC, look for broad-spectrum CBD products. 

Try Redeem’s pharmaceutical-grade CBD products

What’s the Difference in CBD Products: CBD Isolate, Broad-Spectrum, Full-Spectrum, and Optimal Spectrum?

There are several different types of CBD products on the market that contain different compounds of the plant – CBD Isolate, Broad-Spectrum, Full-Spectrum & Optimal-Spectrum. These terms are basically referring to the makeup of the team, the synergy of the players that surround the CBD in the product.

• CBD Isolate contains no terpenes or cannabinoids other than CBD, removing potential benefits associated with the entourage effect. 
• Broad-Spectrum contains a combination of cannabinoids and terpenes but has all traces of THC removed. It still harnesses some of this synergistic power, although the entourage effect may be reduced because these CBD products have all traces of THC removed.
• Full-spectrum is packed with cannabinoids like CBD, terpenes, and trace amounts of THC–less than the national legal limit of 0.3%–to maximize your unique benefits through the entourage effect. 
• Optimal-Spectrum CBD contains a precise, balanced formula of all cannabinoids and terpenes found in the hemp plant that has been shown to have the optimal entourage effect, and is Redeem Therapeutic’s promise to consumers

Some CBD products may also highlight other cannabinoids or terpenes they’ve added into their mix to increase it’s effects for a specific purpose, like our special Sleep Formula with CBD and CBN. Although every company is unique, the main differences from one CBD product to another are the cannabinoids and terpenes included and how those compounds work together.

But don’t let the labeling fool you. Just because a product says it is broad-spectrum or full-spectrum CBD doesn’t mean that it’s quality. This is why we introduced our Optimal-Spectrum CBD promise for quality and consistency.

Related Post: Understanding Optimal-Spectrum CBD

The Redeem™ Promise

Grown by Nature, Perfect by Science. We Are Redeem Therapeutics.

The number and concentrations of cannabinoids and terpenes in full-spectrum products offered by most CBD companies is not standardized. The mix of cannabinoids and terpenes differs in each cannabis plant with each grow season, from farm to farm, in different locations within a field, and with inconsistencies in the processing methods. Due to this variability, CBD consumers may buy the same product over and over again and experience varying beneficial effects with every new purchase. The product and processes are not optimized.

Redeem offers Optimal Spectrum™ CBD tinctures with formulations based on our extensive research. Yes, our products are Full-Spectrum, but they have been optimized to ensure that the spectrum remains consistent from batch to batch. When the natural variation falls short, we redeem the solution of terpenes, flavonoids, and cannabinoids for a consistent product every time. That’s the Redeem Promise.

Redeem™ bridges the gap between natural alternatives and pharmaceutical precision. Our unique perspective is formed by the scientific discipline of more than 60 years in the pharmaceutical industry. We offer Full-Spectrum and Broad-Spectrum CBD Products. All Redeem™ CBD products are made from 100% organic hemp & Crafted in the Carolinas. The Redeem™ team adheres to cGMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) and 3rd party testing so that you’ll never have to wonder about the quality of what’s in your bottle.

We used cGMP compliant processes and test each lot of product for key cannabinoids and terpenes. Then, we add back any compound that is below our minimum specification. If our product works for you today, it will work the same with each subsequent purchase. 

Want to try the Redeem™ difference? Shop our Optimal Spectrum CBD Products online today.

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The Entourage Effect Defined

The “entourage effect” is defined as the synergistic relationship between CBD and the other naturally occurring compounds. It means that all cannabinoids and terpenes found in the Cannabis plant work together for optimal benefits and that CBD isolated by itself will be less effective than when used in combination with other cannabinoids and terpenes.

The term “entourage effect” was first coined in 1998 by Dr. Ben-Shabat in his paper, An Entourage Effect: Inactive Endogenous Fatty Acid Glycerol Esters Enhance 2-Arachidonoyl-Glycerol Cannabinoid Activity. The concept has most notably been explained and expanded upon by Dr. Etahan Russo in his 2011 peer-reviewed article entitled, Taming THC: Potential Cannabis Synergy and Phytocannabinoid-Terpenoid Entourage Effects. In his article, Dr. Russo summarizes the results of dozens of research papers concerning medicinal uses of cannabis and the evident synergies between the various cannabinoids and terpenes found in Cannabis sativa. 

One particular animal study published in the Journal of Pharmacology and Pharmacy in 2015 showed that CBD alone demonstrated a bell-shaped dose-response in the treatment of inflammation-induced pain. The bell-shaped or biphasic dose-response refers to the fact that increasing the dose of pure CBD without other cannabinoids or terpenes results in pain relief up to a point but actually showed reduced effectiveness once that dose was exceeded. However, increasing the dose of CBD that is combined with other cannabinoids and terpenes evidenced a consistent, more linear, increase in effectiveness. 

The bottom line? CBD is more effective and predictable with its entourage. Synergy matters. 

With this newfound knowledge on the entourage effect, you can maximize your CBD benefits with products that include all of your favorite compounds. Find your new favorite CBD product with Redeem Therapeutics!

At Redeem, we are only satisfied with the best, which is why we make sure all of our Optimal Spectrum CBD tinctures present the ideal amounts of CBD and terpenes in our balanced formula. Whether you’re enjoying our easy-to-use CBD tincture sprays, our CBD topical pain cream, or our paws-itively amazing CBD oil for dogs and cats, you can be confident you are using high-quality, organically grown CBD.

Related blog post: CBD & Medical Marijuana Terms & Definitions