Loading…
We use essential cookies (authentication, your saved goals/stack) by default. With your permission we’ll also enable privacy-respecting analytics (Vercel Web Analytics, anonymous load-time metrics) and error-replay diagnostics (Sentry — DOM snapshots only when an error fires) so we can fix bugs faster. Learn more about cookies
Head-to-head evidence comparison — which supplement is right for you?
Ashwagandha vs CBD: Ashwagandha has the stronger overall evidence (7.5 vs 5.8/10); they're alternatives for reduce anxiety & stress — the best pick depends on your goals. Take the 60-second quiz for a pick tailored to your goals.
Ashwagandha wins 2 of 3 categories. Both are solid choices — the best pick depends on your specific goals.
Verdict
Likely helps
4 of 4 studies with measurable effects showed benefit.
Top outcomes
Verdict
Too few graded studies
Top outcomes
Shared outcomes (1)
Outcomes where both Ashwagandha and CBD have evidence — compare verdict strength side-by-side.
300-600mg daily (standardized extract)
Morning for daytime stress, Evening for sleep support
KSM-66 or Sensoril standardized extract
OTC wellness: 10-50mg/day (some anxiety studies used higher acute doses ~300mg); take with a fat-containing meal (increases absorption several-fold). Prescription Epidiolex for epilepsy is dosed by body weight under medical supervision. (the 10-50mg figure is a typical label dose, the cited trials used 150 mg nightly, or 10 to 20 mg per kg a day of prescription cannabidiol for epilepsy)
With meals, Evening
CBD oil/tincture (third-party tested for potency and purity)
and 2 more not shown
2-4 weeks
2-4 weeks
2-4 weeks
First week
Acute-4 weeks
1-8 weeks
Weeks
Acute
Effects of Ashwagandha (Withania Somnifera) on stress and anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Explore (NY) (2024) · Meta analysis · n=558
Significant effect on the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) (MD = -4.72, 95 % CI = [-8.45 to -0.99]).
Effects of Withania somnifera Extract in Chronically Stressed Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Nutrients (2024) · Rct · n=131
8-week double-blind RCT in adults with self-reported high stress comparing an aqueous root and leaf extract at 125, 250 and 500 mg a day with placebo (131 enrolled, 98 analysed).
Plant-derived nootropics and human cognition: A systematic review
Critical reviews in food science and nutrition (2023) · Systematic review
Bacopa monnieri improves language, learning and memory.
Trial of Cannabidiol for Drug-Resistant Seizures in the Dravet Syndrome.
The New England journal of medicine (2017) · Rct · n=120
Convulsive seizures fell from 12.4 to 5.9/month with CBD vs 14.9 to 14.1 with placebo
Cannabidiol in patients with seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (GWPCARE4): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial.
Lancet (London, England) (2018) · Rct · n=171
Significant reduction in drop-seizure frequency vs placebo
Effect of Cannabidiol on Drop Seizures in the Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome.
The New England journal of medicine (2018) · Rct · n=225
Fewer drop seizures vs placebo
The points come from one 8-week dose-comparison RCT of an aqueous root and leaf extract at 125, 250 or 500 mg a day against placebo in adults with self-reported high stress (PMID 38732539, 131 enrolled, 98 analysed). All three doses reduced perceived stress and were reported as safe, and the authors describe the effect as dose-dependent. The abstract gives no per-dose effect sizes, so the curve shows only that ordering, not how large each step is. It also does not show whether doses above 500 mg add more. Trials of other extracts (root-only extract at 600 mg a day, PMID 23439798, and a 240 mg extract, PMID 31517876) are not on this axis because milligrams of different extracts are not equivalent.
AI-estimated from published studies. Interpret as directional guidance.
Ashwagandha has a higher evidence score (7.5/10 vs 5.8/10) and wins in 2 of 3 categories.
For reduce anxiety & stress, Ashwagandha has a higher relevance score (95 vs 58).
No documented interaction was found in the data searched. This does not establish that this exact combination is safe.
The honest tier list — proven staples vs situational vs mostly marketing. The hub the other guides feed into.
Selenium helps; iodine can WORSEN Hashimoto’s. The honest take on "thyroid support".
CoQ10, zinc, selenium, carnitine modestly help sperm parameters — but live-birth evidence is weak.
Ashwagandha, L-theanine, magnesium, saffron — what actually helps stress, and the safety caveats.
The right pick depends on your goals. Answer a few quick questions for a personalised recommendation — or dig into the full evidence on each.