Schisandra Berries Don’t Mesh with Stress For This Simple Reason

Eating schisandra berries is an ancient remedy for stress resistance. The adaptogenic ability of this Chinese fruit can mellow out your mental health and immune system. Plus, the secret of the schisandra fruit is one you probably wouldn’t expect.

Before we go any farther with the benefits of the schisandra berry, we should address the elephant in the room—the importance of nutrition.

Maybe you’re reading this and thinking that you don’t need a lecture about food. You know about adaptogens, superfoods, and detoxification. If you’re eating right, taking care of your body, and feeling great because of it, that’s fantastic! Keep that energy going.

It probably won’t surprise you to hear that 678,000 Americans pass away every year due to poor nutrition and lack of exercise.[1] But then again, maybe that fact is surprising—surprisingly unfortunate.

The global market for health and wellness foods is said to reach approximately $812 billion by 2021.[2] With the influx of “healthy” food marketing, people have a reason to be confused. A lot of companies slap the same overused vocabulary on their packaging with little to no explanation. Words like organic, natural, and sustainable come to mind.

The FDA needs better guidelines for labeling health foods, says the Center for Animal Health and Food Safety.[3] Although this will require cooperation with the higher-ups in Congress to enforce ethical and more comprehensive public education about health foods, we think it’s important to use our platforms at Sovereignty to teach you about herbal medicine and be as honest as possible.

Because as much bogus as there is about what's “good for your health,” we’re not about making false promises. You can get used to straightforward information about cannabinoids and adaptogens here at Sovereignty.

After all, we’ve already sabotaged this introduction about schisandra berries with this rant, but it’s simply because we care. Let’s pivot back to schisandra.

In this article, we tell you what the schisandra fruit is used for and touch on some of the long-term gains you get from eating the berry. We’ll go over all the good stuff about adaptogens, then send you off with a reminder you probably won’t hear from most cannabis companies.

What are schisandra berries?

Schisandra (pronounced shiz-andra) berries are bright, red fruit found on wild vines growing in China, Russia, and North America. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, people have been using the plant medicinally for over 2,000 years.

The seeds contain lignans, which are micronutrients in plants with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties.[4] Another unique feature of schisandra is its five flavor profile, meaning it tastes sweet, salty, bitter, pungent, and sour—all at once.

It’s an intense fruit that’s generally processed into a powder (for smoothies) or an extract (for tea). Schisandra companies from all around the world gush over its anti-aging properties and ability to enhance sexual pleasure.

This is what science knows for sure:

One study discovered a connection between Alzheimer’s disease and the Schisandra plant. Researchers cited the neuroprotective effect on restored brain cells after the use of Schisandra extract.[5]
People living with liver diseases such as hepatitis and cirrhosis experience inflammation and produce more fatty acids. Another study with Schisandra revealed the plant’s protective effect on the liver. The number of fatty acids in mice decreased after daily oral administration of Schisandra.[6]
Menopause symptoms like hot flashes and heart palpitations tapered off in a year-long study featuring 36 women. Compared to the placebo group, the women who took Schisandra extract experienced menopause relief.[7]
Finally, Schisandra might be able to treat depression in humans. Clinical trials in mice suggest that Schisandra has a regulating effect on dopamine expression in the brain.[8] The plant is *potentially* a milder alternative to opioid-based treatments for depression (emphasis on potentially to reinforce the lack of research to support this claim).

Call it wishful thinking, but schisandra packs in a lot of possibilities as a medicinal plant. It’s also a popular adaptogen on the supplement market. Let’s move into the health topic that’s getting so much buzz.

Do adaptogens really work?

All the way back in 3,000 BCE, people were using herbs in Ayurveda (India) and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to keep the body in homeostasis.[9] Adaptogens are a group of plants with immune system boosting capacities. They’re used to help the body better adapt to stress.

Schisandra is on par with some of the other popular adaptogens like eleuthero root, astragalus, and bacopa monnieri. The adaptogenic power of Schisandra helps the body fight disease and increases energy.[10]

People who follow TCM believe in a life force called qi. Due to the flavor profile of Schisandra, consuming the berries supports healthy functioning of the liver, heart, lungs, kidneys, and spleen, and as a result, a balanced qi.[11]

To answer the question at the beginning of this section, we have to state the obvious, which is that there’s not enough clinical trials with adaptogens to accurately assess the long-term benefits of Schisandra.

Do they really work? Since we know that adaptogens have been used in ancient medicinal systems for centuries, it’s safe to say they’re a useful alternative health option. Everyone’s body is unique, while lifestyle choices impact the effectiveness of adaptogens. Test them out for yourself alongside more conscious nutrition habits and exercise routines.

Interested in how Schisandra actually works in your body? Check out this short read about Schisandra by Dillon Wilensky on his blog The Adaptogens!

Adaptogenic herbs + cannabis

Schisandra berry is a key component of our Purpose CBD and CBG formula. The reason this adaptogen doesn’t mesh with stress is partly due to this cannabis combination.

We know that CBD has an anxiogenic effect while CBG is one of the most diverse cannabinoids in the cannabis plant. When these compounds are fused with schisandra, the mutually beneficial adaptogens help you get ahead of stress.

A truism we’ve discovered at Sovereignty is that the two-fold power of adaptogenic herbs and cannabinoids for stress relief also depends on you. You’ve got to become sovereign over your stress if you want results. Purpose gives you that sense of empowerment.

If you take anything from today’s lesson, know that you can become resilient to stress. With a little help from plants like schisandra and cannabis, your mind and body are unstoppable.