MFIT SUPPS Stress-66: CDB-Powered Serenity!

A Stress & Cortisol Supplement Done the Modern Way: With CBD and KSM-66 Ashwagandha!

Everyday life is much different now than it was even five years ago. More technology means we’re capable of more things – remote work, video conferences, faster travel are a few such examples. We’re constantly connected, seemingly always working, and as such, our levels of stress are increasingly at all-time rates.^[1] Thankfully, the supplement industry has begun to put out some truly innovative and effective ways to help us stay calm!

MFIT Stress-66: Part Two of the MFIT CBD Series

MFIT SUPPS, one of the hottest brands in the industry, has decided to throw their hat into the ring of stress relief. MFIT Stress-66 is a product that utilizes a short yet powerful profile of ingredients, going after high levels of stress and cortisol by providing a tried-and-true stress-reliever while also experimenting with a trendy, extremely promising compound, CBD oil.

Keeping it simple: Ashwagandha and Full-Spectrum Hemp Oil (yielding 25mg CBD)

We recently covered MFIT’s CBSleep, a CBD + melatonin supplement to take prior to bed. But now we have a new blend – CBD + KSM-66 Ashwagandha! Stress-66 has what you may be looking for to keep your hormones in check, your stress/cortisol levels down, and your overall demeanor where it should be!

In this post, we’ll dive deep into Stress-66, talking about its uses and the ingredients that allow it to fulfil its purpose. Before we get to that, as always, be sure you’re subscribed to PricePlow and our MFIT SUPPS alerts. In doing so, you’re ensuring that we can help you find great supplement deals, in addition to other industry news and reviews!

What does being “stressed out” do to the body?

Before we can talk about how some ingredients may help in combating stress, we need to first understand what exactly stress is and what it does. You’ve likely heard about stress before, and have experienced what it can do, like making it difficult to focus, work, or exercise. But let’s look into it (and the hormone responsible for it) in a more scientific light.

What is stress?

Some stress response is good. But chronic stress leads to chronically elevated cortisol, which leads to negative health consequences. Do everything you can to get back to a normal state!

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, stress is simply “how the brain and body naturally responds to any type of demand.”^[2] In isolation, stress is by no means a bad thing – its a response that motivates us to accomplish things, achieve goals, and grow. In fact, the goal of exercise is to put stress on our bodies in hopes that we will recover bigger and stronger. Dealing with stress in manageable amounts often yields good things!

Chronic stress is the issue

As with anything in life, too much of something often leads to undesirable outcomes. With so many ways to get stressed out these days, we rarely deal with stress in workable amounts. Chronic stress can lead to declining health,^[2] thanks to how the body reacts when we feel overwhelmed.

The culprit – cortisol… chronically high cortisol

When the body gets stressed, it releases the hormone cortisol.^[3] Released by the adrenals, cortisol influences a number of bodily processes, such as blood sugar regulation, cognitive functioning, and blood pressure. It’s a normal function, basically an “alarm system trigger” for the body, which is very necessary. But again, it’s the chronic elevation that becomes a problem.

With less stress and a healthier mentality, you’re more likely to stay on track with your diet!

It’s when cortisol levels are too high for too long where bad things begin to happen physically. Obesity, excess inflammation, depression and anxiety are only a few things linked to excess cortisol,^[4] but clearly, high levels of this hormone aren’t ideal.

When unaccounted for, high levels of cortisol can wreak absolute havoc on your health. Staying in shape becomes more difficult, your immune defense falters a touch, and it becomes tough to just feel “healthy”! Luckily, there are plenty of resources to help combat stress and cortisol, with meditation and mindfulness being some of the most popular. The supplement industry has begun to get more involved as well, with some awesome products that can surely be a worthy part of a solid stress-management system!

Now that we have some background, let’s get into the ingredients MFIT Stress-66 contains that can help deter those negative outcomes we’ve just discussed!

MFIT Stress-66 Ingredients

Each bottle of Stress-66 contains 30 days worth of the stress-fighting formula. Each serving consists of two capsules, which MFIT recommends taking in divided doses – taking one capsule in the morning, one in the evening, for example. In doing so, you’ll supply your body with a steady flow of the awesome stress relieving ingredients this product delivers!

• KSM-66Ⓡ Ashwagandha Extract (Withania somnifera) (root) Standardized to contain 5.0% Withanolides – 600mg

  

  Three branded ingredients, two of them to drop cortisol in its tracks and the other to amplify their effects!

  Ashwagandha, also known in the science community as Withania somnifera, is an herb that has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for ages. Ayurvedic medicine is a 3000-year old practice that prioritizes a balancing between the “mind, body, and consciousness”,^[5] and has grown increasingly popular in recent years as society begins to place more emphasis on the health and wellness of the mind. As such, the devices of the practice have become more prevalent, arguably none more than ashwagandha!

  Combats high cortisol levels and decreases stress

  Ashwagandha has a diverse array of effects that deem it useful, but none are more relevant in regards to Stress-66 than the herb’s relationship with cortisol. In a 2012 study, researchers administered a 300mg dose of ashwagandha extract, twice daily, to test subjects in a double-blind, placebo-controlled manner. After 60 days, those given the extract displayed a 28% decrease in serum cortisol levels, while the placebo only showed an 8% decrease.^[6]

  A similar study in 2008 came to conclusions that support the above findings. Testing different dosages (125mg, 250mg, and 500mg), they found that the 500mg group (which took two-250mg doses per day) saw a 30.5% decrease in cortisol.^[7]

  

  Ashwagandha is an adaptogenic herb that helps lower cortisol in addition to improving VO2 Max.

  Lowering cortisol, based on what we covered earlier, obviously brings with it other effects. This would mean that ashwagandha has shown some of these benefits, and as additional research shows, it does!

  Decreases symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression

  That same study from 2012 tested other metrics, in addition to serum cortisol levels, most of which were tied directly to the perceived stress levels of the test individuals. Each subject completed multiple assessments before and after testing, with the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), and Depression-Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) being used as conclusive differentiators between the two groups. After 60 days, the test group improved their scores on each scale by 44.0%, 72.3%, and 71.6%.^[6]

  Additional research may offer some insight on how ashwagandha is able to accomplish this. In 2015, researchers found that ashwagandha can regulate the GABAergic signaling.^[8] This pathway, housed within the central nervous system, is responsible for the chemical reactions within the brain that makes you “feel stressed”. Essentially, this study saw ashwagandha block this pathway, which could ultimately lead to lower levels of stress.

  KSM-66Ⓡ – high-quality ashwagandha

  

  KSM-66 bills itself as the World’ Best Ashwagandha… and we don’t disagree!

  KSM-66Ⓡ is an extremely high-quality ashwagandha extract formulated by Ixoreal. This pharmaceutical company specializes specifically in the herb, as KSM-66Ⓡ happens to be their only product. They care so much about the quality and effectiveness of this product that they spend all of their time and resources on maintaining its potency.

  Touting an excellent 5% withanolides content, the active component within ashwagandha, KSM-66Ⓡ is truly a premier option within its market. It’s also the extract typically used in research, used in the majority of the studies we’ve cited in this post!

  At a full 600mg, MFIT isn’t pulling any punches here. They’re using one of the industry’s most effective extracts at the clinical dose, which should help you fight rising cortisol levels and keep stress levels low. Ashwagandha alone makes for a powerful stress-reducing agent, but that’s not all MFIT is throwing at you in Stress-66!

• Full Spectrum Microencapsulated European Hemp Oil Powder from VERDANT OASIS Hemp Oil^TM (CO2 extraction of aerial parts of cannabis sativa L.) Provides 25mg of phytocannabinoids (CBD) per serving – 250mg

  One of the industry advancements that we alluded to earlier just happens to be CBD oil, one of, if not the most, hot-selling extracted compounds on the market today. As popular as it is, unfortunately, many of its purposes and uses are misunderstood. This powerful extract does bring some potential benefits to the table, so allow us to dive into what the research shows!

  But first…what is CBD?

  In an effort to alleviate any confusion, allow us to briefly mention exactly what CBD is. CBD (cannabidiol) is one of the two main compounds in cannabis, the other being tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).^[9] The two are significantly different – CBD shows promise in terms of relieving pain and symptoms of anxiety and depression, whereas THC is the psychoactive compound within cannabis. CBD derived from hemp, such as the oil used here, is virtually free of THC, resulting in a clean extract.

  Next: 25mg CBD per serving in Stress-66

  

  Verdant Oasis Hemp Oil / CBD is certified genuine and trusted by top-tier manufacturers like A&Z Pharmaceutical

  Next, we must clarify the CBD dosing here, which will be the same as in CBSleep. We spoke with the manufacturers of VERDANT OASIS Hemp Oil, and learned that they have several different extract strengths standardized for CBD. 250mg of oil here yields 25mg CBD, meaning MFIT SUPPS chose the 10% extract (which is great, because some of the extracts are as little as 0.5%). This means there are also 225mg of other constituents that may provide benefits as well.

  The reason MFIT is putting “phytocannabinoids” rather than flat-out calling it “CBD” is likely for legal precautions, but Barrington Nutritionals, the company who makes Verdant Naturals’ products, assured us that the 10% extract strength was standardized for 10% CBD.

  Long story short, 250mg of this ingredient providing “25mg of phytocannabinoids” means 25mg CBD, full stop.

  Now, with that preliminary work out of the way, let’s get into the science!

  May subdue symptoms of stress and anxiety

  CBD has grown in popularity mainly due to its relationship to stress and anxiety, with the public perception being that it can help in dealing with these sensations. While human research is still in its infancy regarding this relationship, there is some evidence that lends credence to this belief.

  

  This product calls on the recovery-boosting benefits of cannabidiol, also known as CBD!

  In 2018, researchers administered CBD at doses of either 150mg, 300mg, or 600mg in a double-blind, placebo-controlled manner. Following the dose, subjects performed a simulated public speaking tests where they were measured on the Visual Analogue Mood Scale (VAMS), while their blood pressure and heart rate were also monitored. According to the VAMS scores obtained in this study, the 300mg dose displayed significantly lower levels of anxiety, whereas the other groups showed no significant differences.^[10]

  A meta-analysis from 2015 provides a more holistic view of the true benefits CBD may offer. Searching through 49 studies, these scientists found evidence that CBD can reduce stress, anxiety, and acute spikes in heart rate and blood pressure.^[11] That being said, they reached the conclusion that while there is promise, more research, specifically with human subjects, is needed before CBD can be deemed an effective treatment for stress and anxiety.

  Dose-dependent effects with anxiety!

  As great as this potential benefit sounds, it comes with a crucial caveat – not all dosages of CBD are created equal. In research, the anxiolytic effects of CBD follows a bell-shaped curve,^[12] meaning that there’s a point where consuming more of the extract is actually highly ineffective. This “point of diminishing returns” has been seen at moderate dosages, with most studies finding that around 10mg/kg of body weight yielded the best results. An interesting note, and surely something you should consider when looking to add CBD to your regimen.

  Realize that this research is promising, but also very high doses that are above the 25mg worth of CBD inside Stress-66. We cannot claim the exact benefits, but due to the dose-dependence, we think that there should be some benefits conferred to most individuals!

  Fights inflammation and pain

  In vitro, CBD oil has been shown to reduce inflammation. In a study from 2008, scientists tested the effects of the oil on glycine receptors in HEK293 cells, a line of cells derived from human kidney cells typically used in biotechnology. They found that CBD inhibited alpha2 and alpha3 glycine receptors, the receptors responsible for controlling inflammatory responses.^[13]

  

  Schematic view of the biosynthetic pathways leading to the Cannabis secondary metabolites^[9]

  CBD also shows some potential in terms of pain relief. Research shows that it interacts with TRPV1 receptor within the Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) channels. These pathways in the CNS facilitate neuron firing, the process that transfers feelings of pain from the source to the brain.^[14] Because CBD has been shown to mediate TRPV1 activity,^[15] the extract may be an effective pain-relieving agent.

  While we await more research in this area, having less inflammation, and thus feeling less pain, can do wonders for one’s cognition. This effect shouldn’t be overlooked when discussing CBD.

  When it comes to relieving stress, CBD is one of the industry’s most intriguing ingredients. The preliminary research is promising, but as we are still in the advent of its use, the definitive results aren’t yet there. That being said, the existing science carries weight, and MFIT is surely a believer in it. With 250mg of oil once again yielding 25mg active phytocannabinoids (CBD), Stress-66 delivers a highly novel, yet promising, stress-reducing agent!

• BioPerineⓇ Black Pepper Extract (Standardized to contain 95% Piperine) (Piperum nigrum) (fruit) – 10mg

  

  Bioperine is the trusted, trademarked form of black pepper extract that promises 95% or greater piperine, the part of black pepper with all the activity!

  While not particularly a stress-reliever, black pepper extract is included here to ensure that you’re getting as much from Stress-66 as possible! Piperine enhances the absorption and bioavailability of supplemented ingredients,^[16] which means it’s here to help you fully absorb both the ashwagandha and CBD oil in this label.

  While that’s usually the sole purpose of black pepper extract, in this case, there may be some extra benefits. Piperine is a MAO inhibitor, which means that it works to keep dopamine receptors active. This makes the body more receptive to “feel-good” neurotransmitters, which elevates both cognition and mood! Considering that anxiety and depression have been linked to poor uptake of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, this effect cannot be overlooked!

MFIT SUPPS – finishing their first year strong!

If you’ve been following PricePlow, you’ve likely come across some of our content focused on MFIT Supps. Launching at the 2019 Arnold Sports Festival, Backed by A&Z Pharmaceuticals, MFIT has thrived thus far thanks to the phenomenal people behind the brand. Industry manufacturing expert Nick Karalekas and his business partner, 6X IFBB Champion Guy Cisternino have assembled quite a team, evidenced by how successful they’ve been in only their first year as a brand.

There’s a hot new brand on the scene, they’re run by a trusted manufacturer, and they’re fronted by none other than Guy Cisternino!

MFIT has been so successful this year that we’ve named them our 2019 Supplement Brand Rookie of the Year. From their pre-workouts Havoc and Trigger to their meal replacement powder Victus, we’ve been nothing but impressed by them thus far. With a knowledgeable team, great branding, and of course, effective products, our expectations are considerably high for MFIT.

Conclusion – chill out with MFIT Stress-66

Stress-66 is yet another powerful formula from MFIT, one that fits right in line with what we’ve come to expect – innovative, forward-thinking, well-dosed, and strong. If you want to know more about Nick and the MFIT team, be sure to check out some of our content from when the brand first launched for more about the brand!

MFIT Stress-66 is an effective offering when it comes to keeping stress low and feel-good feeling abundant. Utilizing both KSM-66Ⓡ and VERDANT OASIS Hemp Oil^TM, two of the most high-quality extracts of ashwagandha and CBD, respectively, this formula accounts for the full effects of high stress levels. It works to lessen the hormonal effects of cortisol, as well as the inflammatory, tense feelings the hormone brings. Overall, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a stress-fighting formula as effective, as versatile, as MFIT Stress-66!