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CBD is known for its healing and therapeutic effects, but how well it works for you greatly depends on its absorption rate. Just like every other supplement, bioavailability plays a crucial role in determining CBD’s overall impact on the symptoms of anxiety, pain, and sleep-related troubles you want to deal with.
The rate at which CBD is absorbed depends on various factors related to the product form and type and the way you plan to consume your favourite CBD products. Absorption also determines how much you’ll need to consume, when to order again, and how to make a budget for it.
This article will lay out the best ways to consume CBD for maximum absorption. You’ll also learn about other important items to include in your wellness routine to boost CBD’s absorption and overall efficacy.
All About CBD Bioavailability
Let’s dive into the most crucial aspect of CBD absorption – Bioavailability. In simple terms, bioavailability is the amount of substance reaching the consumer’s body. Supplements, medications, or herbs like vitamin capsules, CBD gummies, or protein supplements have different bioavailability.
A supplement’s bioavailability mainly depends on the combination and nature of ingredients used in making it. For example, the bioavailability of soy protein is much lower than whey protein, hence whey gets better absorbed and is recommended for post-workout recovery. Similarly, the best Full Spectrum CBD oil from top brands like Colorado Botanicals has a much better bioavailability than regular CBD gummies or other such products.
The x amount of CBD mentioned per dose may not get fully absorbed in your body if the product is of dull quality or from a shady source. That’s why buying CBD products from only reputed brands is always suggested.
We recommend checking the third-party lab reports to corroborate the quantity and quality of ingredients like terpenes mentioned on the label. Though In CBD’s case, the bioavailability is dependent on multiple factors, let’s learn about them in detail.
Factors That Affect CBD’s Bioavailability And Absorption Rate
CBD is now available in multiple forms, like oils, gummies, creams, vapes, and even beverages. The time a CBD product will take to show its effect is directly related to its form.
For example, CBD gummies have a slower absorption rate because they have to go through your digestive tract first, where the stomach acids and enzymes metabolise them first before releasing them into the bloodstream. That’s why edibles like gummies start to kick in an hour or two after consumption. The bioavailability of edibles is around 6% to 19%.
Whereas CBD oils have a higher bioavailability of 10–20% because they are usually consumed sublingually, When you put the drops under your tongue, CBD gets directly absorbed and released into your bloodstream through the cluster of blood capillaries present there. Due to this faster absorption rate, CBD oils show their effect within 15–30 minutes of consumption.
But the fastest absorption rate is found in CBD vapes, with bioavailability in the 34-56% range. The vapour gets quickly absorbed through your lungs, and effects are felt within a few seconds to minutes of consumption, but they also wear off quite early.
Topicals have the lowest absorption rate, with 5% bioavailability, but they are great for relief in specific areas, as CBD directly works when applied to the surface without going through the internal digestion process first.
Besides the type of product, an individual’s metabolic rate, diet, weight, and tolerance levels also affect CBD absorption in the body. That’s why a product may get better absorbed in your body than in your friends and family’s., depending on physiological factors and substance use case history.
How to Boost CBD Absorption Rate?
Let’s now understand what you can do on an individual level to improve CBD’s absorption in your body. Regardless of your physical anatomy, medication history, and the type of CBD product you chose, these tips will ensure that your body absorbs the maximum amount of CBD.
Consume CBD with Fatty Foods
The first trick is to consume your CBD products along with food items that have high-fat concentrations (be mindful of the calories, though). Why? Because fat molecules are much smaller in size in comparison to other macros, which makes them easy to absorb, additionally CBD molecules tend to dissolve better with them.
That’s why MCT oil like coconut is the most widely used carrier in CBD oils and tinctures because it has smaller fatty molecules. Dark chocolates, and nuts—almonds, cashews, walnuts, eggs, cheese, yoghurts, avocados, and fish—are some healthy fat foods that you can take along with your daily dose of CBD oil.
Try to Opt for Full Spectrum CBD Products
Full-spectrum CBD products contain a wide variety of terpenes, cannabinoid compounds, and phytonutrients that are found in hemp plants. Terpenes are responsible for giving the plants their specific scent, and some of them have healing and therapeutic properties as well.
When you consume full-spectrum products, terpenes enhance the impact of all the cannabinoids, including CBD, and help create an entourage effect. That’s why they are much more effective as compared to CBD isolate products, and your body is able to utilize the hemp plant’s full range of benefits more effectively.
Try to Include herbs in your diet
Just like fatty food items, some herbs have the ability to boost the bioavailability of the CBD products you use. Studies have shown that herbs improve your body’s natural ability to absorb CBD better. How? by boosting the liver’s metabolic rate, preventing CBD’s molecular structure breakdown by binding to enzymes, and improving certain cannabinoid responses.
The best herbs you can incorporate into your wellness routine along with CBD oil are capsaicin (present in peppers), apigenin (found in oregano, dark chocolates, and parsley), piperine (available in black pepper), and turmeric.
Conclusion
To sum it up, CBD absorption depends on multiple factors, like the type of product you use and your body chemistry. But you can certainly improve your favourite CBD product’s absorption by incorporating some herb-based and fatty food snacks in your diet. For example, turmeric, piperine, dark chocolates, and fatty foods like cheese or yoghurt.
It’s always best to opt for sublingual products like full-spectrum oils and tints, as they get absorbed much faster in your body as compared to edibles. The higher the quality of the products, the better the absorption rate.
That’s why one should always try to buy CBD from reputable and transparent brands like Colorado Botanicals. Also, never forget to check the third-party lab reports to ensure that the product has all the cannabinoids in the right amount.