Thanks to the advancements in modern medicine, especially in alternative medical treatments, most people are already familiar with the myriad of benefits brought by CBD and CBD oil.
Compared to weed's psychoactive properties, CBD oil is predominantly associated with the treatment of various health conditions. Thie cannabinoid is being studied for its potentital to support pain relief, better sleep, and stress reduction, among several more conditions.
And yet, for CBD oil to take proper effect and benefits, it needs to be adequately absorbed into one’s system. Read on to discover how to maximize CBD oil absorption and make the most of its healing powers.
What is CBD bioavailability?
Bioavailability indicates the exact amount of a product that’s absorbed by your body after ingestion. For example, if you ingest 100mg of a certain vitamin, not all 100mg are absorbed by your body.
The same analogy applies to CBD bioavailability - or the body’s ability to absorb the CBD content at hand. This is mainly accomplished via the endocannabinoid system, composed of multiple nervous system receptors which interact with the CBD content consumed.
But, absorption aside, CBD bioavailability also refers to the system’s capability to hold in the contents long enough so they can reach all main organs and tissues.
The amount of CBD the body absorbs will be based on its ability to accept or eliminate the content consumed - also known as pharmacokinetics.
Although there is no general measure of how effective CBD bioavailability should be, low bioavailability usually relates to various bodily issues, such as stress or lack of physical activity, as well as the consumer’s age, sex, and viability of their gut enzymes.
Aside from the factors mentioned above, the time of day when CBD oil is ingested will also affect its potency and absorption levels.
How to increase CBD absorption?
There are several ways to increase CBD absorption. All of them depend on the type of food you consume with the CBD oil, the type of additional supplements you combine it with, and the consumption method you ultimately opt for.
Different foods and medications bear different properties, and some of them work incredibly well in combination with CBD oil. Some are beyond efficient and can essentially increase the CBD amount absorbed in the body.
Others, however, influence the organism to leave the organism more open to receiving larger CBD quantities, thus easing the way for bioavailability and absorption.
After intense research, multiple scientific studies have found that there are five key ways to increase the CBD absorption in the body by:
- Consuming high-fat foods
- Combining CBD with terpenes
- Combining CBD with a select list of herbs
- Consuming special types of CBD edibles
- Ingesting CBD sublingually
Let’s go through each of these methods separately and review their individual efficiency.
Consume with fatty foods
Some of the most widespread research on the topic has come to two main conclusions.
One, the absorption of CBD oil is significantly improved when consumed with food rather than consumed separately. And two, that out of all foods, those high in fats are the most efficient in improving CBD absorption.
Scientists who came to this conclusion tested various subjects suffering from epilepsy. What they found was that fatty foods help CBD molecules dissolve faster by transforming these molecules to a specific form that the bloodstream finds the most convenient to process and absorb.
Foods rich in unsaturated, healthy fats are more recommended than regular, high-fat foods since they won’t cause any inflammation when processed by the body.
In practice, opt for foods such as avocados, high-fat fish like trout, salmon, mackerel, and dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa, whole eggs, fatty cheese, nuts, coconuts and/or coconut oil.
In order to better understand why these foods are so recommended for maximizing CBD oil bioavailability, let’s delve into the chemical aspects of this process.
High fat foods and CBD absorption
The basic rule of thumb concerning the absorption of all substances in the human body boils down to - the smaller and more compact the molecules, the easier the absorption.
Now, there is another reason why fatty foods work exceptionally well with CBD oil.
Compared to the other two macronutrients - proteins and carbohydrates - fats tend to have the smallest and lightest molecules, meaning they are the easiest for the human body to absorb.
So, CBD will be especially prone to dissolving when and if combined with healthy fats. Not to mention, consuming CBD oil with fatty foods helps deconstruct the product, shrink its molecules, and thus make it more suitable for absorption.
Given the easy absorption rate of healthy fats, it is easy to note that fats “open to doors” of your body to CBD oil, helping it slide quickly and seamlessly into the bloodstream.
Use high-terpene CBD
Fatty foods aren’t the only thing that can help with CBD absorption - you should also keep your eye on terpenes.
Terpenes are compounds usually found in different plants, including cannabis. They are associated with the aromas produced by said plants, and the denser the volume of the terpenes, the stronger the plant scent.
Research has shown that terpenes have unusually potent chemistry when combined with CBD and help create the so-called entourage effect, where both compounds enhance each other's effects and thus boost their potency.
It is for this reason that cannabis products that contain terpenes are considered full-spectrum.
The compounds contained aren’t as “clean” as pure and isolated CBD oil. But, when speaking of consumption and absorption, they are much more effective and positively influence the organism, reducing the unwanted symptoms of various diseases.
For this reason, when possible, always opt for full-spectrum CBD oil and CBD products. Regardless of the box dosage, they will probably double or triple their effects of the CBD isolate.
Supplement with herbs
The great thing about CBD oil is that aside from healthy fats and terpenes, it also combines superbly well with certain herbs.
Similar to how fatty foods act when combined with CBD, some herbs also have properties that, in conjunction with CBD oil, amplify the healing effects at hand. When combined accordingly, corresponding herbs can increase the bioavailability of cannabinoids.
Some of the key herbs to combine with your CDB oil content include piperine, turmeric, apigenin, and capsaicin.
Piperine
Piperine is a compound usually found in black pepper and red pepper. To boost the overall absorption of CBD oil, piperine inhibits some of the key liver functions. This process prevents the liver from completely decomposing the molecular structure of many ingested substances, including CBD oil.
In other words, CBD parts that are deconstructed by the liver through standard oral consumption, manage to “survive” for longer and get absorbed into the bloodstream faster as a result.
So, if you ingest about 40mg of CBD, typically, only 20mg would be metabolized. However, with piperine added to the mix, between 30mg and 35mg will get metabolized, which testifies to the compound’s elevating powers.
Turmeric
Turmeric functions in the exact same way as piperine, but it also comes with some additional perks.
Essentially, when combined with piperine and curcumin, turmeric produces the entourage effect we mentioned earlier and enhances the power of the CBD oil consumed.
Interestingly, piperine and curcumin together can enhance the quantities of turmeric, making for one power combo to consider. In essence, all three of these herbs are mutually enhancing and can make for sublime CBD oil absorption.
When combined with CBD oil, these will directly enhance its absorption, but also, by enhancing one another, they will indirectly impact the additional effects of CBD in your system.
Apigenin
Apigenin is another compound that you can find in foods such as dark chocolate, parsley, oregano, and chamomile.
It mainly functions similarly to other compounds we listed, except, instead of preventing the liver from deconstructing CBD molecules, it helps CBD molecules retain their structure when they come into contact with gut enzymes.
Essentially, this structure helps apigenin survive for longer periods of time, and be absorbed faster into the bloodstream.
Capsaicin
Capsaicin makes yet another compound found in hot, chilly foods that helps increase the bioavailability of CBD. It allows CBD to retain its molecular structure and helps enhance the effects of all cannabinoids, including CBG and THC.
Add capsaicin to your spice mix to optimize the effects and absorption of CBD oil.
Consume sublingually
Finally, the last method that you can opt for is to consume whichever CBD product you have at hand sublingually.
The underbelly of your tongue has a thin and sensitive membrane, which allows for substances to be easily absorbed into your bloodstream with the help of tiny blood vessels.
This way, you will skip over the whole process of ingesting supplements and wait for the stomach to process them.
Sublingual CBD oil consumption
To save you the trouble of looking for good sublingual CBD oil supplements, you can find a great product with the our Premium CBD Drops! Delicious, affordable, completely vegan, and approved by doctors, these drops are easy to consume for maximum effects.
Not only is this the most effective way to ingest CBD oil, but it is also one of the simplest and most convenient approaches that guarantee instant effects. Our CBD oil drops are ideal for alleviating pain, reducing jumpy nerves, and delivering an overall sense of calmness.
Maximize the CBD bioavailability and absorption levels - and explore the FOCL website to find more CBD products that fit your needs!
Find the perfect product for you
When it comes to actually deciding which CBD product to pick, you won’t find better and more effective products than those provided by FOCL.
We produce and sell several types of CBD gummies that are not only delicious but also combined with other cannabinoids, aside from CBD. All these additionally enhance the effects of the consumed product.
Take, for example, our Premium CBD + CBN Gummies. Conveniently priced and rightfully delicious, the gummies combine ample amounts of CBD oil with CBN, usually associated with promoting quality sleep. And, since CBD is usually consumed by people who need to reduce their pain or stress levels, the gummies are ideal for delivering calmness to eager CBD consumers.
Our gummies with added CBN may help calm you down and prepare you for a good night’s sleep. Combined with the CBD, they may reduce all unpleasant symptoms or restlessness and lull you into a comfortable nap.
