A recent post discussed how to determine the right amount of CBD to take. Check it out for the details but basically, the optimal amount of CBD will vary for each of us depending on a number of factors such as body size, the reason for taking it etc.
How you take CBD matters. As CBD grows in popularity so do the number and type of products which contain it, and so the number of ways CBD can be taken is increasing as well.
How you take CBD can have an impact on the results you get from it so the topic bears some discussion.
The starting point is the idea of bioavailability. This describes how quickly and how much of a chemical reaches its intended location in the body. For CBD this translates into how long it takes to reach the receptors in the Endocannabinoid System (check out an earlier post on this fascinating part of our bodies!).
The main factor which affects bioavailability is absorption. Something has to be absorbed into the bloodstream in order to be effective. Imagine if you took a gel-cap and it didn’t dissolve at all. In that case, the medication inside it would simply pass through the body without ever being absorbed, even though you took the pill. The absorption would be zero and so would the bioavailability.
While there are more and more CBD products available, the primary ways they are absorbed into our bodies are oral, sublingual and inhaled.
Oral
Products taken orally include edibles (such as 7 Mountains cookies and brownies), pills and beverages. Before being absorbed into the bloodstream, the CBD has to pass through the metabolic and digestive systems. These are very good at filtering and not so good at absorption. Studies have shown that absorption can range from 4% to 20%. On the low end of the range, there is very little absorption.
Sublingual
Products taken sublingually (under the tongue) are primarily drops or tinctures. These products have CBD in a “carrier” oil. Common carrier oils are coconut and hemp oil. The sublingual vein under the tongue will absorb a higher amount of CBD directly into the bloodstream. Sublingual absorption can range from 12% to 35%.
Inhaled
Vaping introduces the CBD directly into the lungs where absorption is higher and less breakdown occurs. Absorption rates for this method range from 34% to 56%.
As you begin taking CBD, or as you refine the amount and the format in which you take it, keep in mind that the way in which you take the product definitely has an impact on how much is actually absorbed into your bloodstream and becomes available to your endocannabinoid system.
As always, let us know what you think!