When your body consumes CBD, your body absorbs certain amounts of that CBD through digestion and distributes CBD throughout your entire body. Unfortunately, this causes much of the CBD to be wasted as it dissolves before it can be absorbed. There are certain methods of consumption that increase CBD bioavailability, allowing the most absorption for the highest impact. Let’s take a look at what exactly CBD bioavailability means and what the best methods are.
What is the Bioavailability of CBD?
Different CBD products have different levels of bioavailability, depending on how you consume that product. A percentage of the CBD consumed is directly absorbed into your bloodstream. As your body digests it and sends the CBD throughout your body, that CBD percentage decreases drastically.
If the manufacturer has not properly formulated the CBD for maximum absorption, you’ll lose quite a bit of that CBD as your body processes waste. According to innocanpharma.com, the best CBD products should be water-soluble to allow the body to process it properly into your bloodstream.
Once in your bloodstream, the CBD can travel throughout your body to be used as needed. What isn’t used is stored in your fat cells for future use. Many health professionals recommend CBD to be taken with meals to allow your body’s chemicals to help absorb the CBD better.
Bioavailability by Consumption Method
Now that we’ve discussed what bioavailability is, we can better understand which CBD products have better bioavailability. Let’s go over the most popular forms of CBD and how they should be taken.
Orally with Tinctures & Oils
Tinctures are wildly popular because they have little to no taste and are taken sublingually. Simply release a dropper under your tongue and hold for at least sixty seconds before swallowing. This allows the mucous membrane in your mouth to absorb the CBD before you swallow.
Instead of going through your liver and digestive system, your body’s enzymes will metabolize the CBD. While you can also mix tinctures with your food and beverage, you will lose a lot of the CBD as now it must be digested with the food in your stomach and processed through your liver.
Transdermal with Topicals
There are times when you experience sharp pains and need instant relief. CBD creams, balms, and lotions are a godsend for immediate pain treatment. While the CBD topicals may offer some form of relief, the CBD will never reach your bloodstream.
Rather, it gets absorbed into your skin’s pores and into the dermis (inner skin layers). While it will be somewhat difficult to fully absorb the CBD through your skin, partial absorption will help if you’re experiencing pain and want something to target that area.
Ingestion with Capsules/Edibles
Capsules and edibles are an option for those who like to add these products to their daily vitamin routine and meals. However, this method reduces the CBD bioavailability because now the compound must pass through your digestive tract via your stomach and liver to be metabolized. Once it is metabolized, only then can the CBD be released into your bloodstream.
For example, a gummy that contains 10mg of CBD will only allow 1mg or less of CBD to be absorbed. This is why vapes and tinctures are more strongly recommended if you’re looking to ensure the high potency and usability of CBD products.
Inhalation with Flower or Vape
Inhaling CBD via vape e-liquid or smoking the crushed flower buds allows the CBD to be directly inhaled into your lungs. The CBD will quickly be absorbed into your bloodstream, making it one of the best methods of CBD bioavailability. Anywhere from 10-60% of the CBD can be utilized, but it comes with some difficulty.
You’ll need to purchase external devices like a low-wattage sub-ohm tank for vape juice or an herbalizer for the flower buds. It’s also difficult to figure out which temperature is optimal for maximum CBD bioavailability. Too much heat will convert the calming and relaxing compounds into dangerous benzenes. If you prefer this method, make sure you do your research to see what temperature/wattage is the most effective.
Suppositories
Suppositories are a unique form of CBD that is inserted down there. They can be inserted anally, vaginally, or through the urethra. The warmth of these areas allows the suppository to soften, melt, and dissolve, thus creating a systemic effect.
Depending on the intended insertion point, the suppositories can be shaped and weighted differently. According to naturegoingsmart.com, suppositories are high in CBD bioavailability, as they bypass the liver and metabolism and enter directly into the bloodstream. This comes with the caution that the suppositories be inserted correctly.
How to Increase or Maximize CBD Bioavailability
There are a few ways to increase and maximize the CBD bioavailability of certain products. Some products, such as suppositories, CBD vape, and CBD flowers, are high in cannabinoids and can enter directly into the bloodstream without being metabolized or digested. Some CBD products are meant to be taken topically to target CBD pain but may not be the best option for those looking for daily CBD usage.
And lastly, while some forms of CBD may be easier and more fun to consume, such as gummies and capsules, the absorption rate is very low since the liver and digestive system break down CBD into almost a tenth of what the CBD level actually is.
Final Thoughts
There are so many forms of CBD available, and it may seem daunting to randomly pick one. The important thing is to understand your end goal for CBD and why you’re taking it.
If you’re looking for maximum CBD absorption with minimal effort, tinctures may be your best bet. Yet, if you want something a little more in-depth that allows you to be more in control of how you take it, suppositories may be pleasurable and thus more desirable.
And, if you’re comfortable with vaping or smoking, the flowers and CBD vape juice may be more your style. Lastly, if you’re wanting to add CBD to your daily routine without really needing immediate CBD in your system, edibles and capsules will be easy to incorporate into your daily habits.
There is no right or wrong way to take CBD, but there are products that are better suited to the individual. However, the best and simplest way to maximize your CBD consumption is a product that does not need to be processed by your liver or digestive system.
CBD offers so many benefits to the user that even a small amount is better than nothing. Whatever way you use CBD, be sure to do extensive research and consult your physician before starting on your CBD journey!
