CBD Bioavailability: What Is It And Why Should I Care?

There are many reasons why the phrase “you are what you eat” has become so well-known. For starters, it’s pretty catchy. Plus, it seems to be true. However, if you want to get technical, this phrase is only “half-true.” After all, someone could eat all the healthy greens in the world, but what does it matter if their body can’t absorb them? The same problem applies to CBD.   

Bioavailability has become an increasingly hot topic in CBD circles. Customers are understandably curious about how much CBD edibles their body is absorbing. If you want to know how potent your CBD experience will be, you must do a bit of research into bioavailability.

What Is Bioavailability And How Does it Work For CBD?

In a nutshell, “bioavailability” is concerned with how much of a given chemical gets absorbed into the bloodstream. Although a compound’s structure could impact its bioavailability, it’s usually not the determining factor. In fact, the same CBD molecule could have radically different absorption rates depending on how we take it.

For example, CBD edibles and capsules tend to have low bioavailability rates. Remember that these products have to get broken down by the liver before entering the bloodstream. This is why it often takes hours for people to feel any effects. Compared with other CBD Goods, edibles and capsules tend to have a long-lasting, subtle impact on a user’s body.    

By contrast, CBD Vape products like e-juices have way higher bioavailability rates. Since these products go straight into the lungs, they are absorbed directly into the bloodstream. People who use CBD cartridges will probably notice effects a few minutes after taking their first vape.  

In terms of bioavailability, CBD tinctures tend to fall in-between edibles and vape products. This is especially true if customers place CBD tinctures underneath their tongues before swallowing. Amazingly, the tongue’s sublingual glands can absorb CBD directly into the bloodstream. 

Can My Pores Absorb CBD? – The Bioavailability Of CBD Topicals

Now that CBD creams have become increasingly popular, people are curious whether we could absorb CBD topically. Although we don’t know all the intricacies of this issue, it appears we have cannabinoid receptor sites all along our skin. If this initial research is proven correct, our pores might be able to absorb CBD molecules.     

However, it’s important to note that CBD cannot penetrate the skin layer and enter the bloodstream. Since our skin has such a low permeability, molecules like CBD can’t pass through. Any effects CBD topicals have will only be at the surface level.   

Nanotech CBD – More Bioavailable or BS?    

When you think of nanotechnology, you probably think of high-speed computer chips or super-tiny medical devices. While nanotech plays a role in these fields, many scientists are also interested in using this technology to enhance the bioavailability of medicines. In fact, there are now a few labs working on “nano CBD” to increase absorption rates.

The idea behind this science is to help enzymes break down CBD by shrinking CBD molecules to ridiculously small sizes. Unfortunately, since this technology is so new, there’s still not a lot of evidence that it works. However, it’s worthwhile keeping tabs on this field if you’re interested in the future of CBD bioavailability.  

Consider CBD Absorbability Before Buying A Product!

Unfortunately, figuring out your daily dose of CBD isn’t as easy as looking up your product’s milligram count. Although oils, tinctures, and vape cartridges have the same CBD, there are significant differences in how these products get absorbed by the body. There are also many secondary factors (e.g., body weight and metabolism) that might affect CBD bioavailability. Hopefully, as more researchers examine this cannabinoid, we should better understand how to measure CBD absorbability.