According to the latest data, around a third of Americans have tried CBD. With the bioavailability of oral CBD products sitting at just 6%, however, it’s understandable why so many CBD users have expressed discontentment with the effectiveness of this cannabinoid.
In this guide, learn which factors might make it harder to experience the full benefits of CBD. Then, find out which CBD products to try if you’re looking for the most potent experience available.
What Is CBD Bioavailability?
When you ingest a substance like CBD, it’s natural to assume that your body will use close to all of it. Not so, though — bioavailability is the standard by which we determine the effectiveness of any consumed substance, and the bioavailability of orally ingested CBD is lamentably low.
That’s because your liver filters out a considerable amount of the CBD you ingest. There are ways, however, to boost the bioavailability of CBD and avoid problems that can commonly hinder CBD absorption.
CBD Extract Purity
First, it’s important to choose CBD products that offer the highest degree of purity possible. Agricultural toxins and unnecessary ingredients like flavorings and preservatives cause inflammation and oxidative stress in your gut, decreasing the absorption potential of CBD.
If your CBD product is pure, the CBD molecules you ingest won’t encounter any unnecessary obstacles as they absorb into your system. The best way to determine the purity of a CBD product is consulting third-party lab reports, which should be available on each product page.
The Entourage Effect & Why It’s Important
CBD also appears to become more powerful when it’s accompanied by the natural entourage that develops alongside it in hemp flower. Botanically, the hemp plant is incredibly complex and contains dozens of unique compounds that appear to all work together in synergy.
That’s why it’s so important to choose either broad-spectrum or full-spectrum CBD extract if you’re having problems with CBD not working. These extracts retain all or most of the additional natural substances present in hemp flower, allowing CBD to work alongside them in a type of synergy hemp scientists are calling the entourage effect.
What Are Terpenes & What Are Their Benefits?
The benefits of the entourage effect don’t extend only to the other cannabinoids that emerge alongside CBD in hemp flower. Just as important are terpenes, which aren’t exclusive to hemp but offer benefits that are just as massive as the benefits of cannabinoids.
Each strain of hemp has its own unique terpenes, but most CBD extractors don’t go very far out of their way to protect these delicate compounds. If you find a brand that focuses extensively on terpenes in their CBD products, it’s likely that those products will provide better results.
Why Most CBD Extracts Don’t Contain Terpenes
If terpenes are so beneficial, why aren’t they more common in hemp extracts? For two reasons — preserving terpenes during the CBD extraction and purification process is difficult and requires advanced equipment, and most hemp used for CBD extraction is low-grade and does not contain high concentrations of terpenes.
The majority of hemp used for CBD is grown outdoors in sub-par conditions, and as a result, its terpene expression is very low. Whether grown outdoors or indoors, however, hemp will express more terpenes if it is grown with care.
If you’re curious which CBD brands include high-quality terpenes in their products, checking lab reports is an excellent place to start. Product-specific lab reports for CBD products should contain sections with information on terpene concentrations. If this information is incomplete or absent, choose a different brand.
Importance of Buying from Reputable Brands
In the end, whether CBD works or not often comes down to the brand you choose. With all the right factors in place, science shows that CBD should be effective for most people. If you continue having disappointing experiences with CBD, it’s possible or even likely that the brand you’re buying from isn’t focusing enough on CBD bioavailability.
Just to recap, CBD is the most bioavailable when it is the most pure, and this cannabinoid can only offer a shadow of its true potency when separated from its entourage. This group of supporting substances doesn’t just include cannabinoids but extends to terpenes as well, which are only present in the highest-quality CBD products on the market.
Once you’ve eliminated other potential issues such as simply not taking enough CBD oil per dose, it’s time to do a deep dive into your present brand’s bona fides and consider switching to a different company. The CBD market is constantly evolving with new and better products appearing all the time, so don’t be satisfied with what you have if it isn’t getting the job done.
