CBD is the hottest selling dietary supplement in the market at the moment. The meteoric rise of CBD was expected by many, but the real question was when. In the United States, this question was answered when the Hemp Act 2018 was passed at a federal level, paving way for hemp to be produced, distributed and consumed by millions. The United States was actually late to the party, as many countries had already legalized the use of industrial hemp.
But truth be told, people are using it left, right and center without asking the fundamental question: how nutritional is it?
Then again, the nutritional value is subjected to the mode of administering the CBD- it is different when you take edibles, vape or apply topicals. It wouldn’t need a Ph.D. in dietary sciences to know that CBD gummies have more sugar content than say, CBD oil.
We shall take a trip through what the nutritional value of CBD is.
What Is In CBD?
There is no one single answer to that question, as different CBD manufacturers add in other ingredients apart from the hemp extract. Manufacturers take the extract from the hemp and remove the cannabinoids, including CBD by means of an extraction method.
The oil can then be made into a broad-spectrum, an isolate or full-spectrum CBD. If the extract is a full-spectrum CBD, then it includes all of the essential cannabinoids including CBGA, flavonoid, chromenes, CBV, terpenes and many others. Even THC is present in these, at a concentration below 0.3% of the total dry weight as followed by the federal legal limit of THC.
If the CBD product is an isolate, then there is nothing apart from the CBD in it. If you want to avoid needless hassles at random drug tests at work, then it would be wise to try the best of both world’s- Broad spectrum CBD products. They contain all of the necessary cannabinoids without the THC.
On its own, CBD doesn’t really have nutritional value. The same could be said about the other cannabinoids, too.
Terpenes
These are a special class of cannabinoids that are present in flowers and fruits and are the ones that give off a distinct aroma, for example lavender (linalool), pine (Pinene), limonene (citrus fruits) and many others. These are the aromatic agents that are present in CBD extract.
For these too, there is very little nutritional contribution.
Flavoring
CBD on its own has an earthy, bitter taste that many users might find unpleasant at first. To be honest, the taste and flavor profile of CBD is not its strongest suit. For some, it is manageable, while for others it is god awful. This is why manufacturers have found ways to make CBD better for the wider audience.
Flavored oils are popular and help to make the CBD taste a lot better. There are plenty of flavors to choose from, and different companies make use of different ingredients to get the desired flavor output, which in turn affects the nutritional value.
If one were to use date sugar so as to sweeten the CBD extract, then it is obvious that the sugar content will increase and hence change the nutritional properties. All you have to do is pay attention to the ingredients that are added and you will know if it is the best option for you.
The Carrier Oil
To be honest, a bulk of the nutritional value of CBD products comes from the carrier oil that it is imbued with. Many of the CBD products are in the unflavoured category, and for it, the carrier oil acts as the vital piece. Not to mention, CBD oil must always have a carrier oil and never directly consumed.
The next question you need to ask is what carrier oil must I go for?
Each of the carrier oils has their own nutritional properties. There are a few that are commonly used. All of the oils are fats, and for this reason, the fat content that you are ingesting must be noted.
MCT Oil
MCT coconut oil has become quite popular, and this is a sudden turn of events from the vilification that coconut oil used to receive from the nutritional community. The benefits of MCT are the mild taste that can help the efficacy of CBD oil. The only downside to MCT is the high content of saturated fats.
Olive Oil
This is the oil that contains no carbohydrates and protein and only essential fats. But the fats are mostly monosaturated fats, which are deemed healthier than their polyunsaturated cousins.
Since, it is purely fat the benefit of olive oil is that the CBD is readily absorbed, and this can then reach your body easier. It is certainly the most expensive of other carrier oils but is also considered as the healthiest.
That rounds up the nutritional values that CBD brings to the table.