Cannabidiol derived from the hemp plant has gone mainstream because of its innumerable benefits and this has given rise to different types of CBD products. The most popular and hence the most common one is the pure CBD oil because it can be easily used in different types of preparations. This is because it is oil soluble and hydrophobic, and hence CBD oil products like tinctures are easily absorbed into the body. This increases its bioavailability i.e. the amount of cannabidiol that enters the body after you consume it. So, manufacturers have come up with water soluble CBD so that you get maximum effect after consuming it.
What Is First Pass Metabolism?
First pass metabolism or first pass effect is a physiological process in which the concentration of a compound like CBD or a drug is greatly reduced before reaching systemic circulation. As a result, the bioavailability is reduced and the effect is lowered. This is a problem most common to oral products like capsules, pills, edibles etc., and the amount of CBD entering the bloodstream is only 20%. So, one of the ways manufacturers found to increase the bioavailability is through water-soluble pure CBD oil.
What Is Water Soluble CBD?
By transforming naturally oil soluble CBD extract into water soluble form, it can overcome the first-pass metabolism and increase bioavailability. In its natural form, CBD oil has a lower surface area and hence it becomes difficult to pass into the bloodstream diffusing through the gut lining. So, to make it water-soluble the natural form is broken down into micro sized oil particles that evenly distributes in a fluid like water increasing its surface area. This easily diffuses through the gut lining increasing its bioavailability and thereby effectiveness.
Why Is It Important?
The advantage of water-soluble CBD is that it can be used for a wide variety of purposes as it easily dissolves in water. For example, it can be added into any kind of water based beverages which is more appealing than sublingually consuming tinctures or CBD vape. It increases the bioavailability of CBD oil capsules by up to 5 times thereby giving better effect than a similar dose of oil soluble CBD capsule. Moreover, it increases the effectiveness of CBD topical products; when you apply ordinary type on skin, its penetration is slightly reduced by the water film on the skin surface due to the natural form being hydrophobic.
Pure CBD oil and other types of cannabidiol products are useful for alleviating symptoms of diseases, but they cannot cure them. Moreover, not everyone needs CBD as part of their daily regimen because of the difference in physiology. Learn how to make CBD olive oil here.