How Can I Improve Absorption of CBD?

Mar 04, 2024

Looking to get the most out of your CBD? If you are wondering how to maximise the impact of your CBD, increasing its absorption into the body will ensure you can extract the most benefit from your purchase.

When taking any supplement, how much is absorbed into the body depends on several factors such as bioavailability, a person’s rate of metabolism, and the route of administration, for example.

So how can we align all these factors to ensure maximum absorption of our CBD?

In our latest handy guide, we lookout the different strategies to help you enhance your CBD absorption.

How is CBD absorbed into the body?

How CBD is absorbed into the body depends on its route of administration. This can be through sublingual application (putting the oil under your tongue), oral administration - check out our CBD oils and gummies - topical application such as creams, or inhalation such as vaping.

When CBD is administered orally, it is digested in the intestines before entering the liver where it is metabolised and sent to the blood.

When CBD is administered via sublingual drops or inhalation, its route into the body is much more direct. When taken sublingually, CBD is delivered directly to the blood through the tongue, and when inhaled via CBD vapes, CBD is delivered directly to the blood via the lungs.

Due to these differences, sublingual and inhalation routes of administration offer faster results, as the compound can bypass the liver.

Equally, when taken orally, CBD may have a lower absorption rate, as some of the compound will be lost during the digestive process and when broken down in the liver.

It is important to note that every body has different rates of metabolism that will impact how bioavailable CBD is. For example, people who have fast metabolisms may metabolise and eliminate the compound much faster than those with slow metabolisms, reducing the compound’s availability in the body.

How fast or slow a person’s metabolism is depends on aspects such as age, gender, weight and hormone activity.

Improving CBD absorption

Now we’ve explored administration methods that can increase absorption – let’s look at different measures that you can take to give your CBD that extra boost.

Dosing timing

Did you know that when you take your CBD can have an impact on how well it is absorbed into the body?

Taking your CBD alongside a meal that is high in healthy fats can help with CBD absorption. This is because CBD is a fat-soluble molecule.

Research has shown that CBD bioavailability is increased when taken with dietary fats, as it helps with absorption into the lymphatic system and its transport around the body.

Eat complimentary foods

So, what type of foods with healthy fats can be eaten alongside CBD to help with its absorption?

Healthy fats include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats which have been found to have benefits such as decreasing inflammation, heart health benefits and benefits for blood cholesterol.

Such foods include:

Fatty fish

Fatty fish such as Salmon, Mackerel and Sardines are full of healthy fats. They contain omega-3 fatty acids which have also been shown to potentially increase the effects of CBD.

Oils

Oils such as hemp oil, olive oil, avocado oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil and Medium-Chain Triglycerides (MCT Oil) all contain healthy fats. Some of these oils, such as MCT, hemp and olive oil are used as carriers in CBD oils to help increase absorption.

Fruit, vegetables, nuts and legumes

As well as fish, many non-animal foods contain omega-3s. These include fruits such as avocados, berries and oranges, and legumes such as mungo beans, edamame beans and kidney beans.

Nuts and seeds are also full of omega-3s, such as walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, hemp seeds and chia seeds, as are vegetables such as seaweed, kale, broccoli, and other leafy greens.

Choose quality products

Ensuring you are using quality CBD products is vital if you want to maximise absorption into the body.

Choose a CBD Oil that has a beneficial carrier oil such as MCT Oil, and ensure it is made with high quality ingredients.

At Supreme CBD, all our CBD Oils are made with MCT Oil for better absorption. Additionally, our full spectrum oils are extracted using the gold standard - a specialist CO2 process which helps to remove any unwanted compounds, while creating maximum potency.

Discover our range of CBD Oils here