As a chemical compound, CBD is more accessible than ever. The rising popularity of CBD in the wellness industry has led to the emergence of a wide array of CBD products, from CBD oils to CBD capsules, drinks and even chocolate. There are also many different ways to take CBD.
At present, there is certainly a considerable amount of choice in the CBD market. There is a wide variety of CBD products to choose from, each with varying degrees of effectiveness, and many different ways to take those CBD products. The variety has helped CBD beginners to find entry products that they feel comfortable trying. For instance, some CBD beginners may prefer to try CBD gummies over CBD oil, based on how it is administered.
The diversity of the CBD market is truly one of its greatest strengths. After all, having an abundance of choice in a competitive market is only ever a good thing for consumers. Over the past few years, as CBD has entered into mainstream culture, this has likely helped to drive innovation in the CBD industry, as manufacturers push to craft even better products.
In this article, Handpicked CBD explores the four most common methods of consuming this cannabis-derived chemical compound.
When it comes to bioavailability, the effectiveness of these administration methods can vary. With some CBD products, there is a tendency for vast quantities of CBD to get broken down in the body without ever being put to good use.
Sublingual
Sublingual administration is the primary method used to consume CBD oil in the UK. This is when you place a few drops of CBD oil under your tongue and wait for 30 to 60 seconds for the oil to diffuse into your bloodstream. The bioavailability of a CBD product all comes down to how much of the compound ends up in your bloodstream, where it can be put to use by your body.
Taking CBD sublingually, whether it be via drops, spray or paste, is regarded as being one of the most effective methods. By taking a reasonably short route into your bloodstream, sublingual administration allows for optimal absorption of CBD.
Currently, some of the UK’s most popular CBD Oil brands are CBD Brothers and Provacan.
Ingestion
Oral ingestion is an immensely popular consumption method for both CBD beginners and experienced users alike, and covers the fast-growth categories of CBD edibles (including CBD capsules) and CBD drinks.
These are products that can often serve as a great entry point into the world of CBD and can be taken with ease. Unfortunately, when it comes to bioavailability, oral ingestion is a different story to the sublingual route of administration.
When you ingest things like CBD gummies or CBD water, these products have to go on a long journey through your digestive system before they can reach your bloodstream. Along the way, much of the chemical compound is getting lost and simply going to waste.
Inhalation
Inhalation is the act of inhaling smoke or vapour into the capillaries of your lungs. This method of taking CBD produces nearly instant effects and is one of the most popular ways to consume CBD.
CBD vape products are extremely popular amongst smokers and vapers, and with the rapid growth of easy-to-use CBD vape pens, many non-vapers are getting introduced to this category.
When looking at the bioavailability of inhalation, it is clear to see that this is a highly effective form of administration, if you are looking to get the most out of the CBD that you buy.
Vaping CBD is certainly not for everyone, but it is certainly worth exploring if you are interested in experiencing the optimal benefits of CBD and getting value for money.
Topical
There are many CBD products on the market that can be consumed topically through the skin. This is particularly useful for consumers looking to receive the potential therapeutic benefits of CBD in a focussed area of the body. CBD topical products include CBD balms, CBD creams and the increasingly popular CBD patches – all of which can be placed directly on the skin for absorption.
So, is this actually an effective method of consumption? Well, the bioavailability of CBD topicals is difficult to quantify because these products never make it to your bloodstream. For this reason, it is assumed that they have relatively low bioavailability. This does not, however, mean that they are ineffective at providing therapeutic relief.
Rather than entering your bloodstream, CBD topicals only work on the uppermost layer of cells in the body. When CBD topicals are being applied to the skin, it is important to remember that human skin is not very porous, and for this reason, you should rub the CBD topicals into the targeted area to increase the rate of absorption.
Final thoughts
As discussed, there are a variety of different ways in which people can consume CBD products. The marketplace has quickly realised that consumers can have individual preferences on the types of CBD products they use and much of the reasoning behind this can come down to how they are administered.
If you are interested in finding high-quality CBD products across all of the above administration categories, check out Handpicked CBD, the UK’s number one online retail destination for CBD products.
