What Is Bioavailability and How Does CBD Fit In?
You may not know this, but not all CBD products are the same and don’t interact with our bodies in the same way!
Our bodies are complicated machines that rarely function perfectly, oftentimes mysteriously. Take CBD, for instance; humans have been using cannabinoids such as CBD for thousands of years. However, it’s only been the last century that we have gone back and forth on the potential benefits which cannabinoids may offer.
No two people or their conditions are the same. How cannabidiol (CBD) affects one person may be completely different from how it affects someone else. One of the factors that contribute to how CBD affects people differently is how they take CBD and the bioavailability of that CBD product.
In the following article, we’re going to take a closer look at what bioavailability is and how different CBD products have different bioavailability scores. Once you know more about how different compounds interact with your body, you’ll have a much better understanding of how CBD works and how different delivery methods affect your body.
What Is Bioavailability?
What you may not know is that different compounds have different bioavailability scores or rates depending on what form you take them in. What does this mean? It means that when you take a pill or rub a cream on your skin, a certain percentage of that compound will make it to its final destination in a certain amount of time.
How much of that compound makes it to its destination, and how quickly is what determines what its bioavailability score is. That’s why the same compound can have a different bioavailability score depending on the delivery method used to administer it.
How Does Bioavailability Effect Your CBD Products?
Different CBD products have different bioavailability scores. Currently, we only have access to CBD oils, CBD creams, and CBD tinctures in Australia.
CBD oil has a low bioavailability score, between 10-20%. This is because when you take CBD oil, it has to pass through your digestive system. During this journey, the CBD is broken down by the body into smaller pieces before making its way into the bloodstream.
Although less of the CBD oil will make it to its final destination, and it will take longer to get there, once there, the effects of CBD oil can last much longer than vaping CBD. Many people that take CBD oil find that they only need to take it once or twice daily. CBD oil is also much more discreet than vaping CBD, and CBD oils can be directly added to foods and drinks, making it an extremely convenient option.
Another method for taking CBD is to apply it topically using a CBD cream or lotion. While the CBD will be absorbed through the skin, only a small percentage of the CBD will make it into your bloodstream. Because of this, CBD ointments or topicals are best suited to treating localized or specific external areas of your body.
Currently, we don’t have a bioavailability score for CBD creams and topicals, but it is expected to be low. It’s important to remember when applying CBD topicals and creams that they need to be applied liberally and massaged vigorously. Our skin is designed to be a protective barrier to prevent our internal organs from coming into contact with external compounds.
Conclusion: What Is Bioavailability and How Does CBD Fit In?
We still have a long way to go to fully uncover all the secrets cannabinoids such as CBD have inside them. However, understanding bioavailability and how the compound you take to interact with your body is a great first step.
If you have any further questions about bioavailability or would like to learn more about how you can incorporate CBD into your daily health and wellness routine, don’t hesitate to contact us at Australian CBD Oil. Our friendly and professional team will get back to you ASAP!