There are few CBD innovations that catch headlines these days – possibly due to all the gimmicks that found their way into the market off the back of CBD’s beneficial properties. Fortunately, due to the emergence of water-soluble CBD, it’s clear that game-changing innovation still exists and perhaps there’s more to come.
Medical studies are showing very positive results in the cannabis space, not just in its benefits but also in the uptake of cannabinoids using new technologies. Scientific studies are looking into CBD and how it can help conditions like arthritis, menstrual pains, and mental health problems such as anxiety. The industry will continue to grow and innovate as those studies reveal new ways cannabis can help people.
It seems as though CBD consumers are looking out for products that can offer fast absorption times, products that can match the speed of absorption of inhalation. A few brands have made false promises about the speed of effectiveness and damaged the reputation of CBD in the past. The process of selecting the best CBD product for you can seem like an overwhelming process for this reason.
There is no single CBD product that ticks everyone’s boxes, really what makes a product the best for someone comes down to lifestyle. These are new products dealing with a long used cannabinoid, so by no means are CBD oils the “correct” way to consume CBD just because they are the most mainstream. Finding a CBD product that meshes perfectly into life is what most CBD users are looking for. Water solubles have effectively given people the most convenient option for consuming CBD anywhere.
Water Soluble CBD is actually the nano emulsification of CBD, where CBD particles are reduced in size, so small that they are very efficiently absorbed at a very fast speed.
Prior to water-solubles, oil/tincture CBD oils were typically the liquid form of CBD you’d find. CBD oil is known for taking a while to absorb, and perhaps lesser-known, it is not that efficient for CBD uptake. CBD oils also have a unique flavour that can be off-putting for new users. Water solubles have the ability to taste like nothing or carry pleasant flavours. They don’t have to be held in the mouth for long periods of time like CBD oil, they can just be mixed into a beverage and swallowed in one go.
We’ll go deeper into Water Soluble CBD below to see if there are aspects of this innovation that might be interesting to you. Because there’s so much variation in the quality of water-soluble CBD, we’ve taken a trusted brand, EQL, to be the water-soluble we talk about here.
Water-Soluble CBD – What Is It?
Water-soluble CBD is a form of the CBD compound that has been manipulated to emulse in water. CBD is ordinarily only lipid-soluble, which means that it dissolves in fat. If we took a spoon of CBD powder, it would not normally dissolve into water. Water-soluble CBD is the nano emulsification of CBD, the CBD particles are reduced in size so that they can disperse equally through liquid.
CBD oil is not something that can dissolve in water. If you consume CBD oil, it will find its way through your First Pass Metabolism, where particles that are too large will not be absorbed – this is why CBD oil is not the most effective method for CBD absorption. The kidneys and liver break down all cannabinoids and distribute them throughout the body. When CBD is broken down into smaller particles in water solubles, it bypasses the First Pass Metabolism and is much more thoroughly absorbed.
How is Water-Soluble CBD Made?
To turn relatively large CBD compounds into smaller “nano” versions, a scientific process called nanotechnology must be used. Sound waves are used to break down CBD clusters into smaller particles – turning CBD into micro-sized particles. These microsized CBD particles can then be dissolved in water. Notice, that no solvents are used to reduce the size of the CBD particles, just sound.
These smaller CBD particles are better absorbed by the body which can now pass them through with little resistance. CBD particles are reduced to the size of 100 nanometers which is about one-millionth of the size of the end of a pin.
Nano CBD particles are much less taxing on your body and with faster and more efficient uptake, they can allow the effects of CBD to be better realised.
Advantages And Disadvantages of Water-Soluble CBD
When looking at the pros and cons of a CBD product, usually there’s a pretty equal list on both sides. However, with water-soluble CBD, there are far more pros than cons. Without having to worry about how to fit such a versatile product into people’s lives, it’s as close as we get to a CBD product that can be suitable for everyone.
Advantages
Increased Bioavailability
Bioavailability is the rate at which the body absorbs a certain amount of a compound. The higher the bioavailability, the better the absorption rate. If a product has low bioavailability, such as CBD oil, then the body must work harder to digest the product. Working harder to absorb less is not ideal.
This increased bioavailability allows for CBD to be dissolved and spread throughout the water that fills the body’s muscles and skin. The bioavailability of CBD oil in humans has been as low as 13%, which means that 87% of CBD can be lost.
Easy to Dose Water-Soluble CBD
One of the biggest issues with dosing raw products like CBD flower is that you can’t really take consistent doses. One day you may consume 50mg, the next day you might instead consume 100mg without changing portion size. The same can be said for CBD oils – they often have low bioavailability and if they aren’t thoroughly mixed they’ll have varying strength depending on which part of the bottle you consume.
Water-soluble CBD is much easier to dose consistently. A quick shake of some water-soluble CBD will equally disperse the nano particles and a dropper with x millilitres of water-soluble CBD will always contain y grams of CBD.
Convenience
Water-soluble CBD is very concentrated and portable. You can fit EQL water solubles in a pocket if needed and they mix into warm and hot drinks so as long as you’re thirsty you can dose!
Disadvantages
There are few cons to water-soluble CBD. The real issues come from the reputability of the manufacturer which should come as no surprise to anyone already buying CBD products.
Harmful Processes
Water-soluble CBD can vary inequality depending on who is making it. Anyone that tries to cut corners to save production costs will jeopardize the quality of the water-soluble CBD. Some manufacturers use oil-based emulsifiers to reduce the size of their CBD particles – a method that poses serious health risks to users such as inflammation and gastrointestinal issues. Substances to look out for and avoid in the production process of water-soluble CBD are liposomes, lecithin, micelles, phospholipids or polysorbate.
Should You Use Water-Soluble CBD?
The first thing you should do before beginning any new supplement is discuss it with your doctor. There are some (thankfully few) medicines that have negative relationships with cannabinoids and your doctor can let you know if you should be concerned.
Assuming your doctor gives the green light for you to use water-soluble CBD, this is an excellent option for anyone who could benefit from CBD that wants to increase the uptake speed and efficiency of their consumption. Some water-soluble CBD products are very tasty too, like the EQL lemon and ginger water-soluble with 500mg CBD.
Water-soluble CBD could take the pressure off CBD users that have busy schedules, they’re so portable, easy to integrate into a normal workday and offer fast results.
