Water Soluble CBD
Maybe you have heard already from water soluble CBD or nano CBD. When CBD is extracted from the cannabis plant, it takes an oil based form. Like any oil, it is hydrophobic or lipophilic, meaning it will not dissolve in water but dissolves best in fats or oils. That is why CBD oils are typically made with MCT or hemp seed carrier oils. In turn, most CBD recipes suggest that you combine CBD oil with another fat or oil, such as butter or vegetable oil when cooking. Unfortunately, this also means that if you try to add regular CBD oil to your morning coffee, tea or other water based products, it will separate and float to the top. That’s why water soluble CBD entered the market.
What is it and how is it produced?
Water soluble CBD is made by using nanotechnology, which makes the CBD particles smaller. That is also why it is called nano CBD. Nanotechnology uses sound waves to break down CBD clusters into smaller particles and these micro-sized particles become small enough to dissolve in water. The nanotechnology process reduces CBD clusters to a minuscule amount - less than 100 nanometers. A nanometer is one-millionth of the size of the point of lead on a wooden pencil.
When the CBD particles become small enough, they look and act like a dissolved substance. This is why they’re called water soluble CBD. This might be a bit misleading since CBD doesn’t lose its hydrophobic nature to become water-soluble. The compound still follows the fat absorption pathway but is delivered as tiny particles.
These CBD nanoparticles are then mixed with an emulsifier, a fatty base in which CBD can dissolve prior to entering the body. An emulsifier is an intermediary substance that forces two otherwise incompatible substances such as oil and water to mix. CBD is lipophilic as mentioned before, meaning that it dissolves in fat rather than water. For this reason, a fatty emulsifier is used, which makes the CBD nanoparticles compatible with the water in the bloodstream, or the water in your beverage.
Advantages over traditional CBD
Due to the fact that after the process of nanotechnology the CBD particles are much smaller, it is easier absorbed by the body, helping the benefits of CBD take effect faster and allowing it to easily mix with food, drinks, smoothies, or other recipes without needing to add another oil.
Furthermore, water soluble CBD has a better bioavailability. What this means is that while regular CBD oil can take up to an hour to reach their peak concentration in your blood, water soluble CBD works faster, reaching a peak within 15-30 minutes. One study published in the journal Phytotherapy Research found that water soluble CBD powder had a bioavailability 4.5 times higher than lipid-soluble CBD powder.
Speaking of peak concentrations, it’s important to note that the maximum concentration of water soluble CBD oil is higher than that of regular CBD, even if both bottles list the same milligrams of CBD. That is because our bodies are made up of 60 percent water, and water and oil don’t mix, a larger portion of CBD is lost when ingested in an oil format rather than a soluble form. Basically, since your body absorbs water-soluble CBD oil more efficiently, it actually absorbs more CBD overall.
A further advantage is that water soluble CBD does not need to be kept underneath your tongue as long as traditional CBD oils which require you to hold them underneath your tongue for up to two minutes. With water-soluble CBD, you only need 15 to 20 seconds.
Forms
Water-soluble CBD typically comes in two forms which is either liquid or powder. Whatever form is your best choice depends on the usage. Liquid is ideal for ready-to-drink beverages and personal care items. Standard Powder is ideal for baked goods and other food items.