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    Using CBD during meals

    Author: Lucie Garabasova

    Are you wondering whether you can take CBD during meals? Does taking CBD while eating affect its bioavailability – meaning how CBD functions in your body? Yes, it does! There are even certain foods that enhance the effect of cannabinoids...

    Did you know that you can improve the bioavailability of CBD by combining CBD products with the right foods?

    Now that you know what CBD is and have discovered the natural benefits of regular use, you’re probably curious if there are ways to maximize the effectiveness of your daily dose...

    You may have also come across surprising amounts of conflicting information online about whether it’s better to take CBD oil on an empty stomach or after a meal. However, when you look at how CBD is digested, the answer becomes clear. Using CBD with food can improve your body’s interaction with its active compounds – namely CBD.

    Why taking CBD with food is beneficial

    Taking CBD with food can improve its bioavailability, and consuming certain types of food can enhance it even more. Bioavailability is the rate and extent to which a substance, in this case CBD, is absorbed and delivered into the bloodstream, where it can interact with the body’s natural systems.

    When you take any product orally, its active ingredients are absorbed through the digestive system. Specifically looking at CBD, it and other compounds are first broken down in the stomach before being absorbed by the small intestine and then sent through the portal vein directly to the liver.

    In the liver, CBD is acted upon by a group of enzymes called cytochrome P450 (CYP450), which metabolizes compounds before they are distributed via the circulatory system. During this process, a phenomenon called first-pass metabolism occurs, which breaks CBD down into more than 100 different metabolites, many of which are not used by the body and are quickly excreted. This reduces the concentration of CBD and therefore lowers its bioavailability. In short, CBD reaches your bloodstream after undergoing first-pass metabolism.

    However, when using CBD with certain types of food, the loss of CBD concentration has a limited impact because the food helps CBD bypass the first-pass metabolism. By using CBD with the right food, you can help ensure that a higher concentration of CBD is absorbed than when taking it without food.

    Ideal foods to take with CBD

    The best types of food to take with CBD include medium- and long-chain triglycerides, which are fatty acids. These types of fats act as powerful binding agents for cannabinoids like CBD and are metabolized directly into energy by the liver, so the loss of CBD concentration through first-pass metabolism is limited. This means your body can burn these fats and instantly use the CBD and other trace cannabinoids they carry.

    Recently, researchers at the University of Nottingham supported the beneficial effects of taking CBD with fatty acids. Another independent team of scientists found that the bioavailability of a cannabinoid product was four times higher when taken after a meal.

    So, what types of food should you take with CBD? Medium-chain fatty acids have 6 to 10 carbon atoms, while long-chain fatty acids have 14 or more.

    They are found in most fats and oils...

    Specifically, for example, in:

    • Coconut oil
    • Olive oil
    • Soybean oil
    • Sesame oil
    • Fish
    • Nuts
    • Avocados
    • Meat
    • Eggs

    You can even get creative and make your own dish using healthy fats: here are some CBD recipes to help you get started. Alternatively, you can try the great CBD coconut oil, which already contains the aforementioned CBD coconut oil.

    If you decide to take CBD without food, we always recommend doing so half an hour before or after a meal – in any case, make sure your oral cavity is clean and free of unnecessary food residue. Otherwise, this could also reduce the bioavailability of CBD products.

    Source: https://www.medicalmarijuanainc.com/take-cbd-oil-food/