Do CBD capsules work

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Studies show that CBD oil and products like CBD capsules might help with pain, inflammation, and sleep problems, but we need more research to prove this. This article explores more about CBD capsules, including whether they work.

CBD products, including CBD capsules, vaped e-liquids, tinctures, and edibles, are everywhere, and you may wonder if they really work. Capsules, for instance, are great for delivering CBD oil without letting you feel its bitter or earthy taste, but do they really work? Studies show potential in CBD oil in CBD capsules, indicating that the capsules might help solve sleep problems, pain, and inflammation, but more studies are needed to prove these claims as true. This article explores the efficacy of CBD capsules and other factors related to this delivery method for CBD oil. Peer into it to know all you may want about CBD capsules.

Introduction to CBD Oil

Before looking at CBD capsules, you need to understand the mother compound from which CBD capsules are developed, i.e., CBD oil. What is CBD oil? CBD oil is an oil-based extract of CBD, a cannabis extract without the ‘high’ effect of THC. There are many extracts from cannabis plants, including THC, and all are collectively called cannabinoids. There are more than 113 cannabinoids to explore, but many people are interested in CBD oil because of the purported therapeutic effects that Anand et al. (2021) alluded to and also because it does not have the ‘high’ effect of THC.

CBD Capsules- What Are They?

CBD capsules are a form of CBD delivery method that caps CBD oil. They come in various potencies and formulations and allow a person to benefit from CBD oil without feeling its bitter taste. CBD oil is highly bioavailable and comes third after intravenous CBD and vaped CBD e-liquid, but it is not every CBD user’s cup of tea because of the earthy aftertaste and the bitter taste you have to bear with as you administer the oil or tincture. Like CBD oil, you can enjoy CBD capsules in the following formulations;

  1. Full-spectrum CBD capsules; have CBD with the whole range of cannabinoids and feature terpenes and flavonoids in cannabis plants.
  2. Broad-spectrum CBD capsules; are more like full-spectrum CBD capsules in composition, but they do not have THC. Still, you can opt for broad-spectrum CBD capsules for THC-free terpenes and flavonoids.
  3. Isolate-based CBD capsules; have pure CBD oil without terpenes, flavonoids, or additional cannabinoids. Still, they are good if you want pure CBD or CBD formulations that you can enjoy in high potencies.

Do CBD Capsules Make Users ‘High’?

Although many people would like to enjoy recreational marijuana or high-THC products, they hold back because of the ‘high’ effect. As such, you may wonder whether CBD capsules will make you stoned as THC products. For the most part, any CBD product should not make you ‘high,’ but this changes with many factors. For instance, broad-spectrum and isolate-based CBD oil and capsules with virtually no THC should not make you ‘high,’ but if they were mislabeled and had high THC components, they might make one feel ‘high.’ Meanwhile, full-spectrum CBD capsules may not make you stoned if they only have a small THC percentage, but as the THC content increases, they may make you ‘high.’

Do CBD Capsules Work?

The main agenda of the article is about whether CBD capsules work, and it is about time this section addressed it. After all, we only want to spend money on what we are sure will work and not wash our hard-earned cash down the drain. Shannon et al. (2019) explored the effects of CBD oil on sleep by administering 25 mg capsules to people with sleep problems. The study concluded that CBD capsules might help with sleep problems, although more studies are needed to prove this. Elsewhere, Suraev et al. (2020) found that CBD capsules might help improve the short-term sleep-wake cycle, further revealing the potential of CBD oil. Still, not every study on CBD capsules agrees that the cannabinoid work. For instance, Gates et al. (2014), in a systematic review of human studies, concluded that CBD capsules did not seem to have the anxiolytic, anti-psychotic, and sleep-related benefits linked to them. Consequently, more studies are needed to generate advanced scientific evidence that can uphold or nullify the effectiveness of CBD capsules.

Bioavailability is Key in the Effectiveness of Any CBD Product

It is worth noting that whether a CBD product works or not and how efficacious it turns out to be depends on many factors, bioavailability being one. Bioavailability refers to how much of a compound, in this case, CBD oil, is absorbed into the body after intake. The more CBD oil that gets into the bloodstream and the body system, the higher the efficacy. Yet, CBD capsules are not as bioavailable as CBD drops and tinctures. For instance, you might take 2- 30 mg CBD capsules, indicating a high potency of 60 mg CBD. Yet, not all the CBD oil in the capsules ends in the bloodstream but just a percentage. As such, we might blame the little bioavailability of CBD capsules, although many factors come to play in determining the workability of CBD.

Digestion of CBD Capsules Influences Bioavailability and Workability

Taking CBD oil sublingually promises more bioavailability than taking the whole thing orally for obvious reasons. Ingesting something or taking it orally taps it to the digestive tract, yet the more it moves, the less potent it becomes. It is like CBD products lose concentration as they move along the digestive tract such that by the time they end up in the bloodstream, they are not 100% bioavailable. The same is true of CBD capsules; the more they move along the digestive tract before, during, and after digestion, the less potent they become. Yet, less potency also affects bioavailability, in turn limiting how much the CBD capsules can work.

Conclusion

CBD capsules are ideal for taking CBD oil and benefiting from it while masking its bitter and earthy taste. This article shows that some studies reveal that CBD capsules may be effective, but others doubt if they are efficacious for pain, sleep issues, and psychosis. Still, many factors may be to blame for the less efficacy, including the low bioavailability and the movement the capsules have to go through in the digestive tract before CBD oil is finally absorbed.

References

Anand, U., Pacchetti, B., Anand, P., & Sodergren, M. H. (2021). Cannabis-Based Medicines And Pain: A Review Of Potential Synergistic And Entourage Effects. Pain Management11(4), 395-403. Https://Www.Futuremedicine.Com/Doi/Abs/10.2217/Pmt-2020-0110.

Gates, P. J., Albertella, L., & Copeland, J. (2014). The Effects Of Cannabinoid Administration On Sleep: A Systematic Review Of Human Studies. Sleep Medicine Reviews18(6), 477-487. Https://Www.Sciencedirect.Com/Science/Article/Pii/S1087079214000215.

Shannon, S., Lewis, N., Lee, H., & Hughes, S. (2019). Cannabidiol In Anxiety And Sleep: A Large Case Series. The Permanente Journal23. Https://Www.Ncbi.Nlm.Nih.Gov/Pmc/Articles/Pmc6326553/.

Suraev, A. S., Marshall, N. S., Vandrey, R., Mccartney, D., Benson, M. J., Mcgregor, I. S., … & Hoyos, C. M. (2020). Cannabinoid Therapies In The Management Of Sleep Disorders: A Systematic Review Of Preclinical And Clinical Studies. Sleep Medicine Reviews53, 101339. Https://Www.Sciencedirect.Com/Science/Article/Pii/S1087079220300824.

Monika Wasserman

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