Cannabinoids – can you stomach them? How to increase the bioavailability
Oral administration is in many cases the simplest and the most practical method of administering cannabinoids.
The well-described disadvantage of this method is, however, its relatively low bioavailability, that tends to vary between the subjects. The obvious question arises, then – can it be increased?
The presence of vegetable oil increased CBD bioavailability
As a matter of fact – the answer is yes, and the solution is fairly simple. Recent studies have confirmed the theory (one that we had also believed to be true) that cannabinoids consumed together with vegetable oils exhibit the bioavailability that significantly exceeds the one following the consumption of cannabinoids alone [1]. In the study conducted, the administration of cannabinoids in the presence of vegetable oil increased CBD bioavailability almost threefold and THC was more than 2.5-fold. And that’s not all. Further experiments have shown that both CBD and THC have a very high affinity to the so-called chylomicrons – particles produced in the small intestine that transport the lipids from the small intestine to the bloodstream via the lymphatic system, bypassing the liver. Such results suggest that in the presence of dietary lipids cannabinoids are, at least in part, transported together with them to the circulation system via the lymphatic system, and thus are not metabolised in the liver. Moreover, the transition of cannabinoids together with the lipids from the intestine directly to the lymphatic system is an interesting phenomenon as many important organs such as lymph nodes, spleen and some glands are parts of this system.
The more fats or oil are consumed together with the dose of cannabinoids, the larger the lymph flow will be, and the more cannabinoids will have a chance to get into the lymphatic system and then into the bloodstream in their basic, unmetabolized form. Of course, the question remains whether we actually want them to bypass the liver, as more and more studies suggest that at least some of the beneficial effects of cannabinoids can be attributed to their metabolites [2].
Regardless, the popular theories claiming that it is important to only buy pills and extracts without the addition of vegetable oils seems to be yet another marketing myth.
In conclusion, I cannot help but mention that the composition of our supplement is not a random one as in our technological procedure we take into account the latest scientific discoveries in the field of cannabinoids. And it is precisely in order to maximise the bioavailability of cannabinoids, that CannabiGold contains hemp seeds oil. We work for you.
Dr inż. Beata Plutowska
References:
[1] Zgair A., Wong J.C.M., Lee J.B., Mistry J., Sivak O., Wasan K.M., Henning I.M., Barrett D.A., Constantinescu C.S., Fischer P.M., Gerschkovich P. Dietary fats and pharmaceutical lipid excipients increase systemic exposure to orally administered cannabis and cannabis-based medicines. American Journal of Translational Research 8 (2016) 3448-3459.
[2] Ujvary I., Hanus L. Human metabolites of cannabidiol: a review on their formation, biological activity, and relevance in therapy. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research 1.1 (2016) 90-101.
