Water Soluble CBD

WATER SOLUBLE CBD

Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of many bioactive compounds produced by the cannabis plant. This cannabinoid is capable of binding to receptors in the human endocannabinoid system and other receptors in our body. As a result, CBD produces a variety of positive effects on our health and well-being.

Combined with its therapeutic potential, CBD is a compound that does not have psychotropic effects. This has contributed to the fact that research into CBD has increased markedly in recent years. The goal is to understand the true therapeutic potential of CBD, particularly in terms of pain and inflammation, anxiety, sleep, appetite, and other specific conditions.

We currently have a wide variety of CBD-based products at our disposal, including water-soluble CBD products. However, many consumers are not aware of the existence of these types of products, nor how they differ from conventional CBD products.

Since water-soluble products have different characteristics than oil-based products, it is important to know more about this product category, which is relatively new. In this article, we aim to explain what water-soluble CBD products are, how they are produced, and what distinguishes them from other products.

CBD is fat soluble and not water soluble

CBD and the other cannabinoids are lipophilic or fat-soluble molecules, which means they are soluble in fats. Most fat-soluble compounds are also hydrophobic, which means they cannot dissolve in water. This poses a challenge for its therapeutic use.

Not having the ability to dissolve in water, CBD is poorly absorbed in the intestine, which inevitably results in low bioavailability. Bioavailability is the amount of CBD that is effectively absorbed and reaches the bloodstream, where it is distributed throughout the cells.

Due to the therapeutic potential of CBD, there has been increased research into what methods can be used to make CBD and other cannabinoids more available to the body.

Increase the bioavailability of CBD

Evidence indicates that there are several strategies that allow you to increase the amount of CBD that reaches the bloodstream after consuming CBD oil.

Daily CBD dosage may affect bioavailability. For dosages below 500 mg, increasing the daily dose of CBD appears to result in an increase, in percentage terms, in its bioavailability.

Other strategies, such as consuming CBD with a high-fat meal and using a CBD oil that uses MCT as a carrier oil, are related to an increased rate of bioavailability.

Find out more about the bioavailability of CBD here .

Water-soluble CBD

Like CBD, other recently discovered molecules with therapeutic potential have the problem of low solubility in water. For this reason, several strategies have been developed to ensure that these compounds are absorbed more effectively.

One of the most effective technologies for increasing the absorption of these compounds is to make them more soluble in water, as is the case with water-soluble CBD, known as water soluble CBD .

In reality, despite the use of this term, CBD molecules never completely dissolve in water, but are converted into a form that is much more compatible with water.

Although there are several types of water-soluble CBD systems, they are all based on the same principle – transforming the original CBD extract into small particles that are dispersed in a liquid, creating a colloidal dispersion.

The concept of colloidal dispersion

A colloidal dispersion is a mixture in which small particles of a given substance are dispersed in another substance. These particles can be between 1 and 1000 nanometers in size.

As we have already seen, CBD extracts are very lipophilic substances that do not dissolve in water. If we try to mix a CBD extract with water, we find that this does not happen naturally, just like when we try to mix water and olive oil.

However, there are mechanisms that allow the CBD extract to be broken down into very small particles, which are dispersed in water, creating a stable colloidal dispersion.

Emulsions, examples of dispersions, are homogeneous mixtures of two liquids that do not mix. Without the help of a stabilizer, emulsions are unstable systems. If they are not, for example, constantly stirred, the two liquids quickly separate.

For an emulsion to remain stable and homogeneous, it is necessary to use an emulsifying agent . Mayonnaise is an example of an emulsion – water and oil make up a homogeneous and stable mixture thanks to lecithin, a natural emulsifier present in egg yolk, which stabilizes the emulsion.

Form small CBD vesicles

The emulsifying agents used to stabilize emulsions have a very important characteristic: they are composed of amphiphilic molecules . Molecules are called amphiphilic when they are composed of two distinct portions – a hydrophilic portion (which likes water) and a hydrophobic portion (which does not like water).

In the case of an emulsion, when we shake an oily CBD extract, water and an emulsifier, the emulsifier molecules will organize themselves around small droplets of CBD oil. The molecules are positioned with the part that likes water facing outwards, close to the water, and with the part that doesn't like water facing inward, close to the oil.

These molecules create a type of capsule around the CBD extract, forming small vesicles. The result is a dispersion of CBD particles in water. Using different types of amphiphilic molecules, we can create different types of CBD particle systems.

Different Types of CBD Particles

Emulsion Particles

As we have already mentioned, when we make an emulsion with CBD, the molecules of the emulsifying agent form a type of capsule that involves small droplets of CBD. These molecules are positioned with the hydrophilic part facing outwards, in contact with the water, and with the hydrophobic part facing inwards, in contact with the oil.

Micelles

Micelles can be made up of different types of amphiphilic molecules. These molecules are positioned in the same way as the emulsifier molecules in an emulsion particle – hydrophilic portion on the outside and hydrophobic portion on the inside. In fact, micelles and emulsion particles are systems with many similarities.

We can think of an emulsion particle as an inflated micelle. The core of this particle is made up of a droplet of oil, while a micelle contains even smaller particles of CBD extract.

In general, micelles are much smaller systems than emulsion particles. These small vesicles are less than 100 nanometers in size and can therefore be called nanoparticles.

Furthermore, micelles are systems with great stability, which sometimes does not happen in emulsion particles.

Liposomes

Liposomes are systems made up of phospholipids and have an aqueous core. Unlike micelles, in which there is only one layer of amphiphilic molecules, in liposomes we have two layers of phospholipids.

The molecules are positioned so that the hydrophobic portions face each other, away from the water. The hydrophilic portions are in contact with water, which is found not only outside these vesicles, but also inside the vesicle, in its aqueous core.

Liposomes are very interesting systems for a number of purposes, and research shows that the use of liposomes contributes to faster and more effective absorption of CBD, when compared to its original form.

However, production processes are complicated and expensive. Furthermore, these systems are not as stable or have particles as small as in the case of micelles and some types of emulsion.

The benefits of water-soluble CBD

Water-soluble CBD has greater bioavailability and faster effects

As we have already seen, CBD oil has low solubility in water, which means that its absorption by the body is ineffective. However, water-soluble CBD is more easily absorbed and processed by the body.

This is due to the fact that CBD is contained in these small vesicles with a kind of capsule compatible with water. In this way, the body recognizes the CBD particles as also being compatible with water.

Furthermore, the fact that CBD particles are very small in size means that they are more easily absorbed in the intestinal tract. The greater absorption of water-soluble CBD results in greater bioavailability, which will be around 4.5 times higher, according to studies.

In addition to increasing absorption and bioavailability, research shows that the absorption rate of water-soluble CBD is faster.

Soluble CBD allows for more consistent dosing.

As we saw above, there are other strategies to increase the absorption and bioavailability of CBD oil. One of these strategies is, for example, taking CBD with a high-fat meal.

In the case of water-soluble CBD, absorption is less affected by this and other factors that may vary in our daily routine. In this way, since there is a more consistent absorption, and less dependent on external factors, the dosage is also more consistent and precise.

Water-soluble CBD has greater stability.

As a general rule, water-soluble CBD products are more stable than CBD oils. Oils are vulnerable to oxidation, a process that happens naturally over time, especially in the presence of light and heat.

In water-soluble CBD products, as it is contained within small vesicles, the CBD is better protected and can therefore have a longer shelf life than in the case of oils.

Encapsulating CBD makes it more water-soluble

CBD is a molecule with a natural affinity for fats, which contributes to poor absorption of this compound by the body. Water-soluble CBD formulations are based on creating a mixture that contains very small-sized CBD particles, which will be more easily absorbed.

Water-soluble CBD formulations bring several real benefits to users. These formulations increase the compatibility of CBD with water and result in a very significant increase in the absorption rates and bioavailability of CBD. Furthermore, these products have greater stability and contribute to more precise dosing.

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