How To Make Water Soluble CBD?
CBD oil is the most commonly used form of cannabidiol. Although it has moderate bioavailability of 13-19%, that is not enough. When people take CBD oil, much of it undergoes first-pass metabolism in the liver right after absorption, and a significant amount gets destroyed.
These issues related to CBD bioavailability forced researchers to look for alternative ways of delivering CBD to the body. Of course, CBD inhaling is an excellent option, however, it is not for everyone. Thus, researchers came up with another technology that creates water-soluble CBD.
What Is Water-Soluble CBD?
We describe a substance as water-soluble when it can dissolve in water. CBD doesn’t have this ability naturally, so we process it to make it dispersible in water and other liquids. The finished product easily mixes with food or drink, offering endless possibilities for different products. However, this process can be quite complicated.
Challenges in creating it
It is not as straightforward as it may sound. One cannot just directly dissolve CBD isolate or CBD distillate into the water. It is because the CBD molecule is lipophilic. That is, it loves oils but repels water. So, only an inconsiderable amount of CBD powder would dissolve in the water.
Researchers have long known that various natural products suspend oil molecules in water, creating an emulsion. Milk and egg yolk are good examples. Known emulsification methods can also be applied to produce water-soluble CBD.
How to make it?
Water-soluble CBD isolate or distillate still requires the use of oil. It is because CBD simply does not mix well with water. So, how to make water-soluble CBD? The starting point in creating water-soluble CBD is mixing it with oil. Then comes the next step, which is breaking these CBD oil particles into tiny (nano) droplets so that they can remain suspended in the water. Thus, the resulting solution is a nano-emulsion.
There are many ways of breaking CBD oil into smaller particles. But the most common strategy used is deploying either high shear mixers or high energy ultrasonic sound waves. Special machines carry out this entire process. These machines break CBD oil into nanoparticles, small enough to suspend homogeneously in water and remain stable for an extended period.
Usually, ultrasound homogenizers (using ultrasonic waves) are regarded better than high shear mixers (moving oil and water mixture at high velocity). However, most producers use a combination of these methods. One can start with high shear mixers and then use ultrasound homogenizers to produce even better and more stable nano-emulsions.
These nanoparticles are so small that they can readily penetrate through various membranes, including intestinal membranes. These particles can also escape the first-pass metabolism in the liver in large amounts. All this means far greater bioavailability of CBD.
Liposomal CBD vs water soluble nano-emulsion
There are other well-known ways of boosting the bioavailability of various natural extracts. One such method is using liposomes as carriers. Liposomes form a bubble-like structure over natural extracts like CBD, resulting in better absorption.
Although there is no doubt that liposomal CBD has better bioavailability than CBD oil, it is still inferior to water-soluble nano-emulsion. This is because the size of CBD droplets in nano-emulsion is extremely small. In contrast, liposomes are 10 to a hundred times larger than nano-emulsion droplets. Thus, despite the benefits of improved bioavailability, liposomal technology is much inferior to water soluble nano-emulsion.
Kinds of water soluble CBD
When choosing water-soluble CBD, one does not have to compromise on the range of options. Like non-water soluble options, water soluble CBD is available as isolate, distillate, and even full-spectrum.
CBD isolate
Much like CBD isolate powder or CBD crystals, it contains CBD without other cannabinoids and is THC-free. It is loved by many due to its perceived better safety profile and a wide number of applications. It may be a better fit for certain kinds of products like edibles, CBD for older adults and athletes, and so on. Nonetheless, it is less potent due to the lack of an entourage effect.
CBD distillate
This is perhaps an optimal solution for most needs. It contains CBD, other cannabinoids, and terpenes but is free from THC. Therefore, people generally regard it as potent and safe for special population groups, such as athletes, who want to avoid THC.
Full-spectrum water soluble CBD
As the name suggests, this is CBD along with other cannabinoids, terpenes, and even traces of THC. THC is only in the permissible levels, which is usually below 0.2%. Therefore, it is a very small amount of THC to cause any mind-altering effect. However, full-spectrum water-soluble CBD wholesale might be better for producing products for severe conditions like anxiety, sleep disorders, and so on.
6 Water-Soluble CBD Benefits
There are numerous benefits of water-soluble CBD:
- The main and most noticeable benefit is that water-soluble CBD provides a very high absorption rate. This means that a certain dose will show more powerful effects than with other forms. Many of its other benefits correlate with this greatly.
- It is a cost-effective way of enhancing the bioavailability of CBD, which helps keep the cost of CBD products low and yet improves its effectiveness.
- It is proven in human studies to have reliably better pharmacokinetics. In one of the human studies, it was 4.5 times more bioavailable than CBD oil. Thus, it is much better than other technologies like liposomal or the addition of other herbal extracts.
- Convenience for both users and producers. For users, water-soluble products are easier to use and carry. For producers, it also means ease of adding CBD to various formulations.
- It starts acting faster, and thus, those who use it always prefer it.
- Water-soluble CBD offers the benefit of easier measurement and dosing due to the precise process it undergoes.
It is vital to understand that not all of it is visible. For example, water-soluble CBD achieves a much higher concentration in various organs, especially when used for longer intervals. It means that people may achieve health effects that they could not get from other types of CBD products.
About us
At Essentia Pura, we specialize in manufacturing high-quality white-label and private-label CBD products, helping businesses launch their own unique CBD brands. With cutting-edge hemp extraction methods and a commitment to compliance and quality, we support companies in the nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. Whether you’re looking for ready-to-market formulations or custom solutions, we’re here to help you succeed in the growing CBD market.
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