When should I take CBD?
People are taking CBD in all imaginable manners like oral spray, CBD oil, gummies, CBD-infused foods, vaping, and more. Yet, it appears that the reply to one of the most straightforward questions is missing: when should a person take CBD?
What is the best time to take CBD? How many times should one take CBD? Can one take CBD by food, or not? What is the perfect CBD dosage? There are many such questions.
One of the issues is that information on various online platforms varies significantly. Thus, the more you read, the more confused you get. Hence, this article tries to put an end to all this confusion by exploring what science is saying.
How you take CBD matters
One of the reasons for such confusion is that CBD’s pharmacokinetics is not fully understood yet. After all, it is a food supplement and not a pharmacological drug. However, people tend to use it to manage health conditions.
The most important thing to know first is bioavailability. It means how much CBD will enter the blood circulation after its intake. Products with low bioavailability will only work if taken at a higher dosage so that a sufficient amount enters circulation.
The bioavailability of oral CBD (ingested) is just about 6%. However, bioavailability is high if it is taken sublingually. For example, the bioavailability of oral mucosal spray and vapes could be as high as 31%. This means that the dosage of oral CBD products must be higher than vapes.
However, things do not end here. It seems that products with higher bioavailability like vapes and oral mucosal sprays have a shorter half-life of 10-15 hours. In comparison, oral CBD has a longer half-life of 1-2 days.
Half-life is the time after which half of the CBD that entered the circulation has left it.
Understanding half-life is essential to know when to take CBD, whereas bioavailability shows how much to take and how to take it.
Just take an example of oral CBD, which has quite a low bioavailability, but a long half-life. It means that on the first dose of oral CBD, only a small amount will enter the body. However, it also means that much of it will remain in the body even the next day. Thus, when you take the second and third doses, it results in the accumulation of CBD in the body and, therefore, its higher plasma levels.
Is There an Ideal Time of Day to Be Taking CBD?
The ideal time to take CBD would depend on the intake route and why someone is using CBD.
CBD accumulates in the body and reaches a peak and consistent plasma level after 4-5 days. It means that after a week of use, the time of taking CBD does not matter much if one is using it for chronic health conditions like improving metabolism, chronic pains, stress, and so on. So important is just to keep taking CBD regularly at a fixed time of the day.
However, besides bioavailability, there is another thing like peak plasma level. It means that after taking CBD, its level increases significantly in the blood for a few hours. Therefore, it means that after its intake, it may help better for the next few hours.
This means that intake time matters when using CBD for acute conditions or something that affects at a particular time. For example, taking CBD in the morning may help reduce stress and anxiety during the day and help normalize blood pressure.
Similarly, taking CBD in the evening may be better for improving the quality of sleep. It may also be good for those who experience evening pains and other issues.
What are Some Common Reasons for Taking CBD?
CBD has widespread health benefits, and thus people may use it for a range of health conditions. CBD is not a medication; thus, it is not used to treat or cure health conditions. However, when used along with treatment, it may help. It is also good for preventing certain health conditions.
People are more likely to use CBD for:
- Managing stress and anxiety
- Chronic pains of various origins
- Improving brain and nerve health
- Managing mental health disorders
- Seizures control
- Enhancing sleep quality
- Normalizing metabolism
- Managing mood swings
- Managing substance withdrawal syndrome
- Improves skin health, especially preventing acne as it has sebostatic action
- Good for heart health
- Countering inflammation
CBD Dosage Chart: How Much Should You Take?
The optimal dosage of CBD is not established. Moreover, there are massive individual differences, with some experiencing benefits at the lower dosage while others require higher dosages. Thus, the advice is to start with a minimal dosage and then increase it gradually.
Food and Standards Agency (FSA) UK recommends not exceeding a dose of 70 mg daily, which is about 28 drops of 5% CBD.
Below is the recommendation for getting started with CBD;
- Start taking 2.5 mg to 5 mg twice daily for a week
- After one week, switch to a maintenance dose of 5 to 10 mg once a day
- If it does not help sufficiently, gradually increase the quantity weekly, like by 5 mg weekly. However, do not exceed 70 mg a day.
How Often Should You Use CBD?
As mentioned above, starting with a twice-daily dosage is a good idea. However, after a week, CBD achieves a stable plasma level, and thus one can continue with a once-daily dosage. The timing of a once-daily dosage would depend on the health condition. For some, it would be better to take it in the morning, while for others in the evening.
When Should I Take CBD?
When you are getting started with CBD, it is better to take it twice daily. Once in the morning and once in the evening. This will provide you with 24-hour relief.
However, after a week, CBD accumulates in the body, and one can continue with a single dose a day. Therefore, if one wants relief for some health issues during the day, it is better to use CBD in the morning. However, better use CBD in the evening for relaxation and improving sleep quality.
Also, avoid taking it with food, as it may interfere with absorption. Thus, either take 30 minutes before a substantial meal or one hour after it.
Summary
CBD may not have such a high bioavailability, but it has a long half-life. It means one needs to take it continually for a week to experience its benefits. Generally, when a person takes it, it does not matter much. However, in some cases, it may play a role. Thus, if one experiences symptoms during the day, better take CBD in the morning. However, take it in the evening to relax and improve sleep quality.
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