How to Take CBD Oil?

How to Take CBD Oil?

CBD oil has been growing in popularity since 2015 — and practically mainstream since 2018.

But we certainly don’t blame you if you still have questions! Besides, sometimes it’s important to go back over the basics. Here’s what you need to know about how to take CBD oil.

What is CBD oil? CBD 101

CBD oil is one of the most popular types of CBD products. It’s also one of the simples and most effective products in existence. Cannabidiol, or CBD, is one of over 60 active compounds in the cannabis plant.

What is CBD oil? It’s an oil-based product with some CBD infused into it. Virtually all CBD oils have two major parts:

• A concentrated, CBD-rich hemp extract
• An inactive carrier oil, typically olive or MCT oil

This simply combo is more effective than it may seem. CBD and other cannabinoids are fat-soluble, so combining them with a healthy fat source like MCT oil results in radically improved bioavailability. (As an aside, MCT oil is the very best carrier oil since it’s super shelf-stable.) [1]

You might be surprised to hear that most CBD oils are only about 1-5% CBD by weight. The rest of a CBD oil’s volume is contributed by its carrier oil!

This isn’t a bad thing, however. CBD is a strong enough substance that only milligram-level quantities of it are sufficient to boost inner balance and general health.

Another important thing to know: the term ‘CBD tincture’ used to refer specifically to products with an alcohol or ethanol base. Today, however, the terms CBD oil and CBD tincture can be used interchangeably.  

Do you swallow CBD oil?

Those of you who are brand new to CBD oil might be wondering how to actually take the stuff. Taking CBD oil is simple:

• Unwind your product’s dropper top
• Measure out your desired serving by squeezing the dropper top (many people just take one full dropper at a time)
• Drop the oil into your mouth without letting the dropper touch your tongue
• Hold the oil in your mouth for 30-60 seconds
• Swish around the oil in your mouth (optional)
• Swallow the CBD oil

As you can see from the above, yes — you do swallow CBD oil!

How you can use CBD oil

CBD oil can be used in a wide variety of ways. At the heart of its many potential health benefits is its uncanny ability to promote inner balance — and this leads to all sorts of downstream “side benefits.”

According to a comprehensive survey done by Project CBD, people use CBD oil to:

• Alleviate pain (particularly inflammatory pain)
• Promote general wellness
• Improve mood and sleep

In addition to the above, about 10% of CBD oil users say they use the product for more serious conditions. Project CBD’s report says these conditions include “brain injuries, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, autism spectrum disorder, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.”

How are people responding to CBD oil use? For the most part, pretty dang well! Survey participants reported that CBD helped them in several key areas:

• Pain/inflammation
• Mood/mindset
• Sleep/well-restedness
• Overall physical function
• Energy levels
• Motivation
• Sociability

CBD oil for wellness

If we had to highlight a single reason why people take CBD oil, it’d be general wellness. Many people who use CBD oil don’t do so for any particular reason — they don’t have asthma or sleep apnea or arthritis. They just want to maximise their health and safeguard it long into the future!

CBD oil for fitness

The same properties that make CBD oil good for wellness also make it a boon for athletes. CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties mean it may be able to shorten your recovery time between workouts. Record-breaking strongman Eddie Hall has called CBD oil a “secret weapon” when it comes to recovering from his brutal workout routines.

Experiencing CBD’s fitness-based benefits for yourself may be as simple as taking CBD oil before and/or after workouts. Of course, CBD topicals wouldn’t hurt either

CBD oil for immunity

Research shows that CBD may help modulate the immune system. What does that mean? Well, having an overactive immune system isn’t ideal — this can lead to autoimmune diseases. But neither is having an underactive immune system — this can lead to chronic infections. CBD and other cannabinoids may help your body find some much-needed balance when it comes to immunity. [2]

On a side note, our Immune Support Capsules feature CBD oil alongside turmeric, ginger, and echinacea.

Turmeric may relieve inflammation and regulate your immune system, while turmeric’s active ingredient, curcumin, may inhibit viral replication. Ginger and echinacea only amplify these effects by increasing white blood cell counts and fighting off infection.

How much CBD oil should I take?

Now that we’ve gone over what CBD oil is good for, let’s look at one of the most important things involved in CBD oil: how much CBD oil you should take.

CBD oil dosing is more of an art than a science. That’s because many different factors impact your optimal CBD dose — and some of these factors haven’t even been discovered yet. The biggest factors include:

• Your age
• Your weight
• Your health status
• Your endocannabinoid levels
• Your sensitivity to balancing substances

Since factors like your body’s endocannabinoid levels can’t be accurately measured outside of the lab, the best way to determine your optimal CBD dosing is through self-experimentation.

We recommend starting off with a low daily dose of CBD (5-20 milligrams) and keeping close tabs on things as you see how this low dose affects you. You might even opt to start a dosing journal where you record how much CBD you’re taking, what type of CBD you’re taking, and how you’re feeling as a result. And don’t forget to enjoy the journey — health isn’t a destination, it’s a path you can walk along!

How much CBD oil to take?

Another big factor involved in CBD oil dosage is the question of what you’re taking CBD for. Let’s take a quick look through several health conditions and see how CBD oil can be used to address them.

CBD oil dosing and anxiety

Anxiety is a crippling modern-day epidemic. Millions of people suffer from anxiety in Europe alone.

What kind of dosing is ideal for those with anxiety? While the research in this area has usually involved mega-high doses (600+ milligrams), real-world experience shows that smaller, more consistent doses may be best.

CBD dosage for sleep

Much like anxiety, sleep problems are a growing issue that can grow to affect every part of a person’s life. It’s hard to feel good or look good when you’re not sleeping well. Data shows that as many as 1.5 million people in Europe suffer from some type of sleep disorder.

Yet data also shows that CBD may help. In 2019 a clinical study came out showing the strong links between CBD, sleep, and anxiety. This study found that CBD oil-infused capsules helped 67% of its participants sleep better than they had in years.

So, what kind of CBD oil dosing strategy is best for improving sleep? This is one of those rare areas where more is actually better. Overshooting your ideal daily dose by just a little bit may be what’s needed to improve your sleep. That’s because higher doses of CBD may act as a mild sedative. If you normally take 20 milligrams of CBD oil per day, for example, try taking 30 milligrams roughly an hour before bedtime.

CBD dosage for pain

Pain is yet another modern-day epidemic that CBD may be able to help address. The data is clear that chronic pain is on the rise. Up to 40% of EU adults may experience pain and discomfort each day.

How might CBD help? Research shows that the cannabinoid’s ability to modulate endocannabinoid receptors means it may take the sting out of chronic pain. “Clinical evidence suggests that CBD provides a therapeutic benefit in certain forms of epilepsy,” explains one 2020 study, “and imparts analgesia in certain conditions, and improves quality of life. [3]

Your CBD dosage for pain also depends on the CBD oil percentage of your product. A product that 5% CBD will require lower intake volumes than a product that’s only 1% CBD!

Those suffering from chronic aches and pains may want to couple their CBD oil use with some sort of topical CBD application. Check out our CBD sport products for more info on that.

Do I need high dose CBD?

Let’s say you’ve been taking a moderate daily dose of CBD oil and you haven’t been noticing much. Give it a week or two, but don’t panic — you might just need to raise your dose a little bit.

After all, the side effects of high-dose CBD oil are remarkably low. CBD’s very worst side effects include:

• Nausea
• Allergies
• Drowsiness

Even the World Health Organization attests that CBD is “generally well-tolerated.” We’d encourage you to slowly up your CBD oil dose until you experience the relief you’re looking for.

How to take CBD Capsules?

CBD Capsules is a relatively new way to take CBD. When taking the CBD capsules, just swallow them whole with a glass of water or other liquid. There is no taste associated with the product so it doesn't need to be mixed in anything. It's entirely up to you how fast you would like to receive relief from your symptoms. For instance, if you want quick relief, take 2-3 CBD capsules at once. If you want the relief more slowly, take 1 or 2 capsules per day.

If you are looking for an easy way to ingest CBD then CBD Capsules are a good choice for you. The idea is that you can carry on with your daily routine of taking supplements, vitamins, elixirs etc.

Other ways to determine CBD oil dosing

Do you still have questions about pure CBD oil dosing, questions like:

• How much CBD should I take?
• How to take hemp oil?
• Should I take CBD daily?

If so, the very best advice we can give you is to just get started. And don’t forget to keep a CBD dosing journal along the way!

Beyond that, here are a few more helpful pointers:

• Take your CBD oil every day
• Take your CBD oil at a consistent time every day
• Combine your CBD oil routine with a healthy diet
• Combine your CBD oil routine with a good sleep schedule
• Combine your CBD oil routine with gentle, fun exercise.

CBD dosing: other important factors

A variety of other factors can impact your optimal CBD dose. The most important factor is actually a question you can ask yourself: what are you taking CBD for?

More severe health problems may need to be combatted with greater amounts of CBD, while less severe health problems may be alleviated with less. Here are just a few more factors to keep in mind as you find your ideal CBD oil dose.

CBD oil and your body

CBD activates receptors within virtually every part of your body, which means that those who are heavier may need more CBD to experience the very same effects as others.

Some CBD oil experts are in favor of taking one milligram of CBD for every ten pounds of bodyweight. Do you weigh 180 pounds? Then you may want to target a daily CBD oil intake of 18 milligrams:

• 120 pounds: target intake of 12 mg CBD/day (120/10=12)
• 130 pounds: target intake of 13 mg CBD/day (130/10=13)
• 140 pounds: target intake of 14 mg CBD/day (140/10=14)
• 150 pounds: target intake of 15 mg CBD/day (150/10=15)
• 160 pounds: target intake of 16 mg CBD/day (160/10=16)
• 170 pounds: target intake of 17 mg CBD/day (170/10=17)
• 180 pounds: target intake of 18 mg CBD/day (180/10=18)
• 190 pounds: target intake of 19 mg CBD/day (190/10=19)
• 200 pounds: target intake of 20 mg CBD/day (200/10=20) 

CBD & activity levels

Here’s another practical factor involving CBD oil dosing: your stress and/or activity levels.

Stress reduction is at the heart of how CBD works. People who have more active and/or more stressful lives may need more CBD than others.

“Athletes apply greater stress to their bodies, leading to pain and inflammation greater than the [endocannabinoid system] can handle,” explains athletic coach Chris Carmichael. “Adding a cannabinoid may help this overloaded system get neurotransmitters back under control.”

Different CBD products = different doses

Not all CBD is the same; some CBD products are absorbed into your endocannabinoid system much better than others. This is yet another factor that can affect your ideal CBD dosing.

• Tinctures, oils, and vapes have higher absorption rates, so you’ll need less of them.
• Edibles, gummies, and topicals have lower absorption rates, so you’ll need more of them
• Broad spectrum and full spectrum CBD oil have higher absorption rates than CBD isolate, so you’ll need less of them.

Taking CBD in tandem with other botanicals can also increase CBD absorption enough to allow you to take less. Studies have found that menthol increases “local vasodilation [enough to] reduces skin barrier function,” while terpenes like piperine can also increase overall bioavailability. [4][5]

Can you combine CBD oil and pharmaceuticals?

Here’s one more factor involved in CBD dosing, one that doesn’t apply to everybody: whether or not you’re taking CBD oil alongside pharmaceuticals.

While CBD doesn’t interact with pharmaceutical drugs in some sort of internal chemistry set, it does slow down the function of certain liver enzymes. And these liver enzymes can affect the way your body processes certain drugs.

Those who take prescription drugs for high blood pressure, high blood sugar, or epilepsy should talk to their doctor before beginning any CBD oil routine. Those who use or have used opioids may also want to ease into CBD slowly.

What the Mayo Clinic says about CBD oil dosing

Here are some other dosing ideas from the Mayo Clinic:

• Alzheimer’s Disease: 160 mg CBD/day
• Cancer-related pain: 25mg THC/day + 25mg CBD/day
• Anxiety/panic attacks: Up to 10mg CBD/day

How to combine CBD oil and other products

CBD oil can easily be paired with other health-promoting products. A common pairing is CBD oil + CBD topicals, though any type of CBD product can be ‘layered’ on top of daily CBD oil. You can also try other CBD Products like CBD Edibles, CBD Gummies, CBD Drops. Be sure to listen to your body as you discover which combos work best for you!

The best way to take CBD oil

The best way to take CBD is a simple one: select whatever CBD oil you enjoy the most, then take it consistently!

Regardless of what products or dosages you choose, CBD oil is safe and effective. When it comes to feeling your best...don’t neglect something so tried and true!