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When you are interested in investing in or creating your own CBD oil or topical solution there are a wide range of options available to you when it comes time to select a carrier oil. If you already happen to have a bottle of one of these hemp derived products handy you should check the label to see for yourself if you haven’t already: there is more than just CBD in these products! Health products like CBD are intended to help you maximize your immunity, general well being, happiness and efficiency but if you aren’t aware of all the ingredients in the products you purchase it is possible you might be getting more – or a lot less – than you bargained for.
MCT oil Cannabis products are a very popular option available far and wide wherever CBD and THC oils are sold but do MCT oil cannabis products provide a better, faster or more potent option for CBD users? Let’s find out!
What Exactly Is A Carrier Oil?
As implied by the name “carrier oils” the oil base provides a solution for “carrying” the CBD and other phytochemicals present in the medication. The oil acts as a solvent which dissolves the compounds of the medicinal ingredients making them easy for the human body to process and utilize.
All CBD and THC oil products are for the most part created by adding the medicinal element – the CBD or THC extract – to an oil base to create a solution that can be easily ingested or applied to the skin. The important function these base oils serve is to provide a delivery method for the active medicinal ingredients they are blended with, giving users an easy method to absorb the CBD or sometimes THC into their bloodstream.
Over the years a wide range of different carrier oils have been used to create CBD and THC oil products from ingredients including palm oil, olive oil, avocado oil, hemp seed oil, coconut oil, sesame oil and grapeseed oil. Each of these oil bases come packaged with their own sets of drawbacks and advantages over their counterparts.
Carrier oils help promote CBD absorption by the body. As CBD is a fat-soluble substance diluting the medicine in an oil product enhances and accelerates the digestion of the product. As you may know the human body has two distinct pathways for the absorption of compounds. A product must be either water soluble or fat soluble in order to be absorbed by the complex systems that govern the body.
Because CBD is fat soluble and not water soluble it does not have direct access to the human bloodstream and the medicinal properties of the compound are instead delivered through the proliferation of tiny droplets called “micelles”. The micelles enter the lymph nodes by travelling through the fatty lymph tissue and are introduced to the bloodstream via the lymph nodes entering the bloodstream directly above the heart.
Taken orally with a carrier oil CBD products promote the creation of the necessary enzymes in the human digestive system required for breaking down and synthesizing the medicinal qualities of your CBD oil thus increasing the potency of the product and ensuring the most efficient and effective delivery method that is currently available. Using CBD oil products also makes it incredibly easy to manage and moderate your dosages to ensure you are receiving exactly the necessary amount of medication for your particular ailment or concern.
But Which Carrier Oil Is Best?
There are nearly as many carrier oil options as there are CBD oil brands on the marketplace today and some brands even utilize a combination of more than one in their CBD products. Far and away the most popular and commonplace carrier oil used by the brands you are likely to find on store shelves and in your favourite online shop is MCT carrier oil or Medium Chain Triglyceride oil.
In nature fats are most commonly found in groupings of three known as triglycerides. Most popular brands today are using palm oil or coconut oil which are both plentiful, affordable and very high in medium-chain triglycerides which simply means that they are more easily and rapidly broken down and absorbed by the human body, making a perfect carrier oil for a CBD product. There are also short and long-chain triglycerides but these substances are unsuitable for use as carrier oils as the medicine will either be absorbed and destroyed by the bacteria in the gut or simply take far too long to be absorbed into the bloodstream.
MCT carrier oils exist in the perfect sweet spot between the two extremes and thus provide the perfect delivery system for the medicinal properties of your CBD oil! There are few drawbacks to using this substance as it is very easily absorbed by the body and promotes the potency of the medicine involved. The only downside is that it lacks any distinguishing flavour of its own for the most part and doesn’t include any additional beneficial phytochemicals or antioxidants found in other carrier oils.
You may find you actually prefer a different delivery method but overall for the value, potency and simplicity of the product MCT carrier oil is hands down not only the most widely used but also the best carrier oil for use in CBD oil.
Other Carrier Oil Types
Many brands advertise their CBD oil as being the best, most effective or claim it provides the most medicinal benefits derived from the included ingredients. What are some of the other kinds of carrier oils you are likely to find on the market and what are their specific drawbacks and benefits? Read on to find out!
Hemp seed oil is another popular option for CBD products. Don’t confuse this substance with hemp oil which is extracted from hemp flower and used to make isolate or full spectrum extracts. Hemp seed oil is derived from the seeds of the hemp plant and it is important to note that it includes virtually no cannabinoids or terpenes of any kind. Although the seeds themselves are not a source of cannabinoids it is possible however that trace amounts of cannabinoids absorbed from coming into contact with the hemp flowers are possible but should be present in negligible amounts. Brands which utilize hemp seed oil will often tout their products “entourage effect” which is a name for the way the different complex chemical compounds interact with and enhance one another. Hemp seed oil is also popular as a health supplement on its own so its addition to CBD oils and extracts is seen as a way to enhance the beneficial effects of the product.
Grape seed oil much like hemp seed oil is also derived from seeds but this time as the name suggests the seeds of grapes are utilized. Oils blended with this carrier liquid have a light and fruity taste and enjoy the benefits of a high unsaturated fat content. It is also well known for providing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits to the human body.
Not just for use on the stovetop, olive oil is another great option when selecting a carrier oil. Not only is it rich in phytonutrients like iron, vitamin k, vitamin e and also contains a wide range of antioxidants like tyrosol and oleuropein. Unfortunately olive oil consists of long chain triglycerides meaning that it takes a longer time for the body to process, absorb and utilize making olive oil a less than ideal solution as a carrier oil.
MCT Reigns Supreme
In the vast majority of products you will find on the marketplace today MCT carrier oil derived from palm or coconut oil is the leading method of delivery. It’s medium chain triglycerides and unobtrusive lack of taste make it an ideal choice and it helps to keep the overall cost of the product low thereby making sure the medicine is accessible to all who might need it. Your particular mileage may vary depending on your personal preferences but most people find MCT oil cannabis products suitable for all their needs. Maybe you prefer the light and fruity taste of grape seed oil or enjoy the entourage effect provided by hemp seed oil. There are many great and completely valid reasons for choosing a different product based on your own personal needs and experience.
Here at Haute Health we aim to make all of your medicinal purchases easy and pain free! When you are shopping for phoenix tears online, thc distillate, cannabis edibles, cannabis flowers, CBD topicals, CBD capsules or even hash online you can shop with absolute confidence shopping with Haute Health!