The absorption of CBD: does CBD oil have no future?

The absorption of CBD: does CBD oil have no future?

Every time we use CBD oil we throw away 90-95% of the CBD because it is not absorbed by the body. How long will we keep on doing this until we find a better solution?

We all know that water and oil don’t mix. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that when we orally take CBD oil, it is not easily absorbed as our bodies consist of 65-70% water. What most people don’t realise is how poorly CBD oil is being absorbed. Tests have shown that at best 15-20%, but on average only 5-10% of the CBD oil we take orally is ultimately being absorbed. A staggering 80-95% of the CBD oil you consume, your body will never use.

The way that our body absorbs fatty compounds like CBD oil, is by encapsulating these compounds with a special molecule. This molecule has on one side a ‘fat-loving’ end (lipophilic) and on the other side it has a ‘water-loving’ end (hydrophilic). The molecules form a sphere around the CBD oil molecule and the lipophilic end attaches itself to the fatty compound and in doing so points the hydrophilic end towards the outside. This allows the sphere (with the CBD oil within) to become solubilised in water and pass the mucous membrane to enter the bloodstream. This process is called micellization.

To build these micelles the body needs time and energy. Whilst the body is working to encapsulate and absorb the CBD oil and other fatty components, the CBD is being destroyed by our stomach acid and by enzymes in our liver.

MyCell Inside™

The patented technology Swiss PharmaCan uses mimics the creation of these spheres known as micelles, in a laboratory. This means that CBD products created with MyCell Inside™ technology are ready to be absorbed by the body almost instantly. The CBD inside these MyCells can easily pass through the mucous membrane, which consists of 90-95% of water, enter the bloodstream and be delivered to the right location in your body. The result is increased absorption from an average of 5-10% to almost 100% – furthermore the effects are more potent and the onset faster.

These days the most common way to consume CBD is orally. A large number of CBD oil-based products have been, and are being launched every day and sold online, in speciality stores but also more and more frequently in high street retail shops. These CBD oils are dissolved in a carrier which is edible vegetable oil. Recently, questions are being asked about the efficacy of taking CBD this way because of the low absorption rate of the active ingredient.

Oral bioavailability of any substance such as CBD is a measure of the rate and extent to which it is reaching the systemic circulation. It is a key parameter which affects its efficacy and the likelihood of adverse effects. By definition, when a medication is administered intravenously, its bioavailability is 100%. Studies of oral bioavailability have received considerable attention as being one of the principal pharmacokinetic properties of drugs and significant progress has been made in understanding the various components of this complex puzzle, including solubility, partition coefficients, absorption, metabolism, and excretion.

Poor oral bioavailability is one of the leading causes of failures in clinical trials and hindering the estimation of what dose will be needed to support the treatment of a condition. This is because compounds with a low bioavailability, such as CBD oil, would have a highly variable exposure between individuals. If a compound has an average bioavailability of 5% or less (as studies show CBD does) it would easily vary in the range of 0.5–10%, a 20-fold difference, which is not acceptable if we want to be able to use CBD in a correct therapeutic manner.

More than just water soluble

Current developments with CBD set a newly high demand for oral CBD formulations and products. In addition, oral consumption is not only the most promising alternative to smoking for consumers who are interested in cannabis’ medicinal properties, but it is also the preferred way to consume medicines and nutritional supplements by most of the world’s population. Increasing CBD oral bioavailability is one of the most important developments in this field.

The MyCell Inside™ technology solves this problem. By reducing the waste and reaching an almost 100% efficiency, MyCell Inside saves users money by obtaining the same results, faster and with a much lower dosage. However, it is not only about saving money. CBD products made with the MyCell Inside technology finally make it possible to accurately dose the amount of CBD necessary to support a treatment. With nearly 100% bioavailability, now users can rest assured that the CBD is being absorbed by their body.

Although our MyCell Inside technology makes CBD-oil water soluble, that is just a very small part of its benefits. The most important difference compared with other CBD products which call themselves water soluble is that the patented MyCell Inside™ technology Swiss PharmaCan uses is 100% natural and mimics our own micelle system to absorb oil and fatty components.

A study has shown that an orally taken active compound such as CBD, encapsulated with the MyCell Inside technology showed as soon as 30 minutes after consumption a bioavailability of more than 90%.

Most other products, which refer to themselves as water soluble use a form of liposomal system. Compared to liposomes, the micelles from the Mycell Inside technology have a much higher stability with regards to temperature, pH and mechanical stress. Besides this, the molecules used for encapsulation in these liposomal systems are mostly synthetic or synthetically modified compounds (like polysorbates), which are derived from the petrochemical industry and have carcinogenic concerns. The molecule the MyCell Inside™ technology uses is 100% natural and non-allergenic.

Entering the bloodstream, just the beginning

Having the active compound encapsulated within the MyCell Inside technology allowing it to easily pass through the mucous membrane and be absorbed in the bloodstream, is just the beginning. To work effectively the active compound has to be delivered into the cell. The micelles created with the Mycell Inside technology act in such a way that they make contact with the target cells and only release the active component in the cell.

When we deliver a 10 ml, 5% solution it contains 500mg of CBD and because of our patented 100% natural micellization system, the 500mg will become almost 100% available to your body. The future of this patented technology is not just the medical use of CBD, but also the inclusion of CBD in a large array of beverages and foods. CBD products made with MyCell Inside technology are also added to food, drinks, cosmetics and supplements.

CBD Mycell Inside™ for beverages

Beverages, in general, are always going to be a popular product. The possibility of including CBD in a range of beverages allows one of the most popular products to hit the beverage scene since bottled water. CBD drinks are more than just an exciting new product – CBD drinks allow people to more easily benefit from the cannabinoid in their everyday lives.

Many other water-soluble solutions tend to fall apart in very low concentrations. This concentration is referred to as the Critical Micelle Concentration (CMC). Below that concentration the molecules which make the spheres tend to break apart. This CMC is an important characteristic of a surfactant. Our technology has the lowest CMC available in the market, which makes our MyCell very stable and perfect for use in low concentration solutions.

Although our MyCell size is in the nano-range (~100 µm) it is not considered nanotechnology, as it doesn’t break down the molecules into nanoparticles. Our MyCell Inside technology totally maintains the properties of CBD. Our MyCells are stable and improve active product ingredient absorption even in critical environments such as high acidity (pH stability 1-14), temperature fluctuation or under mechanical stress.

CBD products produced with the MyCell Inside technology offer high-potency, high-speed and high-bioavailability CBD. Due to the high absorption rate of MyCell Inside™ technology, these CBD infused products will feature prominently in the future of both the beverage and the cannabis industry. All compounds show the same benefits:

  1. Fast and close to 100% absorption;
  2. Very stable in critical environments;
  3. Remains stable in very low concentrations; and
  4. A stable shelf life of 24-36 months or more (stored in a dark place at room temperature).

And they also have endless possibilities:

  • Allows unprecedented access into the beverage market;
  • Introducing water-soluble cannabinoids to a diverse array of foods;
  • Consistent and measurable CBD control;
  • Increased convenience and portability with drinks; and
  • An extremely easy way to take CBD with endless possibilities for its addition to drinks and foods.

Not just for cannabinoids

This patented MyCell Inside technology is applicable not only for cannabinoids. It also works perfectly for all fat-soluble compounds and has been tested and proven with a variety of compounds like vitamin A, D, E and K, but also with Curcuma, Fish oil, Coenzyme Q10, Artemisinin and many more.

Perfectly crafted, in the heart of Switzerland

Swiss PharmaCan combines Swiss science, state of the art of MyCell Inside technology and pure ingredients. We pride ourselves on the highest standards of extracting 100% pure and sustainable organic hemp; with a focus on the perfect geographical location, cultivation methods, and the health of crops, water, and soil. We cultivate the seeds and thereby ensure that our plants are unique with the highest content of health positive cannabinoids and terpenes possible. Further, our hemp plants grow in the best locations – on sunny fields close to the Alps, with rubidium-rich soil that gives the hemp the full spectrum of CBD compounds – which is then harvested and processed by hand.

Our products are thoroughly tested, analysed and documented in Switzerland for its cannabinoid ratio and its microbiological suitability. Certified free from pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals, fungi and moulds. We carefully track the quality from seed to the end product, with the utmost care, experience and dedication to the highest product quality.

Robert Leidelmeijer
Director of Sales & Marketing
Swiss PharmaCan AG
+41 56 508 78 10
r.leidelmeijer@swisspharmacan.ch
sales@swisspharmacan.ch
www.swisspharmacan.ch

Please note, this article will appear in issue 10 of Health Europa Quarterly, which is available to read now.

Subscribe to our newsletter
Subscribe to our newsletter

3 COMMENTS

  1. The CBD I use has clinical trials conducted by Mayo Clinic, each bottle has a scan code showing exactly what is in the bottle. Additionally mine is water soluble with up to 97% bioavailability up to 12 hours, 50% absorption after one hour.
    these products do have the Mycell technology.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here