Introduction
With so many ways to take CBD oil, a common question among people who are new to it is “how much should I take?”
CBD oil usage is still in its early stages, and given the number of ailments it helps alleviate, there’s no minimum or maximum dosage that can be recommended.
The same is true when it comes to using CBD oil in your food or drink. Depending on what you are taking it for, your physical makeup, and what foods/drinks you take it with, your dosage may vary.
Below we’ve compiled a few guidelines to hopefully help you decide how much CBD you need to add to your food or drinks to be effective.
Start with Small Doses
It’s highly recommended that you start with a very small dose of CBD and work up from there until you find a level that’s effective.
Some sources suggest starting with 25mg and increasing the dosage by 25mg increments every 3-4 weeks until you reach the desired level of relief. Other sources recommend starting as low as 10mg.
Again, there’s no “set in stone” rule, but if you’re new, you don’t yet know exactly how CBD oil is going to affect you, so start as small as you feel you need to.
Consider Any Medications You Take
CBD oil can sometimes have interactions with other medications that will increase or lower the effectiveness of the CBD oil. Or it could affect how your medication is absorbed into your body.
Why is this important? Probably one of the only negative effects of taking CBD oil is that it inhibits the cytochrome P450 enzyme system in the liver. While inhibiting the enzyme doesn’t directly hurt the liver, it can make it more difficult for certain medications to be properly metabolized. Some of these include:
- Steroids
- Rad 140 Canada
- Antihistamines
- Antibiotics
- Anesthetics
- Antidepressants
- NSAIDs
If you take any of the above, or you regularly take anymedications, it’s highly recommended that you talk to your doctor about possible interactions before taking CBD oil. Your doctor may help you figure out what dosage of CBD oil to take or may be able to alter your medication’s dosage to allow for the addition of CBD oil.
CBD Oil is Not Addictive or Habit Forming
As you start increasing the amount of CBD oil you use in your food or drinks, don’t worry about hitting a level that you can’t come back from. Cannabidiol does not have the same addictive nature that many other drugs like heroin, cocaine, alcohol, etc. does.
Basically, your brain isn’t going to become dependent on CBD oil in order to function, and you won’t have to change your behavior in order to get more for your next “fix”.
And if you find yourself taking more than is needed to be effective, backing off isn’t going to give you any dangerous withdrawal symptoms. It may be as simple as your headache returning after the ibuprofen wears off.
Food Slows Down CBD Absorption
When you initially start using CBD oil in your food or drinks, keep in mind that food slows down the absorption in your body. This is due to what’s called “first pass metabolism”. The enzymes of the digestive system and liver have to act on CBD, oxidizing and yielding over 100 metabolites before it even reaches your circulatory system.
For this reason, many people will choose to smoke or vape CBD oil or will take a sublingual dose without eating. Smoking, vaping, or sublingual doses render much more immediate results than using food or drink.
The downside to that, though, is that the effects don’t last as long. While food slows down the absorption of CBD oil into your system, it also prolongs its healing effects. If you suffer from chronic discomfort or pain, the longer the CBD oil is in your system, the better for you.
Additionally, taken without food, CBD oil can leave you feeling nauseous or dizzy.
How to Cook with CBD Oil
Cooking with CBD oil is as simple as cooking with olive oil or coconut oil, but there are a few extra things to consider that you may not with other cooking oils.
For instance, CBD oil is going to have somewhat of a bitter taste to it. So, when you cook with it, you’ll want to make sure to adjust your other spices accordingly. Just like you use cream and sugar to tone down the bitterness of coffee, try using sweet and creamy spices to balance out the bitter taste of CBD oil.
You also want to keep an eye on how much heat you use. Less heat is better, but make sure not to exceed 320 Fahrenheit. Too much heat and you risk the CBD oil evaporating, losing all of the essence and benefits of using CBD oil.
CBD oil is also very sensitive to heat and light, so when you’re not cooking it be sure to keep it in a cool and dark place. If your kitchen tends to get a little toasty, storing your CBD oil in the refrigerator will probably be your best option.
Conclusion
Adding CBD oil to your food and drinks isn’t a difficult task, and you shouldn’t have to worry about too many negative effects. It’s not addictive and there aren’t any dangerous withdrawal symptoms, so you can stop anytime you feel like you need to.
Talk with your doctor before adding CBD oil to your foods and drinks, especially if you are on any medications. Once you get the go-ahead, start small and then work your way up gradually till you achieve desired effectiveness.
Please understand that this process can take a few weeks or so to find the right levels, so don’t get discouraged if you feel like it’s taking to long.
In addition to everything above, make sure you buy quality CBD from top manufacturers, so you can make sure to get what you need without spending too much money.