It’s pretty obvious that CBD is all the rage. And, because of its awesome benefits, it’s clearly here to stay.
However, before you grab your next CBD product to cash in on those benefits, you should know that not all CBD is the same. In the same way food has varying levels of quality based on whether it is genetically modified, exposed to pesticides, or is wild vs. farmed, we have to pay special attention to the quality of any CBD product.
What Exactly is CBD, and Why Quality Matters
If you’re brand new to the world of CBD, here is a breakdown of what it is and what it’s capable of:
CBD, or cannabidiol, is a compound that is isolated from hemp and cannabis plants.
After hearing this, most people have the immediate question: “Wait – will it get me ‘high’?”
The short answer is: no. Unlike THC (the main compound in cannabis that causes a high) CBD is non-psychoactive, meaning it won’t give you a “high.” What it can give you, however, is a host of benefits, including:
- Reducing anxiety and depression
- Chronic pain management
- Fighting off insomnia
- Boosting brain health
- Improving memory and brain function
… and not to mention, CBD also has big benefits for helping to reduce inflammation from exercise, as well as assist in recovery and performance. This is a crucial reason why I use CBD (Specifically, I use Onnit’s Total Hemp (grab a FREE Trial here).
A huge swath of research exists on why CBD offers so many benefits (above really is just the tip of the ice berg), much of which shows that CBD’s ability to bind with our indigenous cannabinoid receptors is what results in its anti-inflammatory and regulatory effects of certain neurotransmitters and compounds, which then positively impacts your body as a whole.
Why Quality is Everything When Choosing CBD
Almost every state in America has legalized CBD in some form, which is bringing attention to its reported benefits and leading to a huge increase in the different kinds of CBD products you can buy.
But because there are so many CBD products on the market now, you should also know that not all of them are made equally. Because the legal CBD market is still pretty new, it means that these products also come with some risks: namely, that many states don’t regulate and test the products for quality.
CBD products are considered supplements which means that, even though they’re legal, they aren’t regulated by the FDA in the same way that medicines and other medical products are. Unfortunately, this means that we have to look out for better-quality CBD products ourselves to make sure we’re doing what’s best for our bodies.
If you’re looking to add some CBD to your daily regimen, here are a couple of reasons why you should be choosing only the highest quality products.
1. Potential contamination
Just like you want to look out for clean fruits and vegetables to avoid pesticides and GMOs in your diet, you should be keeping the same principles in mind when shopping around for CBD products.
Hemp and cannabis plants are great at absorbing compounds from the soil. In fact, they can absorb so much that they are considered hyperaccumulators. Unfortunately, this makes them pretty prone to contamination, since they can so easily absorb toxic heavy metals like lead, cobalt, and magnesium. [*]
Some hemp plants are also grown with the help of chemicals and pesticides. This all makes it all the more likely that these chemicals can end up in the final product.
When buying CBD products, you’ll want to make sure that they’re grown in a safe and sustainable facility that doesn’t put you at risk of ingesting these heavy metals and other contaminants – after all, you want your supplements to help you, not hurt you.
2. THC content
Besides running the risk of contamination from chemicals and heavy metals, poor-quality CBD products might contain too much THC, which is the psychoactive component of cannabis plants.
Many people want to take CBD because they want to isolate and take advantage of all those great health benefits that can come from hemp plants but without the psychoactive effects. Because they come from the same plant, though, products that aren’t closely monitored for quality standards might end up with unwanted THC in the end product and can lead to less-than-desirable side effects for those who take them.
In one study, researchers wanted to find out why people who were taking CBD supplements were experiencing side-effects like drowsiness, fatigue, and feeling high – and concluded that this was probably due to the fact that these poorly-regulated supplements contained too much THC. [*]
The best CBD supplements are the purest – in other words, the ones that don’t contain any THC. Broad-spectrum CBD products are made with all of the parts of the hemp plant, but they leave the majority of the THC out. These will let you reap all those great health benefits without bringing on any potential negative side-effects.
3. Bioavailability
Finally, contaminated and poor-quality products also won’t give you as much bang for your buck when it comes to how well your body can actually use the CBD.
When we’re talking about bioavailability, we’re talking about the amount of a supplement that your body can actually absorb and use. In other words, just because a vitamin or supplement says that it has a high dose of an ingredient doesn’t necessarily mean that you can use all of it efficiently. It all depends on the product.
Contamination and filler ingredients in low-quality CBD products also play a role here: a product that has other chemicals and compounds means that there’s less of the active ingredient for your body to use anyway.
Luckily, there are better CBD products that take this into consideration. Buying better-quality CBD products will ensure that you’re able to absorb the active ingredient and use it more efficiently.
Remember I mentioned using Onnit’s Total Hemp as my CBD source? This is because it hits all of the markers for QUALITY, including:
- A formulation with 100% field-grown, broad-spectrum hemp extract
- Enhanced bioavailability
- Non-GMO
- Sustainably farmed
- Solvent-free
- Pesticide-free cultivation
- THC-free
- Hemp sourced in the USA
Just like with any supplement or nutrient, adding CBD into your routine isn’t as simple as just choosing whatever product that you see first and hoping for the best results. Your body is a temple, and everything you put into it, from your food to your supplements, matters when you’re on the quest for better health and longevity.
If you’re thinking about adding CBD and hemp into your daily routine, make sure that you’re looking out for high-quality options so you can get the most out of this powerful little plant compound.
Get a FREE TRIAL of ONNIT’S TOTAL HEMP here >>>
An overview of why CBD quality matters:
• Cannabis plants easily absorb toxins like pesticides and environmental pollution, so sourcing from a clean source in the USA is best.
• CBD may need help with bioavailability, so look for companies that keep this in mind.
• Full and broad-spectrum hemp contain other compounds like antioxidants that assist in absorption and bioavailability.
• Choose CBD products that are chemical and pesticide-free.
