How to use CBD tincture ?
CBD tinctures are usually extracted from the cannabis plant (hemp) using an alcohol base. Using CBD tinctures primarily help in relieving anxiety and pain, and are usually consumed via different means. Although not regulated, it is one of the most popular and effective CBD products out there.
Every drop of tincture matters, which is what makes knowing how to use a CBD tincture correctly very important. So, if you have purchased or are in the market for one, you should read through this article.
Details on how to use a CBD tincture and the advantages of using CBD tincture and the negative effects it possesses are sufficiently discussed in this article. Read on!
Table of Contents
How does CBD tincture work?
CBD tinctures possess a high concentration of cannabidiol, which makes them very potent, therefore, small doses are usually recommended to start with.
Although, you can’t overdose on CBD, taking too much can raise the level of side effect plus taking more doesn’t necessarily mean more benefits. So always start out with a smaller dose and work your way up depending on the level of effectiveness.
Now, most tincture bottles come with a separate or built-in dropper which you use primarily for dosing. This dropper helps you ingest the CBD in drops and also helps control the amount you are taking. If you need to adjust the dosage, you only need to either increase or decrease the number of drops.
In determining the right dose to take, you need to consult your doctor. But ultimately, the dosage depends on your body weight, the severity of the condition (more severe conditions might require a higher dosage), and how potent it is.
For example, you will need to take between 5 mg and 50 mg for relief against depression and anxiety.
There are numerous ways to use this substance, but these are the three most common ways that have proven to be quite effective.
Sublingual method:
The sublingual method implies placing a few drops underneath the tongue. CBD bypasses the digestive system and is readily absorbed into many blood vessels when placed under the tongue. After placing it under the tongue, you hold it there for about 10 to 60 seconds before swallowing. This allows it to be absorbed into the blood vessels under the tongue.
This is an ideal method if you want an instant therapeutic effect, especially if you need relief from pain or to induce sleep.
Add to Food and Edibles:
The fact that CBD tinctures are quite potent makes them perfect for use in recipes. They can be added to beverages (tea, coffee, carbonated drinks, cocoa, etc.), even ordinary water. They should be added in a few drops to these drinks. You can also use a CBD tincture during the preparation or serving of food.
For example, you can bake a few drops of tincture into your homemade cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and other baked consumables. Alternatively, you can add some to your salad, smoothie, or dessert.
Rub it on your Skin:
Using CBD tinctures topically is not all that popular. However, you can apply some on your skin to relieve joint pain, arthritis, and muscle spasms, as well as keeping your skin looking healthy and youthful. Some people also infuse a few drops into their baths, particularly if it contains some essential oils which works generally on the skin.
If you are using CBD tincture for the first time, make sure you use the substance an hour before going to bed as it’s known to provide a calming effect. You can then use CBD freely as you please when your body acclimatizes.
It is also recommended that you take it after a meal as this helps with the provision of 4 – 5 times absorption rate in the body. And more importantly, make sure you consult your doctor before you begin consuming it especially if you are on other medication.
Remember to always begin with the minimum amount of dosage suggested, and be consistent as you work your way to finding the right dosage for you.
What do you mix CBD tincture with?
In the extraction and preparation process, oil isn’t involved.
But some of its producers (broad-spectrum CBD) are using a base of edible oil to deliver cannabinoid. One major challenge with these oil based form is that they are not soluble in water, so unless you consume them sublingually, they’re just going to float around awkwardly on the top of your drink.
Although it is true that sublingual and buccal dosing works faster than just swallowing it directly, you’ll want to consume it internally if you have any type of systemic issue or illness. To take this oil-based form, you can mix it with your daily beverages, and cocktails.
What are the advantages of CBD tinctures?
Despite being a popular and easy method of consuming CBD, it is also the most effective.
Due to its highly concentrated nature, it delivers CBD throughout the body faster than other methods of consuming CBD such capsules, edibles, etc. It is also the best way to absorb CBD into the blood vessels.
Here are some of the major advantages it possess that makes it a better method of ingesting CBD;
It is Smokeless: It provides a smokeless means of consuming CBD as an alternative to vaping, which is a huge benefit to persons with conditions preventing them from vaping, or don’t just prefer it.
Don’t Need Refrigeration: CBD tinctures do not need to be refrigerated after they have been opened as they possess a long shelf life. You just need to shield it from direct sunlight, and heat so they don’t degenerate.
CBD Tinctures Are Versatile: CBD tinctures are a popular and easy way of consuming CBD. In addition to its being more effective, you can use a CBD tincture in varieties of ways, like placing it under the tongue, adding a drop to your food, or applying it on your skin.
CBD Tinctures Provide Excellent Absorption: CBD tinctures are usually formulated with MCT oil which boosts the rate of CBD absorption into the bloodstream. It boasts of having a faster rate of absorption compared to other methods of consuming CBD due to its high concentration level.
Are Available In Delicious Flavors: You can get CBD tinctures in your favorite flavor and other varieties which makes them delightful and delicious to ingest. Some popular flavors include blueberry, cinnamon, citrus, mint, and in its natural form.
What to know about the side effects of CBD tincture
CBD tincture are unregulated and not approved by the FDA. This leads to questions about their safety and if or not they possess side effects. Well in 2017, the World Health Organization reached a consensus that it is safe and effective to take CBD.
In fact, when overdosed, it isn’t lethal but there are quite a few known negative effects to taking it, though they are mild. These effects include;
Dry Mouth: Most CBD products derived from the cannabis plant have this side effect of causing dry mouth. Cannabinoids have been found to reduce or inhibit the production of saliva thereby causing dryness of the mouth. This can be remedied by taking plenty of fluids before, during and after consuming CBD tinctures.
Diarrhea: CBD tinctures cause diarrhea as a result of additives such as MCT oil found in it that often irritates the gut, and in turn causes diarrhea. Although CBD has strong gastroprotective properties, people have often complained of having mild diarrhea a few hours after taking CBD tinctures.
Dizziness: When CBD tinctures are taken in high doses, it can cause drowsiness and dizziness. Hence the need to regulate your consumption of CBD tinctures.
Lowers Blood Pressure: Hypertensive patients should take great care and consult their doctors before taking it.
Other negative effects include fatigue, irritability, and changes in appetite, nausea, and tiredness. Also, you need to watch out for dangerous impurities, chemicals, and additives such as propylene glycol, dextromethorphan, and 5F-ADB.
Is CBD tincture the same as CBD oil?
CBD oil and CBD tincture are both consumables of CBD. Though both have been known to carry out similar functions, and even come in similar packages, but are they ultimately the same?
The similarities between CBD oil and CBD tincture
CBD oil and CBD tincture are often packaged the same way, this has over time made consumers unable to tell one from the other.
They usually come in brown a bottle with a dropper. The methods of applying the two are also quite similar, they can both be taken orally with a dropper or applied topically. They have been reported to have the same health effects that is associated with cannabinoids.
Despite this similarities especially in purpose of use, they differ in quite a number of ways.
The differences between CBD oil and CBD tincture
CBD oil and CBD tincture differ in a number of ways, but the main difference between the two is the process of production, and the ingredients that make up the CBD content.
In the production of CBD oil, the extraction process gives a substance that is made of pure plant compounds which usually has no residual solvents left behind. While the production of its counterpart features a more traditional approach; steeping the plant matter in alcohol, straining it, and then bottling the entire solution. CBD tinctures contain additional ingredients than CBD oil such as flavors etc.
More on the differences between the CBD oil and CBD tincture include;
Base: CBD oil contains base or carrier oils which are responsible for the dilution of CBD. While CBD tincture on the other hand has alcohol as its base.
Ingestion Method: CBD oil can be ingested using the vape method, while CBD tincture is best ingested sublingually and by also mixing it in food and drinks due to its alcohol base.
Taste: CBD oil has a taste that is unpleasant when consumed orally, it leaves an oily after taste. While CBD tincture, which comes in different flavors like chocolate, peach, vanilla, etc. as a pleasant taste and facilitates quick absorption when taken sublingually (putting it under the tongue).
Shelf Life: The ethyl alcohol or isopropyl alcohol (also serves preservative) which the CBD tinctures is made of, offers an extended shelf life when compared to CBD oil. Exposure to direct sunlight is a known factor that reduces the lifespan of CBD products.
Which is better between CBD oil and CBD tincture
Choosing between CBD oil and CBD tincture vary from person to person and can be for a number of different reasons. A person may pick one over the other because of the flavor, but they both basically give the same health benefits.
Choosing between the two forms of CBD may also depend on the purpose for consuming CBD, as the purpose will most likely determine how you use a CBD tincture or oil.
In other words, a better form of CBD between CBD oil and CBD tincture depends on your preference and attitude towards the taste, sensitivity to alcohol, purpose for use, and so on.
Conclusion
Tincture is a known traditional way to use CBD in providing relief for various conditions.
This form of CBD as gained quite popular as the most effective and faster means of consuming CBD. It is quite safe to say that using CBD tincture is quite easy as it possess a number of ways you can use it and has a lot of advantages over other forms of CBD. The different flavor it possess is an added benefit in its consumption and use.
Although, this product has its rights reserved, as it hasn’t been regulated by the FDA, it has passed the safety test according to WHO. It is then your responsibility to research and carefully choose the brand you’d be purchasing.
It is also very essential to always consult your doctor, especially if you are a first time user or on other medications. So they can confirm that CBD doesn’t react negatively with the medication you are already on and also to, determine the dosage of CBD you’d consume.
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