What Is CBD Water?
What Is CBD Water & Should You Start Drinking It?
Cannabidiol continues to become more and more popular in the UK. Health shops up and down the country are continuing to stock an increasing amount of CBD products. Consumers can now purchase a wide variety of CBD products, including CBD water, online or in-store as demand for CBD products continues to increase.
CBD water is the latest in a long line of CBD products to enter the UK market. However, since its arrival to the cannabidiol world has been anything but smooth sailing. It has divided opinion, drawing both praise and criticism. Some people say that that if you were to take this cannabidiol or hemp extract infused water day in day out then your health will improve.
In this article, we examine what exactly is CBD water, where the hemp plant comes into it. We also look at the health benefits it provides and whether or not you should buy this product anytime soon.
What Is Cannabidiol?
So what is CBD? CBD or cannabidiol is a phytochemical – a plant-produced compound. It is produced by the herb Cannabis sativa. CBD is not psychoactive and has in fact been shown to counter some of the psychoactive effects of other compounds seen in C. sativa.
What Is CBD Water?
Water infused with CBD is made by infusing cannabidiol particles with water. Hemp water is also taking off in the UK. Love Hemp Water is one of the most well-known sellers of this hemp-infused water. Using spring water they provide a unique product which peaks peoples interest as soon as they hear about it. Set up in 2015, Love Hemp Water has slowly started to dominate the hemp and hemp-infused water industry in the UK. CBD water manufacturers claim that drinking CBD allows you to get a quick and easy fix of CBD throughout the day, but is this really the case?
Should You Buy CBD Water?
One of the biggest issues with CBD water is the fact that most bottles contain very low amounts of CBD. Usually, it is just a small amount of cannabidiol mixed with spring water. Of course, the amounts of CBD differ between each CBD brand like Love Hemp Water but most of the CBD water contains between 2-5 mg of cannabidiol on average.
With such a low amount of CBD per bottle is it really worth buying even Love Hemp water? CBD dosage recommendations can vary from person to person, however, most CBD studies suggest that for CBD to have any effects a person would have to take a minimum of 15 mg of CBD per day.
With such low amounts of cannabidiol being contained in each bottle of CBD water you begin to wonder why would anyone buy it? Many of the companies producing CBD water have tried to justify the low amounts of CBD in their product by claiming that the use of nanotechnology to decrease particle size boosts your body’s ability to absorb and utilise the CBD more effectively which it turn still improves your health just like regular cannabidiol oil would.
More research on cannabidiol absorption and nanotechnology is needed before this claim can be substantiated, however one study does suggest that lipid based CBD nano-particles may be better absorbed by the body.
Before CBD water can be taken more seriously, more studies on nano-particles in it and their effects on absorption are needed. Although their products contain low amounts of CBD, many CBD brands claim that the use of nanotechnology increases absorption, but for now until further research is carried out this remains unclear as to whether it truly is an effective method of consuming cannabidiol.
Does CBD Water Degrade?
One of the main issues with CBD water is the fact that CBD can be a highly unstable compound. CBD needs to be carefully prepared and stored in order to maintain and preserve its properties.
Overexposure to air and light can result in CBD breaking down and losing important properties. Why is this a concern you might be thinking? Well most CBD water tends to be stored in grocery stores beneath bright shop lights in clear plastic containers. Bottles can sit on shelves for days or even weeks before they are purchased and consumed. This can result in the CBD contained within the product degrading and being lost.
Does CBD Water Get You High?
The simple answer is no, CBD water will not get you “high”. Cannabidiol is not psychoactive, which means it won’t alter brain function and give you that “high” feeling normally associated with THC.
CBD Water Is Expensive
Drinking CBD water is easily one of the most expensive ways to take CBD. The average cost of a 500ml bottle of water infused with CBD ranges between £3- £5 depending on the CBD brand.
Of course, buying in bulk helps to reduce the overall cost, however not by much. When you compare it to other methods of taking CBD, the numbers are not impressive.
For example, an average bottle of CBD oil will cost around £30- £40 depending on size and brand chosen. Depending on your dosage requirements it will give you around 30 servings. This equates to less than £2 per serving.
Other CBD products such as CBD capsules, CBD e-liquids, CBD gummies and CBD creams will also provide you with a good quantity of CBD at a lower cost per serving in comparison to CBD water. CBD water is a more expensive option when choosing how to best take CBD oil.
Why Wont CBD & Water Normally Mix?
Chemically speaking, CBD is to a large extent non-polar, much like other oils and fats, as well as aldehydes and some other solvents. This means that each molecule has an even electromagnetic charge, – it’s not stronger at either end. This can be compared with water, which is polar.
The molecules of water are positive at one end and negative at the other. This can be demonstrated by rubbing an inflated balloon against a wool sweater to give it an electromagnetic charge and holding this near a gently running water tap. If the balloon has been charged properly and the stream of water is small enough, the water will deflect towards the balloon. Oils, alkanes, and aldehydes, on the other hand, would not deflect.
Why all this information? Polar and non-polar substances generally will not mix. Think of vinegar (polar) and oil (non-polar) in a salad dressing. To mix effectively, they need an emulsifier, such as mustard, or soap. As CBD is non-polar, water is polar, and neither mustard nor soap sound appealing in a usually refreshing drink. There has to be another way to mix the CBD into the water.
Of the UK companies currently manufacturing CBD Water, many claim to make use of nanotechnology. This process breaks down the CBD into nano-particles, and infuse it into the purified water. These processes are evidently trade-secrets, as no further information is given.
Should You Drink CBD Water?
It’s a cheaper but less effective way of taking CBD oil. When compared to other CBD products available to buy in the UK, it fails to stand out from the crowd. If you had to buy it every day then it would certainly hurt your pocket. It’s overpriced, contains minimal amounts of CBD and it’s exposure to light and air. All this raises questions as to whether CBD water provides any health benefits other than keeping you hydrated as a normal bottle of water would. SO I wouldn’t recommend turning to cannabidiol water if you want to take CBD every day.
When buying CBD oil in the UK, it’s probably best to buy CBD oil or CBD capsules as they offer better value for money overall.
General CBD-Infused Drinks
CBD water isnt the only CBD infused drink on the market. There are many different forms of CBD infused drinks. These include; Energy drinks, Sparkling water and Soda.
The variety is endless with many different types and flavours of CBD drinks. There is something for everyone’s taste. The majority of CBD infused drinks come with a 10mg dosage such as Calm CBD 10mg Lemon & Lime CBD Sparkling Water. Making these drinks very suitable for easy consumption of your daily CBD intake.
Benefits of CBD for Sports
CBD is well known to have many benefits. It has been shown to improve anxiety, chronic health conditions and multiple other conditions. Can it also be helpful for Sports?
We know that CBD has pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties. When athletes train they put a lot of stress on their bodies and muscles in particular. This can have many positive effects but it can also lead to injury.
Athletes could take advantage of the benefits CBD has to offer. It can help them relieve the pain from injuries and reduce inflammation in any affected areas of the body. There are many easy ways for athletes to consume CBD pre, post or during a workout. These include CBD water, capsules, creams or tinctures depending on individual preference.
How Long Does CBD Water Take to Absorb?
CBD infused drinks can be a very discreet way of consuming CBD. You don’t need to affect your lungs by smoking or vaping. It can also be considered one of the tastiest ways to consume CBD.
While it may be the tastiest way to consume CBD, it is also considered one of the slowest methods of absorbing CBD. This is because it needs to go through our entire digestive system before it is absorbed into the bloodstream.
It can take at least 30 minutes to 2 hours before the CBD hits the relevant receptors and starts to take effect. When CBD is consumed orally the effects tend to last for a shorter period of time. The effects typically last 2-3 hours.
CBD Water vs Tinctures/Capsules
Consuming CBD water can be very different compared to the more popular tincture or capsules form of CBD consumption. One of the biggest differences is the taste. CBD water comes in a variety of different flavours compared to tinctures and capsules which generally have no flavour.
Besides a great taste, CBD water can be a discreet way of consuming CBD. Most CBD infused drinks come in discreet packaging and could easily blend in as a normal everyday drink. In contrast, taking CBD tinctures or capsules can be a lot less discrete as you’re applying the CBD directly.
The only downside to taking CBD infused water over tinctures or capsules is the absorption time. Taking CBD in tincture form takes roughly 15 minutes to take effect. The absorption rate from CBD water or capsules can be much longer, taking at least 30 minutes up to 2 hours to take effect.
In summary, if you’re looking for a nice tasting way of consuming CBD, you should choose a CBD infused drink. However, if you’re looking for the effects to take place quickly and don’t mind the taste tinctures are the best option for you.
