CBD and MCT Oil: The Connection
Unless you’re just starting out in the CBD community, you’ll likely know that most products contain a lot more than just CBD. MCT oil is one of the most common of the other ingredients, but why is that? Is there something special about MCT oil? What is the CBD MCT oil connection?
In this article, we answer all the most common questions we’ve heard from the CBD Choice community regarding CBD, MCT oil, and the ways they come together to create the world-class CBD oil tinctures you know and love.
What is MCT Oil, And Where Does It Come From?
Medium Chain Triglyceride oil, better known as MCT oil, is a type of saturated fatty acid that is frequently used in natural products in a variety of fields. These include dietary supplements, foods and beverages, beauty products, and, yes, wellness tools like CBD oil tinctures.
MCT oil can be made from a wide variety of sources, including coconut, avocado, grapeseed, and olive oil bases. Knowing which MCT oil base to use is mainly a matter of personal preference, as each offers more or less the same benefits and dietary considerations.
When it comes to products combining CBD and MCT oil, many if not most manufacturers have elected to use coconut-based MCT oils. Again, this choice has a minimal impact on the final product, and it’s likely that manufacturers make this decision based on a combination of economic cost and environmental impact.
Most users should be unconcerned with the source of their MCT oil. However, if you are allergic to coconut or other tree nuts, be sure to verify whether your CBD MCT oil is derived from such a source.
What Are the Benefits of MCT Oil?
The dietary benefits of MCT oil are the main reason why it has been used extensively throughout many industries. MCT oils are very easy to digest and, in contrast with most saturated fats, are metabolized very quickly and may not be stored in body fat.
MCT oils are rich in healthy fats and contain virtually no carbohydrates, sugars, or other macronutrients. Contrary to common belief, fats are an absolutely essential part of any diet, and healthy fats such as MCT oil provide a rich, readily-available source of energy that can fit easily into almost any diet.
In fact, several diets, such as the keto diet, Atkins diet, and other “low carb” diets, often use MCT oil as a key energy source and a “carb-free” source of rich fats and natural calories.
But What is the CBD MCT Oil Connection?
When isolated from the hemp plants in which it grows, CBD is a fine, white powder. When sold on its own, this powder is referred to as “CBD isolate”.
While CBD isolate offers all of the benefits of other CBD products, most users find it somewhat less convenient than CBD oil. That’s because CBD isolate requires the use of a fine powder scale to measure one’s dose, and it typically needs to be taken with a glass of water -- lest you choke and wheeze in a fashion reminiscent of the cinnamon challenge!
To make dosing more convenient, most manufacturers produce a liquid CBD product known as CBD oil or CBD tincture. However, making oil tinctures is not as simple as mixing CBD isolate into any old liquid.
In its natural state, CBD is not water-soluble (though some manufacturers, such as CBD Living, use a slightly modified form of water-soluble or “nano” CBD). Instead, CBD is fat-soluble, meaning that liquid CBD products need to use a fat-rich substance such as MCT oil in order to properly dissolve and suspend the dose of CBD they contain!
Does MCT Oil Improve CBD’s Effectiveness?
Yes and no.
On the one hand, MCT oil does not fundamentally change the way your body reacts to CBD. MCT oil will not add additional effects to your regular CBD treatment. Its main purpose is as a carrier oil -- that is, to allow the CBD to dissolve evenly and prevent separation from the liquid over time.
But while MCT oil does not fundamentally change CBD’s effects, it can make CBD more effective!
CBD’s effectiveness is determined by the bioavailability of the CBD product you choose to use. Although the concept of bioavailability can be somewhat confusing, it basically refers to the efficiency with which your body can absorb and use the dose of CBD.
Because MCT oil is so easily absorbed by the body (as described above), CBD suspended in it is also very easily absorbed and used. By using a highly-efficient carrier oil, CBD MCT oil products are able to increase the bioavailability of their CBD dose and allow users to get more bang for their CBD buck!
The CBD MCT Oil Connection, In Closing
CBD and MCT oil aren’t the only top-class combination, but it’s hard to deny the benefits that the two offer when working together. MCT oil not only increases CBD’s bioavailability and effectiveness but also fits easily into virtually any diet, provides the body with a rich, easily-digested source of energy, and provides the perfect, fat-rich base that CBD needs to dissolve.
In short? CBD MCT oil products are so widely popular for a very good reason. MCT oil helps bring out the very best in CBD, increasing the effectiveness and convenience of your dose. And because it has a very neutral taste, it works easily with the wide variety of flavors found in CBD oil tinctures.
