Should You Take CBD on an Empty Stomach?

You’ve heard about the fantastic benefits of cannabidiol (CBD), and you’re eager to try it. But where do you start? Do you consume CBD with food? Or on an empty stomach? How do CBD and eating go together?

Perhaps you’ve been told that taking CBD on an empty stomach is the best way to get the most out of it, as with many dietary supplements. But is this true? And if so, why? What are the benefits and risks of doing so? In this article, we’ll explore whether taking CBD on an empty stomach is better than taking it with food.

How Taking CBD on an Empty Stomach Works

When you eat food, it triggers the release of different digestive enzymes. These enzymes travel through your body to break down the food you’ve eaten into energy, vitamins and minerals. They also break down substances in food products that could be harmful to the body.

CBD is a fat-soluble compound that is stored in the body’s fat cells. The rate at which your body can absorb CBD is increased when you take it on an empty stomach. When you take CBD on an empty stomach, you’re skipping the first step of digestion. In this case, the CBD will travel through your digestive system and end up in your liver. Your liver is responsible for metabolizing the CBD so that it can be distributed to the rest of your body.

When you eat something, your body will take most of its energy to digest the food that you’re consuming. When you take CBD while your body is busy doing this, it will take longer to be absorbed.

Your liver is responsible for metabolizing the CBD in your body. If you’ve eaten recently, the CBD in your liver will have to wait to be processed until your body is finished with your meal. This process can be expedited by consuming food products that are high fat. In fact, a study by the University of Minnesota found that CBD exposure was vastly increased when taken with fatty foods versus non-fatty foods. Taking CBD on an empty stomach will free up your liver to focus on breaking down the CBD, which will help it absorb into your bloodstream quicker and engage with your endocannabinoid system.

Benefits of Taking CBD on an Empty Stomach

Taking CBD on an empty stomach may have a number of benefits, depending on what you’re looking to achieve. It’s been shown that you’ll receive more of the CBD when you take it on an empty stomach, which will heighten the effects of the CBD. This is because when taken on an empty stomach, the CBD travels into your bloodstream much quicker.

When you take it on a full stomach, the CBD has to make its way through your digestive system before it can get into your blood. This means that you’ll get a smaller amount of CBD, which may lower the chance of providing you with the desired benefits.

Risks of Taking CBD on an Empty Stomach

Although taking CBD on an empty stomach increases the speed at which it reaches your bloodstream, it doesn’t increase the speed at which it reaches your cells. This means that it will take the same amount of time to get to your cells whether you take it on an empty stomach or not.

As we’ve established, taking CBD on an empty stomach can lead to a higher amount of CBD making its way through your system. This can cause you to experience side effects as your body tries to manage any excess amount of CBD, which may include feeling groggy or lethargic.

How to Take CBD on an Empty Stomach

In order to take CBD on an empty stomach, you’ll need to separate your CBD dose from your meals. For example, if you usually eat breakfast at 9 AM and you want to take your CBD at 10 AM, you will skip breakfast. Taking CBD on an empty stomach isn’t the same as fasting.

Things to Remember When Taking CBD on an Empty Stomach

Certain CBD products are meant to be taken on an empty stomach, while others may not be. Double-check that the type of hemp derived CBD you’re taking is meant to be taken on an empty stomach. If it isn’t, it could increase the likelihood of the side effects previously mentioned. Choose a CBD product with a high bioavailability: Bioavailability refers to how much of the CBD actually reaches your bloodstream.

Drink water: While you’re waiting for the CBD to be digested and make its way to your bloodstream, you’ll be waiting for the food in your stomach to digest too. This means that you’ll be waiting for the CBD and the food in your stomach to move through your system at the same time. To speed up this process, it’s important to stay hydrated.

The Bottom Line

When taken at the right time and with the right dosage, CBD can have an amazing array of benefits, including easing the symptoms of anxiety, improving sleep quality, and soothing pain. This does not mean CBD will prevent any disease, or necessarily diagnose, treat, or cure, your symptoms. The contents of your stomach can impact the speed and effectiveness of realizing these benefits.

Taking CBD on an empty stomach can speed up the process at which it reaches your bloodstream. The result is a faster onset of effects and a shorter period of time before your body can break down the dosage again. If you do eat food with your CBD, try to eat foods high in healthy fats. It’s important to choose the right kind of CBD oil to take on an empty stomach. It’s also important to remember to stay hydrated while you’re waiting for the CBD to be digested and make its way to your bloodstream.

If you’re interested in testing CBD with or without your next meal, try CLEO EASE or BLISS CBD gummies. EASE contains 50mg of CBD per gummy, and zero THC for maximum relief without any psychoactive effects. BLISS contains 10mg of CBD and 10mg Delta-8 THC per gummy for relief with a gentle, uplifting buzz.