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Do High-Fat Foods Help Aid CBD Absorption?

A recent study published by the University of Minnesota about CBD swept across the media. The study announced that high-fat foods were effective at increasing CBD absorption in the body.

As bioavailability or the amount of CBD consumed that ends up absorbed by the body, is generally low - this is great news!

Join us as we dive in and talk about fatty foods, CBD, bioavailability, and how to increase the effectiveness of your next dose:

What the studies say about consuming CBD with food

The study, published here, took a group of 8 patients suffering from refractory epilepsy and split them into two groups. Four fasting individuals went without breakfast in the morning before their dose and the other four individuals ate 840-860 calorie high-fat breakfast burritos before taking their dose.

As many do, this study utilized pharmaceutical-style CBD administration. Test subjects were given capsules filled with CBD isolate. As we know, isolates require higher and more specific dosages than broad or full-spectrum products, so choosing a superior product will boost these already encouraging results.

• The most important note here is that we recognize that consuming CBD with fats does work to aid absorption. This study is not the first to mention this, however. A previously published study provided a detailed account of this same concept back in 2016 and cites studies that utilize similar concepts as early as 1991.
• Though the study is based on pharmaceutical applications, it will carry over to real-world applications. It's been noted in studies like this one that the entourage effect observed when consuming full and broad-spectrum products may help to aid in the overall absorption and bioavailability of the various compounds in the extract.
• The study lacks nuance in terms of effectiveness across different amounts of fat, types of fats consumed, and the timing of consumption. That said, it can be safely assumed that taking your CBD with a standard-sized meal containing healthy fats is ideal.

As we mentioned in the intro, CBD bioavailability is incredibly important as the compound suffers from low absorption in many cases. This is seen in the research being performed on the topic as well as the advances made in product development to help improve absorption. This makes this study all the more important!

An easy recommendation with big benefits

The big conclusion is: be sure to take CBD with the healthy, fat-containing foods you already consume! Even though most CBD products contain carrier oils like MCT, fatty foods will help further increase absorption.

Some notes:

• As always, we suggest sourcing healthy fats in your meals including nuts, seeds, avocados, high-quality oils, and fish.
• Also, consider CBD-infused bulletproof coffee!
• Consume CBD with fat-containing supplements you may already take like omega-3-rich fish oil.
• Be conscious of your chosen method of ingestion and choose highly bioavailable product types.
• Choose CBD products that are designed to aid absorption including those that utilize carrier oils and water-soluble technologies (like ours here at Big Sky Botanicals!)
• Test, observe your results, and adjust as necessary!

More questions, more to explore!

This study is just the tip of the iceberg and helps raise many points for discussion.

• Since there is evidence of whole-plant applications being more bioavailable, how would the same study compare if full and broad spectrum alternatives were utilized in place of CBD isolate?
• Does fat consumption have the same impact on water-soluble products utilizing various types of emulsions?
• How effective are the fatty carrier oils in existing products? Is the fat content of the product alone enough to achieve maximum bioavailability?
• Are some fat sources more effective at aiding absorption than others?
• What is the ideal amount of fat to consume, and when, to achieve maximum effectiveness?

We hope that further study will uncover important answers so we can further tailor recommendations and help boost the effectiveness of CBD consumption. Until then, the general guidance above will help you get more benefits from the CBD you're already consuming.

As we learn more about the topic, we will be sure to update you. Subscribe to our newsletter below to stay in the loop, and be sure to leave any experiences you have consuming high-fat foods with CBD in the comments below!

by Vince Arnone | Originally Published: March 11, 2020 - Last Updated: May 30, 2022

Vince is the co-founder of Big Sky Botanicals. He combines his 15+ years in eCommerce experience with his deep interest in CBD as web developer and editor-in-chief.

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