Plenty of people are looking for an easy way to take their daily CBD, and knowing the pros and cons of CBD capsules can help you decide if they’re right for you. CBD capsules look much like any other capsule, which has generated plenty of interest in the wellness community thanks to its familiar method of delivery, but unlike many supplements, CBD is readily available in a wide range of forms. Using the wrong delivery method could slow down the bioavailability or render your CBD less effective.
CBD Forms
Most CBD users are familiar with products using CBD oil. It’s the most versatile form of CBD. Once diluted into the desired concentration, it can be taken directly or infused into creams, lotions, foods, drinks, or vape liquid to give users their choice of how they choose to use hemp to promote their wellness.
The powder used in CBD capsules is usually a CBD isolate. What this means is that the CBD was isolated from the remainder of the oil, forming a crystalline structure. These crystals are ground down to a fine powder so they can be easily encapsulated. The differences between these two materials account for many of the pros and cons of CBD capsules you’ll need to consider.
Pros Of Using CBD Capsules
- Precision Dosing – Capsules are the best way to get exactly the amount of CBD intended. With no measuring by eye, there’s no human error involved. While you could use a graduated cylinder every time you measure a tincture or a scale every time you use an ointment, the reality is that “looks about right” is the closest most people come to getting an exact dose. With capsules, you know exactly how much CBD you’re getting in each capsule.
- Easily Carried – From pill planners to key fobs, there are a variety of ways to carry a couple of capsules with you wherever you go. One of the most important aspects of the pros and cons of CBD capsules for regular users is how easy it will be to have a dose with them when they need it. You can’t vape everywhere and breaking out a tincture bottle in the middle of the office is a lot more conspicuous than taking a pill.
- No Mess – Anyone who has had to sop up their favorite CBD tincture with a paper towel can relate to the desire for a no-spill delivery method. With capsules, there are no drips, spills, crumbs, or leftover residue on your skin.
- No Taste, Less Smell – Whether you’re put off by the “herbal” taste of a tincture or its oily mouthfeel, CBD capsules let you avoid all that. Gelatin capsules are tasteless, help contain some of the odor associated with some hemp blends, and avoid using oil as a delivery method. For those who take CBD orally, these pros and cons of CBD capsules are an important factor.
- Slower Metabolization – Capsules don’t release their contents until they get to your stomach, at which point it mixes with the rest of your stomach contents before being absorbed. This means the effects of capsules often last longer than tincture taken sublingually.
Cons Of CBD Capsules
- Oral Delivery Only – You can take CBD capsules orally, and that’s about it. You lose a lot of the versatility of CBD oil, but if that is the only way you’re interested in getting your CBD, it’s not one of the CBD capsules pros and cons that factor in.
- Harder To Adjust Dosage Incrementally – Along with the precision of CBD capsules comes a more rigid dosage structure. If you feel like you need just a bit more, you either have to buy different capsules or take another form with your capsules to make up the correct amount, most likely eliminating any benefit from switching to capsules in the first place.
- Lack Of Sensory Experience – CBD oil edibles are yummy, but even straight CBD oil engages your senses, making it easier to remember when you’ve taken your dose. If you’re a taste person, though, a capsule’s lack of experience may be a turn-off.
- Not Targeted – Because it’s so versatile, CBD oil can be included in lotions, balms, and creams that deliver CBD to the body part you want it to help. Oral CBD medicine is untargeted, spreading the CBD throughout your body, and since capsules are only for oral use, there’s no way to avoid that effect.
- Isolates Don’t Contain Terpenes – One of the biggest drawbacks for those who intend to use CBD for therapeutic reasons is that isolate removes almost everything except cannabidiol. That means you’re losing the terpenes that may have their own synergistic effects with the CBD, so you may not get the same level of benefits from capsules as you do whole-plant options. An important consideration when looking at the pros and cons of CBD capsules depending on what you really want to get from your hemp-derived products.
- But Your Capsules May Contain Other Things – In order to deliver a good capsule for consumption, certain other ingredients may be added to help the material flow better in the encapsulation machine, weigh more or less per capsule as needed, or fill the capsule body completely for a better appearance. While these include natural and human-formulated materials like calcium carbonate, cellulose, or silica compounds that are commonly found in nutritional supplements, not everyone wants to put them in their body.
- Slower Acting – Waiting for your CBD to mix and absorb through your stomach takes around 45 minutes to an hour. A sublingual tincture is absorbed in as little as 20 minutes, getting your body the CBD it needs faster.
Support Your Wellness Your Way
Whether capsules are right for you, only you can say. Weigh the pros and cons of CBD capsules carefully, and choose what fits your lifestyle. You can always count on Core CBD to bring you the highest-quality CBD products on the market, so order yours with confidence today.
