Things to Consider First
Many people are on the search for high quality CBD oil, but what’s often most important to the consumer is the taste alongside the quality.
As you may know, the CBD industry is not regulated and there are no strict laws in place to monitor quality of products in the industry therefore, being able to generally understand what the nutrition label means and what the purpose of each ingredient is can help you choose a product that is both tasty, but also high quality and not overly processed.
As a nutritionist, I have had my fair share of grocery store tours, lectures, and cooking demos going over the nutrition labels on various food products. It may make you feel better to know that not many people, even well-educated adults, don’t entirely understand how to read the nutrition facts label and frankly, are too overwhelmed to even look at the ingredients.
I get it. It’s difficult, and that’s why I want to educate you on this complex subject.
Some companies advertise their oil as “hemp oil”, but that can mean one two things:
One: it’s just hempseed oil, which has a variety of benefits, but does not contain any trace of CBD. Unfortunately, this is where most consumers are taken advantage of due to the lack of understanding in what is contained in hempseed oil.
Two: “Hemp oil” can actually contain cannabidiol (CBD), but here is when you need to look at the milligram content of the extract followed by the ingredients to understand where it comes from and the overall quality.
Now that we have established the basic differences in types of “hemp” products, let’s get back to the main topic of this blog, which is how to know if the product is organic, non-artificially flavored, and full spectrum CBD.
Organic CBD Oil
When looking for flavored organic full spectrum CBD oil, the first thing that you should look for in the nutrition facts is…”CBD or cannabidiol.” If it’s truly an organic product, it should say the word “organic” as well before “CBD or cannabidiol.” However, due to spacing issues on the label, it may not always be possible, so visit the companies’ site or contact them to learn more about where their CBD comes from and how it’s processed and manufactured.
Even though the word organic is mentioned on the bottle somewhere flashy on the front; it can also mean that only one of the ingredients is organic, which is deceptive as the whole product is advertised as organic. For the most part though, many CBD products are organically grown, especially if grown, processed, and manufactured in the USA where we have much stricter regulations monitoring this process.
Full-Spectrum CBD Oil
In addition to organic, you should also look for “full spectrum” before CBD or cannabidiol on the label. This is one of the most important key words after “organic” when it comes to choosing your CBD product. If the product is full spectrum, this means the whole hemp plant is used to produce the CBD extract and that has many added benefits. One of the main benefits is the “entourage effect” where the over 100 active cannabinoids in the plant work together to boost the effect of CBD. To confirm a product is full spectrum, you should see either “terpenes” or “flavonoids” listed out on the Nutrition Facts label, or it should say “rich in terpenes and flavonoids.” You should also look at the latest batch lab reports to see what other cannabinoids were detected when tested. If no lab reports are available, this can be a major red flag.
Additionally, if that product says “areal parts” it means that the CBD is extracted from parts of the plant that are above ground, or in the air. Meaning that the entire leaf, steam, and flower of the plant is used. This is important to note because you are able to be sure that the product is rich in terpenes, flavonoids, and other cannabinoids, which therefore makes it a full-spectrum oil.
Water Soluble CBD Oil
As a bonus, if the product claims to be water-soluble or nano-emulsified (using patented technology), it should indicate that on the label as well to ensure this is the case. This is a hugely important aspect of CBD selection and one that really dictates the bioavailability of the product. As our bodies are made up of mostly water and, as we know, oil and water don’t mix, it is imperative that we only consume water soluble CBD so that it is actually effective in our bodies.
With non-water soluble CBD extraction, you only absorb about 5-10% of the CBD and the rest passes through as waste. With water soluble CBD, your body can absorb up to 100% of the CBD you consume, so you get the relief you need with the dosage you expect (Lanai Hemp only uses the highest quality water soluble CBD in all our products).
Milligram of CBD Oil
When the consumer sees a bottle that says “900mg CBD oil”, they assume that is the actual dosage they get each time they use the oil. This is not the case, and is a misconception due to the way the CBD industry advertises. 900mg means that the entire bottle/tincture/container, etc. has that much CBD extract in it. This is why looking at the milligrams of CBD oil in the nutrition facts determine how much you get in a serving size. See the bold highlighted text in the label below. Quality companies put this info in easily accessible places such as the front of the label.
For example, if you look at Lanai Hemp’s 900mg CBD tincture, you will notice that the consumer will get 30mg per 1mL serving of CBD oil. This is prominently displayed on the front of the label and on the Nutrition Facts as well. If you take any amount of CBD extract shown on the label of a bottle/tincture and divide by 30 (assuming a 1oz or 30mL bottle), you can get to the serving size per container for that particular product. As I mentioned earlier though, just because the product says a certain mg per serving of CBD, doesn’t necessarily mean your body can absorb that amount. The type and quality of the CBD product (water soluble vs. non-water soluble, full spectrum vs. isolate) and your individual body chemistry affects both the bioavailability of the product and your absorption rate.
Flavored CBD Oil
As far as being able to tell if the flavor used in the product is processed or artificial, again, you should look at the ingredients on the label to be sure.
First off, organic is always a great word to see. You will have a much lower chance of consuming pesticides, toxins, and chemicals that can be harmful for the body.
Cold-pressed is also another great word to see because that means the oils have not been heated, therefore reducing chances of early oxidation of the product and inactivating or decreasing/denaturing the overall nutrient profile of the product.
Many products use sugar alcohol as a cheap flavor booster/enhancer and preservative, but it can be very bad for the gastrointestinal tract, which defeats the purpose of the CBD product in the first place because it’s intended to be used to heal rather than hurt.
The bottom line is, you want to see a short list of ingredients that carry a healthy and healing purpose.
Lanai Hemp only uses organic cold-pressed fruit oil extracts for flavor that not only taste great, but also add additional benefits to our products. We also only carry full-spectrum and water-soluble products that enhance your overall wellness.
All of our products contain a short list of completely organic ingredients that are useful, harmless, and healthy! We take pride in keeping our products the way nature intended, while only adding other organic ingredients where needed, to make a powerful CBD product that is everything you want, and nothing less!