According to an interesting new study, when CBD is taken along with fatty foods, absorption rates are increased up to 14 times.

The study, published in June in the Epilepsia Journal, was entitled “Food effect on pharmacokinetics of cannabidiol oral capsules in adult patients with refractory epilepsy.” The study looked at the difference between taking CBD in oral form with a high-fat meal as compared with fasting. While some research has been carried out on the relationship between CBD and various conditions, only a small amount of research is available when it comes to CBD absorption.

The new study, carried out by scientists at the University of Minnesota, looked at eight patients. They found that the absorption rate of CBD, when taken with fatty foods, was much higher than in a fasted state. From the results of the study, “On average Cmax was 14 times and AUC0‐∞ 4 times higher in the fed state. The 90% CI for the ratio of fed versus fast conditions for Cmax and AUC0‐∞ were 7.47‐31.86 and 3.42‐7.82, respectively. No sequence or period effect for Cmax and AUC0‐∞ was observed. No adverse events were reported.”

The study could prove vital for the future of medical cannabis and specifically CBD. The study also looked closely at CBD absorption rates when taken in capsule form. The researchers also found that CBD delivered via capsules absorbed better than liquid formations. CBD levels in the blood were measured during fasted states as well as when taken within 30 minutes of a fatty meal containing at least 800 calories total. The authors also noted that the increased absorption had no knock-on effects in the subjects in terms of cognitive or psychoactive results. 

Lead author of the study, Angela Birnbaum, said about the research, “For epilepsy patients, a goal is to maintain consistent blood concentrations of drugs. This study shows that CBD concentrations could vary significantly if patients take it differently, sometimes with or without food. Variations in blood concentrations could leave a patient more susceptible to seizures.”

The conclusions are also limited, specifically when it comes to the question of the actual fat content in a meal. As only eight patients were followed and tested, the conclusions of the study are a little underpowered and open to debate. However, other research exists to suggest that fat content in food affects absorption rates of compounds like CBD.

With that said, the conclusion of the study noted that “Administering CBD as a capsule rather than a liquid allows for more precise determination of pharmacokinetic parameters and is more representative of CBD swallowed products.” That fact alone is something exciting for those developing medical CBD products as much as it is for patients who take them.