How does the entourage effect of CBD oil work?
One of the benefits of using CBD oil is the entourage effect. This term describes the phenomenon that the different active substances in CBD work together more powerfully than if a single substance were used. CBD oil contains a large amount of active substances, such as cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids. With a full spectrum CBD oil you also benefit from the entourage effect that can have a positive effect on your health .
The discovery of the entourage effect
The phenomenon of the entourage effect is actually still relatively new. It was first described only in 1998 by two Israeli researchers, Mechoulam and Ben-Shabat. They had been researching cannabis for years, and now they had discovered that the combination of CBD and THC together has more effect than if you used the substances alone.
The reason for this is that CBD and THC interact and alter each other's effects. THC is the substance in cannabis that has a mind-altering effect. CBD has a calming, analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect. If you take both substances at the same time, they interact synergistically with each other. In fact, you could say that the whole is more than the sum of its parts. However, CBD oil contains many more active substances. Not just cannabinoids, such as CBD, but also terpenes and flavonoids. They all work together through the entourage effect.
The different active substances in CBD Oil
As mentioned earlier, full spectrum CBD oil contains different active substances, such as different cannabinoids (more than 110 have already been discovered), for example CBD and CBG. THC is also a cannabinoid, but it has been established by law that CBD oil cannot contain more than 0.03% THC. This is such a low percentage that it is negligible and you will not notice any psychoactive effects. Some of the cannabinoids in CBD oil are:
- CBD
- CBC
- CBG
- CBN
- CBE
- CBDV
- CBDL
- HTC
In addition to these cannabinoids, CBD oil is rich in terpenes. Terpenes have an important function in plants. They help protect the plant against damage, attract the right insects and play a role in the plant's metabolism. In combination with cannabinoids, they influence the effects of these substances. Well-known terpenes are linalool, humulene, myrcene and pinene.
And then there are the flavonoids in CBD oil. These substances give leaves, flowers and fruit their beautiful colours. They are also found in the hemp plant, where they give color to the buds. In CBD oil they can have a positive influence on health. Examples of flavonoids are quercetin, cannflavin A, B and C and apigenin.
Has the entourage effect of CBD oil been properly researched?
Now you may think, that's great, that all those substances in CBD oil work together in an entourage effect, but is there any real evidence for this? A lot of research is already being done into the effects of CBD oil in itself, but not yet specifically into the entourage effect. Nevertheless, some information is already known.
In 2018, several investigationsanalyzed. This showed that pure CBD extracts were less effective than full spectrum CBD oil in epileptic seizures. When patients received pure CBD, only 46% saw a reduction in seizures. The other patients took CBD oil that also contained terpenes, and there was a 71% reduction in seizures. This shows that pure CBD is already quite effective, but that it works even better in combination with the other active substances present in the hemp plant.
Another study that shows the synergistic cooperation of cannabinoids is that of researcher Russo. He indicates that a dose of 10 mg of pure THC causes a toxic psychosis in 40% of people. However, when they use Savitex (which contains equal amounts of CBD and THC), only 4 of the 250 patients developed a toxic psychosis. This is because CBD inhibits the effect of THC.
Full spectrum or CBD isolate?
If you are thinking about using CBD oil, there are several options. You can go for full spectrum CBD oil: it contains all cannabinoids, but also the terpenes and flavonoids. So you benefit from the entourage effect. The oil is available in different strengths, from 5% up to 20% CBD. You can also opt for CBD capsules, which are easy to use.
In addition, there is CBD isolate, which can be in the form of oil, but also in the form of crystals. A CBD isolate contains only CBD and no terpenes or flavonoids. There is therefore no question of an entourage effect, but you do have the certainty that you are getting pure CBD. This can also be useful if you are concerned about whether THC would show up on a drug test if you used a full spectrum product.
It therefore depends entirely on your own preference which type of CBD suits you. In our webshop you have a lot of choice, you will not only find CBD oil and CBD crystals, but also CBD paste, CBD hash en CBD edibles.
