A Crash Course on Why Organic CBD Oil is Better Than Isolate
CBD options can seem overwhelming: Do you buy organic full-spectrum CBD oil or just go with CBD isolate? And then there are lotions and tinctures and gummies and on and on and on…
You may just be looking for some help relaxing or hoping to sleep better, right? And the stress of so many choices probably isn’t helping.
So which form of CBD is most effective? And how do you choose?
Relax.
You’re in good hands.
We’re here to help you understand which form of CBD is most effective (and why we think it’s organic full-spectrum CBD oil and not CBD isolate) and show you how to choose the best organic CBD oil.
Where Does CBD Come From?
Let’s start with some context.
Cannabidiol (or CBD) is one of the most common cannabinoids in the hemp plant (a member of the cannabis plant family) and is non-psychoactive, meaning it doesn’t make you feel “high.”
CBD is the subject of a lot of new and emerging research and it continues to show a lot of promise. From managing stress to supporting sleep, reducing inflammation, and even combating epilepsy, CBD’s proven and potential benefits are exciting!
But CBD isn’t the only compound or cannabinoid in hemp.
In fact, researchers have identified more than 100 cannabinoids among the hundreds of compounds present in hemp, cannabinoids like cannabigerol (CBG), cannabinol (CBN), and cannabichromene (CBC), and compounds like flavonoids, terpenes, and more!
It’s a helluva plant.
But if CBD’s so good, why not just use the isolated stuff? Why would you need everything else in hemp?
Organic Full-Spectrum CBD Oil v. Isolate – What’s the Difference?
You still want to know how to choose the best organic CBD oil, right? Good.
Products on the CBD spectrum can be put into three basic categories: full spectrum, broad spectrum, and isolate.
Isolate is the result of all the buzz around CBD over the past few years, buzz that has led a lot of companies to just isolate CBD in labs. These processes often uses harsh solvents to separate CBD from most of hemp’s other beneficial compounds, like cannabinoids, flavonoids, terpenes, and more.
The result? A tasteless, odorless powder. Meh.
Companies mix it with an oil and there you have it: CBD oil.
It’s worth noting that, because CBD isolate is the result of harsh processes and solvents, it’s extremely difficult for an isolate company to be certified organic.
Broad spectrum is just what the name implies: It includes a few other hemp-derived compounds, so its scope is wider than just CBD, but the harsh processes creating it are similar to those that create isolate.
Full-spectrum CBD oil, on the other hand, avoids these harsh processes and solvents to preserve the essence of hemp and all its compounds, not just CBD.
This last category is the type of organic CBD we make here at Danodan: full spectrum.
Studies show that the additional compounds in hemp like flavonoids and terpenes help to protect and strengthen the body and its responses.
That’s why, at Danodan, our first ingredient is always premium, organic hemp, and it’s why we keep our process intentionally minimal (but no less effective) to preserve all of hemp’s beneficial qualities.
Why is Full Spectrum Most Effective?
This is where it gets exciting…
A theory known as The Entourage Effect suggests that CBD by itself (in other words, CBD isolate) is just not as effective as it could be.
Like Danodan’s founder Daniel Stoops says: An orange is more than vitamin C. A carrot is more than beta carotene. And hemp is more than just CBD.
The entourage effect suggests that, not only are hemp’s many compounds beneficial, but, when taken together, they actually emphasize each other’s benefits.
This 2018 review of studies citing the entourage effect, for example, found that CBD-rich products appeared more effective at reducing seizures than just CBD alone.
It’s sort of a greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts idea.
Danodan had this in mind when we first started making our organic full-spectrum CBD oils.
Our minimal process pres