One of the most asked questions we get is about the flavor of CBD. As you know, CBD oil is a supplement that is taken in oral form -meaning through the mouth-. A lot of people who are thinking of starting their journeys with CBD wonder if it’ll taste like weed and if it’ll be harder to swallow.
In this article, we are discussing the taste of CBD, how the flavor influences the benefits, and the options you have available in the market.
How Should CBD Taste Like?
Well, it depends. The majority of our customers prefer taking their CBD oil without flavor since it makes them feel like it’s a cleaner product and a purer version of the main compound, CBD.
The taste of CBD oils differs greatly from each other. For example, crude CBD oil has a raw earthy taste with a strong flavor. You may have also heard of full-spectrum CBD oil which tastes similar to hemp. On the other hand, CBD isolates have little to no taste, which makes them an excellent choice to be added to food or drinks.
The taste of CBD oil also depends on the terpenes and type of base used, whether it is olive oil, coconut oil or hemp seed oil. While terpenes are the chemicals responsible for the aroma perceived in many plants, they can also alter how said plant tastes when inside our mouths. Did you know that these two senses -taste and scent- work in synergy when you are ingesting something? This is because the mouth and nose are connected through the same airway.
In other terms, since your mouth can only distinguish between sweet, salty, sour, and savory tastes, and your nose is the actual responsibility for the other tastes by capturing the aromas, next time you find yourself taking a CBD oil that is too earthy for you, we recommend you plug your nose to improve your experience a bit! This, of course, won’t hinder any of the benefits of your supplement.
CBD Oil with Flavor for Better Results?
A fun fact: Some of our customers actually like their CBD oil with flavor because it makes them feel as though it works better.
But, is there some truth in that? There is no short answer to this as with anything related to our bodies, it depends on different aspects. Take for example two of our original oils: THEIA 1500mg (no flavor) and APHRODITE 1500mg (added hemp flavor).
Both of these oils have 1500mg of CBD isolate which means they both have the exact same quantity of the key compound that delivers all the benefits to your body. In addition, they both are made of the same MCT base which is coconut oil. The only difference between the two of them is that, whereas our THEIA has no flavor and has only two ingredients in the formula, our APHRODITE has a third ingredient which is the added hemp flavor, giving it a more noticeable nutty taste.
Exactly, the only compound that differentiates the two products is a chemical that is going to be perceived by your nose, your mouth, and, of course, your brain. So, how can this make a difference in the benefits to your health? This is called the placebo effect.
Is CBD Oil a Placebo?
The placebo effect is none other than the most powerful solution known to modern medicine: the power of the mind. A placebo drug is a pill, tablet, or any sort of treatment that you take believing that it is the medicine you need for a specific health problem. However, the placebo drug, unlike real medicine, is nothing more than something created to trick your mind into thinking it has all the properties of real medicine without actually having them.
Placebos are often used in clinical trials and scientific research to discredit or verify the potential benefits of certain drugs or treatments before they hit the market. However, and unfortunately so, placebo is also a term used by many to describe holistic supplements or alternative treatments as they are based on “natural medicine” and traditional beliefs.
Although we can’t advocate for all alternative treatments, a study published in 2021 by Martin De Vita, shows that the pain-relieving benefits of CBD are real and do not depend on whether the person taking it believes in it or not.
The relation between the placebo effect and the potential enhancement of the properties of CBD by choosing a CBD oil with flavor is to do with the mind. We as humans tend to believe more in something that we can perceive through our senses (smell, touch, taste, sight, and hearing) which actually means that the more senses something we interact with stimulates, the more we will deem it as “real”.
This applies to CBD oil as well. The customers that prefer APHRODITE over THEIA, are the customers who consider the added flavor as added properties and, by believing that it could work better, it actually does.
When trying to explain how the mind works we find ourselves lost in the wonderfulness and mysteries of the brain. This is why what we explained above may not work for an individual that reads this article and decides to try taking CBD oil with flavor in the hopes that it will deliver better just because it has flavor in it. As cliché as it sounds, it only works if you truly and deeply believe it will.
Conclusion
The flavors of CBD can vary depending on the form in which you are taking it, the concentration, and, of course, the formula in which it has been made into. However, flavor or taste alone can’t determine the properties that the compound has. Even though some people prefer flavorless CBD oils, others have grown to prefer the formulas with asses taste as they believe it can work better for them.
