I often go on about how I've been using CBD oils for over a year now but this is the first time I have ever tried what is referred to as 'raw' CBD. Naturally, I was really excited to try One Life Foods' and see how it could help me and my endometriosis. I was kindly gifted the 5% (500mg) oil but it is also available in 10% (1000mg) and 20% (2000mg) strengths, depending on your needs and what your body is used to. For more information about this, check out my post: WTF is CBD anyway?
So, what makes One Life Foods' oil so different?
The majority of CBD oils go through the process of decarboxylation (heating it up) to activate the CBD but One Life Foods' doesn't. As a result, it contains higher levels of CBDA (the acid that converts into CBD), cannflavins A,B and C, amino acids and minerals that would have otherwise been removed if it had gone through the decarboxylation process.
Why is this a good thing?
CBDA has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties and can reduce nausea (Havelka, 2019), cannflavins A, B and C also have anti-inflammatory properties which have been shown to 'exhibit anti-inflammatory activity that is thirty times that of aspirin' (Rea, et al. 2019). When you apply that information to the fact that endometriosis is an oestrogen dependent inflammatory disease, it makes a product like this all the more appealing.
Science lesson over, One Life Foods' Raw oil contains a coconut MCT carrier oil to make it easier to consume but it still has a slightly thicker viscosity which does take some getting used to. This oil had a strong hemp (almost herby) based taste which I found to be quite strong but after using it for a couple of days I barely noticed it. Bearing that it mind, I think this would be a great oil to use if you follow a vegan or raw diet, like your products to be as natural as can be or like adding CBD to your smoothies/food.
As aforementioned, I used the 500mg (5%) oil and took 5 drops 3 times a day, usually around breakfast, lunch and bed time; this dosage worked out at around 34mg in total. Whilst this was a slightly lower dose than what my body is used to, I found that after a few days of it being in my system that I was much more relaxed and calmer.
I also loved the fact that the pipette has a measuring scale on the pipette which made it super easy to keep track of how much I had taken. In terms of my endometriosis, I found that the tension and spasms in my back reduced to the point that they were a mild inconvenience and the intensity of my uterus spasms were also less severe both in general and during a flare. I also noticed that I fell asleep quicker at night which was a bonus!
The team at One Life Foods are lovely and understanding of how debilitating living with endometriosis can be. They gave me great advice regarding on the dosage I should take as well as being super quick to answer any questions I had.
One Life Foods' 5% Raw Oil is £30 for 10ml and £75 for 30ml.
*This post contains PR samples/gifted items, for my PR disclaimer, click here.
References:
Havelka, J. (2019) What is CBDA (cannabidiolic acid) & what are the benefits of this cannabinoid? [Online} Available from: https://www.leafly.com/news/cbd/what-is-cbda-cannabidiolic-acid-marijuana-cannabinoid [Accessed 3 August 2020]
Rae, K., Casaretto, M., SameerAl-Abdul-Wahid, M., Geddes-McAlister, J., Rothstein, S. & Akhtara, T. (2019) Biosynthesis of cannflavins A and B from Cannabis sativa L. Phytochemistry. [Online] 164, 162-171. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phytochem.2019.05.009 [Accessed 3 August 2020]