CBD tincture flavorings come in many forms, both natural and artificial. Surprisingly, many CBD products are artificially flavored and colored. Even many of the expensive and well-known brands can contain these nasty additives.
So, what exactly are artificial flavors? The FDA defines artificial flavors as:
“The term artificial flavor or artificial flavoring means any substance, the function of which is to impart flavor, which is not derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof. Artificial flavor includes the substances listed in 172.515(b) and 582.60 of this chapter except where these are derived from natural sources.”
Artificial Flavorings Impact on Health
Basically any lab created concoction which is not derived from nature and adds flavor to a food or beverage is an artificial flavor. Many research studies have proven a long list of artificial flavors to be unsafe for human consumption.
Artificial Flavorings have been known to cause many health related problems including: nervous system depression, dizziness, chest pain, headaches, fatigue, allergies, brain damage, seizures, nausea, and much more. Some of the popular CBD tincture flavorings can also cause genetic defects, tumors, bladder cancer, and many types of cancers.
A 2018 study published in the Brazilian Journal of Biology revealed the inherent dangers of artificial flavors in our foods.
A group of mice were fed artificial flavorings each day along with their food. These were the artificial flavors that they were fed which are commonly found in ice cream, cookies and CBD tinctures :
- 2 mL/Kg of chocolate flavoring
- 5 mL/Kg of strawberry flavoring
- 10 mL/Kg of cookie flavoring
All of the mice fed with these synthetic flavors died by day 6 of the experiment.
Tissue samples revealed that the flavor additives had toxic effects on their cells. Many studies have shown that artificial flavors can cause obesity, migraines, tumors, and disease.
So why do many of these CBD companies put potentially dangerous compounds in their products? Perhaps they do so without knowing the full implications. With so many large food manufacturers ignoring the warnings and studies and government agencies unwilling to regulate these ingredients it opens the door to ignorance and profit. Artificial flavors are far cheaper to buy in bulk and have a far longer shelf life and stability.
Using Organic & Natural CBD Tincture Flavorings
There are natural alternatives though. Hempstrax sought to research and find a healthy organic alternative to flavor their products: steam distilled, edible essential oils for adding CBD tincture flavorings. The result is a healthy, natural, organic flavored CBD tincture that not only benefits from CBD but also from organic MCT oil and essential oils which work twofold.
The benefits from ingested essential oils can be beneficial to the body. Lavender for example promotes calm and aids in digestion as does peppermint. Cinnamon can be an upper and energizer. Melaleuca is a powerful antioxidant and is anti-inflammatory in nature.
If a processed food enters the stomach our body acts accordingly. It is very fast to recognize food vs a foreign, synthetic, processed inferior product. So, if you are taking your CBD combined with artificial colors and flavors your body may not be receiving the full nutritional benefits from your CBD.
Hempstrax products take a different view and have produced a range of tinctures and topicals that are all natural.
‘Food as medicine’ can also be applied to Hempstrax tinctures which are one of the only companies on the market to use organic MCT oil as a carrier oil. All of their tinctures are flavored with organic, steam-distilled essential oils.
Hempstrax topicals are created using the highest quality distillate and isolate sourced from organically grown USA hemp flower. All ingredients are organic wherever possible and are derived from nature. It really makes a difference to the end product. Hempstrax topicals start at $8 for a 0.5oz, 125mg Topical Salve.
CBD has become a go to product to treat a range of ailments as the side effects are minimal and many people benefit from instant relief. Perhaps most commonly used function of CBD is to treat pain and inflammation, but its applications go far beyond this. CBD can be used to treat anxiety, depression, sleeplessness, seizures, migraines just to name a few.
All Natural CBD Tincture Flavorings
The most important thing to remember when choosing a product is to read the label. If the ingredients are hard to pronounce, they are probably not natural. Look for organic and plant based. There are many plant based colors and flavors that are more enjoyable and healthy than their counterfeit alternatives. The main reason they are not more often used is profitability.
While we do not want to call out any CBD companies for taking shortcuts and possibly jeopardizing your health and well being, it is easily recognizable if you dig a little deeper into the list of ingredients. Here’s an example of a CBD tincture label that clearly states their CBD tincture flavorings are both natural and artificial:
Naturally-flavored products tend to be made from organic ingredients and more often than not they are free from artificial pesticides, herbicides, and other pollutants — thereby reducing your exposure to chemicals.
Whichever choice you make we are always here to answer questions and to assist you on your wellness journey. We believe in sourcing organic products from sustainable farming practices to ensure a better world for our generation and generations to come.
If you enjoyed our article or have questions please leave us comments and we will get back to you. We strive to create current and informative content on CBD and health related issues.
OC Wellness Solutions is located in Stanton, California. We pride ourselves on being the best choice for CBD products as we are dedicated to helping our customers make an educated choice. We are constantly adding new products to our inventory.
