EXPLORING THE MYTH BEHIND CBD AND BELLY BUTTONS

As the use of CBD continues to grow in popularity, a larger number of people are taking it on an occasional and regular basis. The industry is relatively new, which means that there are plenty of users choosing to share their experiences with others. However, while some of these may be completely true, there are also false claims that can circulate, causing a high level of confusion among individuals that are new to CBD. 

Here at Holistic Herb, we believe that it’s important for us to take a further look into a number of these new claims to provide our readers with accurate information when it comes to our CBD products and increase our own knowledge of the ever-growing industry. As it is not yet classified as a food, supplement or cosmetic product, we are unable to make any direct statements about the impact that CBD could have on the human body. For this reason, we continue to look at any claims and hypotheses objectively in order to explore the different ideas that have been proposed.

The Belly Button Oil Myth

One particular claim frequently circulating online brings up the idea that CBD oils are best absorbed through application to your belly button, as this provides a higher number of benefits that you may not necessarily experience when taken in other ways. This is known as ‘The Pechoti Method’, because of the presence of a possible Pechoti gland that sits behind the belly button. 

This comes from the idea that the gland may have been connected to the umbilical cord when humans were in the womb, so any nutrients that were passed through the cord would also pass through and be distributed into the body by this gland. Once the cord has been cut at birth, the gland remains in the body and acts as another ingestion point, although this isn’t utilised by the majority of the population. Some sources suggest that there could be over 70 million nerves that meet the Pechoti gland before dispersing throughout the body, although this has not been proven. 

Is the CBD Pechoti Method Real?

There’s no denying that there is a large number of anecdotal reports out there which back up the validity of the Pechoti method. However, it’s important to note that there are no medical outlets that make any kind of reference to it, suggesting that it may be invalid. In addition, there are also a number of scientific studies which look into absorption rates around the navel, but the results of these remain inconclusive. Therefore, we can be sure that this remains a myth.

While this method may not improve your results when taking CBD, there are other more simple methods that could increase the possibility of experiencing the full effects of the product that you have chosen to use. The term bioavailability refers to the amount of a substance that your body can put into use. In order to migrate to different areas to provide them with its benefits, it needs to reach systemic circulation, which is what provides the functional blood supply to all body tissue.

While bioavailability is mostly determined by the delivery method, elements such as weight, metabolism and age could also have a large impact, depending on the individual. Taking CBD using oral drops or vaping currently stands as the most effective way to introduce it to your system quickly and in large quantities. There are also various topical products on the market, such as creams and balms; however, these have a lower level of bioavailability, as they have to be absorbed by the skin first before they can be absorbed into the bloodstream.

You can find out more about this subject by reading our previous blog post: ‘What is Bioavailability and Why is it Important in CBD?’ 

Are There Any Benefits to Putting Oil in Bellybuttons?

Although the Pechoti method is currently considered to be ineffective when it comes to CBD, there have also been claims that this method is effective when using essential oils. Typically used during aromatherapy to ease a range of ailments, including headaches, indigestion, insomnia, skin conditions and more, the oils stimulate olfactory receptors in the brain that set off reactions within the body. This can bring about muscle relaxation, a boosted immune system and an increase in blood and oxygen circulation. 

The Pechoti method originates from Ayurveda, a traditional Indian healing system that carries the belief that health and wellbeing both depend on a balance between the mind, body and spirit. As with CBD, the scientific evidence to support that this method works to help any type of oil enter the body efficiently is very poor. While the topical application of oils could promote wellbeing, there is no evidence that the Pechoti method accelerates this in any way. 

We have established that taking CBD oil by applying it to your belly button doesn’t make any difference to the time that it takes to enter your system, and it doesn’t bring about any extra benefits compared to other methods of administration. We recommend that taking your CBD oil orally remains the most efficient method for those who want to avoid smoking CBD or the use of suppositories, which is why we pride ourselves on offering a range of premium CBD oils of the highest quality. Visit our shop today to discover oral CBD oils and sprays in a selection of different strengths that cater to a range of requirements.