Hemp Seed Oil
Hemp oil is a particularly nutritious oil that can offer numerous benefits to the increasingly health conscious consumer. Hemp seed oil is unusually high in healthy polyunsaturated essential fatty acids while the level of saturated fats in the oil is among the lowest in commonly consumed vegetable oils. Over consumption of saturated fats in the diet coupled with an unbalanced ratio of polyunsaturated fats are factors contributing to the incidence of heart disease, strokes and hardening of the arteries. Polyunsaturated essential fatty acids are necessary for proper nutrition and cannot be manufactured by the body, making it necessary to ingest them.
Optimal Ratio
It is estimated that the average North American dietary intake of two polyunsaturated fats known as linoleic acid, "LA", and linolenic acid, "LNA", average in the ratio of between 12:1 and 20:1 . This ratio of LA to LNA is high for human nutrition purposes and is optimized at the 3:1 level at which a cell's ability to absorb oxygen is enhanced. The polyunsaturated fatty acids of LA and LNA, usually account for approximately 50-70 percent and 15-25 percent, respectively, of the fatty acid content of hemp seed oil. The 3:1 ratio between these two fatty acids in hemp oil has been described as the "optimal balance" for humans and is unique among other comparable oils .
GLA's
Gamma linolenic acid, "GLA", is also nutritionally valuable in human metabolism and is not found in most oils consumed by people. However, hemp oil is a valuable source of the acid, containing approximately 3 percent of it. GLA assists in the formation of short lived hormone like substances that fulfill numerous vital roles such as controlling inflammation processes, vascular tone and initiating contractions during delivery . The formation of GLA, which the body manufactures from LA, may be inhibited as a result of aging or pathologies such as hypertension and diabetes. Thus, hemp oil can supplement levels of GLA in those people who cannot efficiently convert LA to GLA and because the levels of GLA in the oil are not high, over consumption of the acid, which can be harmful, is also prevented. GLA is also under investigation for its beneficial effects in the treatment of cardiovascular, psychiatric and immunological disorders.
Natural Antioxidant's
Hemp oil is also rich in tocopherols (vitamin E) which is a natural antioxidant. Not only do antioxidants assist in protecting the oil against rancidity, the nutritional value of this substance has become the subject of much discussion. Antioxidants prevent the deformation of cells and assist in metabolism. In addition, they have been linked in research to the prevention of the growth of cancerous cells. A further nutritional benefit of the oil derives from the high levels of sterol found in it. Sterol is a plant hormone which blocks the absorption of cholesterol and it exists in higher than average quantities in hemp oil.
Nuritious By-Products
The meal or seed cake that is the byproduct of crushing hemp seeds also possesses some beneficial characteristics, though further research and analysis on the protein and amino acid content of the meal must be conducted to determine the viability of its use. The protein content of the seed ranges between 30-35 percent and all eight amino acids are present in its hemp’s whole seed form. When the seed is crushed, the protein and amino acids remain in the meal as does a portion of residual oil that could not be fully extracted from the seed.
The balance of amino acids in the meal has been found to be slightly better than that found in soy meal which is among the most widely used animal feeds. Furthermore, the presence of residual oil in the meal serves to increase its energy content giving hemp meal a significant advantage over other meals that are the by product of solvent extraction which leaves no oil in the meal. These potentially significant levels of proteins, the amino acid profile, and increased energy content due to the presence of oil in the meal could provide a rich additive to animal feed.
Profile of hemp seed oil compared to common 'nutraceutical' oils (% total fatty acids)
| |
Saturated
fats |
Mono-
unsaturated
fats |
Linoleic
acid |
Linolenic
acid |
Gamma
Linolenic
acid |
| Hemp |
9 |
12 |
57 |
19 |
3 |
| Flax |
9 |
18 |
16 |
57 |
-- |
| Evening Primrose |
8 |
11 |
72 |
-- |
9 |
| Soy |
15 |
32 |
42 |
11 |
-- |
For a more complete comparison of hemp seed and soybeans, please click here.
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Natural Hemphasis, Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
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