Hemp oil is produced from the seed of the hemp plant. Unrefined hemp oil is dark to light green in color, while the refined oil is colorless. Refined oil is mostly used for body-care products, but the unrefined oil is edible and prized for its perfect 3-to-1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids -- the ratio needed by the human body. Hempseed oil is produced from varieties of the hemp plant that do not contain significant amounts of the psychoactive substances present in the cannabis plant.
Essential Fatty Acids
The essential omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids make up the bulk of hemp oil. Just a tablespoon of hemp oil provides the daily requirement for these fatty acids. Because they cannot be synthesized from other sources, it is important to include them in your diet. According to the "Manual of Dietetic Practice," omega-6 and omega-3 are required for the proper development of the brain and nerves, and in the regulation of inflammation.
Cardioprotection
Researchers from St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre, Manitoba, carried out a study with Sprague-Dawley rats and found that hemp oil consumption can provide cardioprotective effects during postischemic reperfusion. Ischemia is when blood flow to an organ is restricted, and postischemic reperfusion is when blood returns to this organ after an ischemic event. This study demonstrated that after 12 weeks supplementation with hemp oil, hearts from supplemented rats exhibited better postischemic recovery of maximal contractile function and better rates of tension development and relaxation during reperfusion compared to hearts from unsupplemented rats.
Another study, carried out by researchers at the University of Manitoba, supplemented New Zealand white rabbits with hemp oil. After eight weeks, the supplemented rabbits displayed elevated plasma levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids, and the tendency of blood to clot remained at normal levels even when the rabbits where fed high amounts of cholesterol. This research suggests that hemp oil can help prevent strokes and heart attacks.
Atopic Dermatitis
Researchers at the University of Kuopio, Finland, investigated the effects of dietary hemp oil in a 20-week study of patients with atopic dermatitis. This study found that after treatment, blood levels of the two essential fatty acids, linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid, increased. In addition, subjects supplemented with hemp oil had lower values of transepidermal water loss, reducing skin dryness and itchiness; use of dermal medication decreased after hemp oil treatment.
References
- "American Journal of Physiology"; Effect of dietary hempseed intake on cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury; A. Al-Kalifa et al.; March 2007
- "Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology"; Cholesterol-induced stimulation of platelet aggregation is prevented by a hempseed-enriched diet; M.A. Prociuk et al.; April 2008
- "Journal of Dermatological Treatment"; Efficacy of dietary hempseed oil in patients with atopic dermatitis; J. Callaway et al.; April 2005
- "Manual of Dietetic Practice, 4th Edition"; T. Briony and J. Bishop; 2007
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