Is Hemp Seed Oil a Good Health and Beauty Supplement? Dr. Weil Thinks So
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 12. 4.08
Textile hemp plant photo by Eric Martinez @ flickr.
Quick, what do you picture when you see the word "hemp" - old-fashioned hippies in rope sandals and scratchy shirts? Or do you go right to the 'evil weed' cannabis-hemp connection? Whatever you imagine, you are probably not alone, influenced by decades of government's viewpoint equating the industrial hemp plant with its close cannabis-genus cousin marijuana (the U.S. forbids domestic hemp crops, though two North Dakota farmers are fighting in court for the right to do so). But the sturdy, fast-growing and pesticide-resistant hemp plant has made its way into many, many eco-friendly imports - clothing, insulation, biodiesel, biodegradable packaging, and even foods such as granola bars and vegan milk. Hemp is great. Now a well-known hemp grower wants you to drink hemp seed oil daily to get your essential fatty acids, but is this a good idea?
Well, famous health food guru Dr. Andrew Weil says yes.
"If Americans ate more hemp I think it would correct the imbalance of fatty acids in the diet. I think we'd see a decrease in inflammatory diseases and...heart disease,"
Weil commented on a You Tube paen to hemp's promise on the hemp.org web site.
What Weil says is based on the fact that Americans eat a lot more Omega 6 fatty acids compared to their intake of Omega 3 fatty acids, to our health detriment, according to most researchers. Evolutionarily, humans might have had about a 1-to-1 balance of 6's to 3's. Today, the ration can be someplace around 15-to-1! That's because so many of the processed foods we eat contain polyunsaturated fatty acids in vegetable oils like corn oil.
Just shy of greenwash?
Some mainstream health sources say to maintain a 4-to-1 ration of Omega 6 to Omega 3, with others recommend something nearer to 2-to-1. Manitoba Harvest said its hemp seed oil (available in either no-pesticide or organic versions) is a healthy choice - it has a ratio of 3.75 to 1. They suggest using the oil in salad dressings, sauces (though not as a cooking oil) and even drinking it directly up to 1 to 2 tablespoons each day. Manitoba also says hemp seed oil is a good "beauty" oil because an Omega imbalance has been indicated in skin conditions such as excema.
While Manitoba's claims might not rile a normal greenwash meter, it bears saying that flax seed oil might be a preferable diet supplement if you are in any way trying to even out your Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio. Flax oil has a 1-to-4 Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio. (Manitoba Harvest thinks hemp seed oil tastes better and compares it to flax seed oil here). And, good old cod liver oil might be even better because it also contains Vitamin D, which most health professionals agree is needed, especially in winter, and is possibly more efficiently converted than plant-based Omega sources.
So perhaps we should leave the hemp seed oil for the biofuel crusher. Via: Manitoba Harvest
Read more
It's Not Easy Being a Hemp Farmer
It's not even good at Biodiesel, the oil yield per acre is lower than many over crops.
I love hemp clothing! Anyone who apposes hemp should wear a hemp shirt for a day, I think that might turn more than a few into fans of the soft cloth.
Glad to see the TreeHugger post on hemp oil. As someone who has studied sustainability and health for 25 years, it is very clear that the world will need hemp to create a sustainable world. Hemp fiber for building homes and commercial structures is now considered a leading edge low-carbon material in the UK.
In regards to hemp oil for consumption, I believe the author missed some important facts. Hemp oil has the closest fatty acid structure to fish oil of any plant that grow's on the land.
Unlike flax/soy/canola...hemp contains the rare fats SDA and GLA. Often called Super Omega-3 and Super Omega-6's, they help metabolize fat and combat the effects of aging and pollution. Flax can go rancid very easily and has less than 1/3 of antioxidants of hemp.
The author does point out the average person today in north america and increasingly in the EU has a ratio of 15-1 Omega-6 to 3's....which hurts brain functions, hormone and heart health , and more. We need to cut our junk oils from corn,soya, and canola.
A diet rich in oils of Hemp, Coconut, and Olive provides the golden ratio of a 4-1 or 3-1 Omega 6 - 3's.
I have written of this in many articles and 3 books on hemp. See http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/09/a_vision_of_a_w.php
Also http://nutiva.com/nutrition/amazing.php
I suggest folks try out not only hemp oil, but hemp protein and shelled hempseeds which are great sources of protein and minerals.
Regards
John W Roulac
Founder Nutiva
Hi Everyone,
Great to hear a positive article on the benefits of hemp in reducing silent inflamation of tissue.
Another interesting health fact is that compared with other culinary oils hemp seed oil is also low in saturated fatty acids.
The main take out is probably that even when consumed in small amounts (10ml) per day it will make a substantial contribution to the intake of essential fatty acids more specifically gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), the active ingredient in evening primrose oil.
I should disclose GOOD OIL are a client of mine.
If you’d like to sample some GOOD OIL, then drop me an email and I’ll send you some over to sample.
Keep up the good work!
Chris