Hemp Seed Oil

Hemp seed oil from pressed hemp seeds is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and comes in different quality grades.

Introduction

What is Hemp Seed Oil?

In food, oils provide a natural source of fat and therefore carry flavour resulting in an enhanced taste in foods. It also prevents sticking to pans and facilitates the Maillard reaction, which leads to tasty brown colouring and crunchy fried surfaces. Not only in food, but also in cosmetics, oils play an important role by providing fat and moisture and hydrating the skin for a long time. In cannabinoid oils, they are the foundation that enables the solution of cannabinoids and makes them easily ingestible and doseable.

Hemp seed oil is obtained from the seeds of the hemp plant by gentle cold pressing. It has a high content of three polyunsaturated fatty acids: linoleic acid, alpha-linolenic acid, and gamma-linolenic acid. In addition, hemp seed oil has an ideal omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio of 3:1, which optimises its bioavailability or the body’s ability to absorb the nutrients in hemp seed oil. For this reason, regular consumption of hemp seed oil can potentially help achieve the recommended daily intake of healthy fats.

Hemp seed oil has a nutty, earthy taste reminiscent of walnuts and sunflower seeds and is suitable as an ingredient for salads, smoothies, spreads, dips, or baked goods, for example.

Varieties

Different Types of Hemp Seed Oil

After harvesting, the hemp seeds are cleaned in a food-safe way and then cold pressed in a mechanical pressing process without heating so that the oil can be extracted from them without destroying valuable nutrients.

The extraction of the oil produces a by-product known as hemp cake or hemp flour, which is the basic substance for the production of hemp protein powder.

Hemp seed oil comes in two different varieties: gold, and green:

Golden Hemp Seed Oil

The finest oil is the golden hemp seed oil. It is manufactured by pressing only the peeled hemp seeds which yield a clean golden oil that is free of bitter chlorophyll and has a mild and nutty taste.

Green Hemp Seed Oil

The green oil is the result of pressing whole cleaned hemp seeds. It therefore contains chlorophyll from the hemp shells which give the oil a herbal taste. Combined with the fine nutty flavour of the oil from the inner seed, the green oil has a full-bodied herbal and nutty taste.

Applications

What is Hemp Seed Oil used for?

Hemp seed oil has a nutty, earthy taste reminiscent of walnuts and sunflower seeds and is suitable as an ingredient for salads, smoothies, spreads, dips, or baked goods, for example. It is recommended to use hemp seed oil as a finishing oil and not as a cooking or frying oil because the sensitive omega fatty acids are broken down during the cooking process and the oil is thus deprived of its nutritional benefits. In addition, it has a relatively low flash point and burns quickly during frying. It is therefore better to add fresh hemp seed oil to a salad dressing, for example, or to drizzle it directly over pasta, grilled vegetables, or popcorn. Smoothies and soups can also be refined well with a teaspoon of the nutty oil.

Hemp seed oil can also be used in the processing industry as a component of cosmetics or as a carrier oil for CBD oil. It is also used, for example, in the production of detergents and soaps. Meanwhile, the oil has also become a trendy ingredient for skincare products, as it is absorbed relatively quickly into the skin and does not feel greasy. The lipid profile of hemp seed oil is similar to that of human skin, which is why the oil easily penetrates the deeper layers of the dermis. Its nutrients can be quickly absorbed by the skin cells. Hemp seed oil is also considered non-comedogenic, which means that it does not clog the pores. For this reason, it is also included in body oils and lipid-enriched creams designed to penetrate the skin.

Furthermore, thanks to its antioxidant ingredients and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), hemp seed oil also has moisturising properties and can provide some protection against premature skin ageing. Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) actually forms specific hormones that are important for metabolism. With ageing, the amount of it in the human body decreases, which can be clearly seen in the skin. This process is accelerated by poor nutrition, alcohol, and stress. Hemp oil applied to the skin can help bind moisture in the cells and smooth out small wrinkles, leaving the skin feeling soft and supple. The oil may also contribute to a significant improvement in hair thickness and nail thickness in some circumstances. In addition, some researchers suggest that certain ingredients in hemp seed oil have potential antibacterial properties and may also help relieve skin inflammation.