Fwd: Check out Fresh Hemp Foods Limited | Feburary 01/01

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Fresh

Hemp Foods Limited | Feburary 01/01

 

Hemp Seed Oil - Your source for essential fat

by Mathew Kadey,

www.fuelforlife.ca

It should come at no surprise that for many people in Western society far

too many daily calories come from fat. While it is true that high intakes

of animal-origin saturated fat and hydrogenated fat (trans-fats) are

detrimental to health, it is also just as true that essential fatty acids

are crucial for long-term well-being. These essential fatty acids are the

polyunsaturated fats known as linoleic acid (omega-6) and

alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3). Like vitamins, these two fats are

essential for proper human functioning and cannot be made in the body

from simpler molecules. This means that they must be supplied in the diet

for incorporation into every cell wall.

The list of benefits of consuming a diet rich in essential fatty acids is

impressive and constantly growing. Helping prevent and/or relieve

symptoms of heart disease, cancer, arthritis, diabetes, depression,

stroke, asthma and hypertension, while promoting infant brain

development, good skin and shiny hair as well as aiding in weight

management, are all on essential fatty acids’ remarkable resume. Much

of this can be attributed to the lipid-modifying and anti-inflammatory

properties of these fatty acids.

Dietary sources of omega-6 fat include cooking oils (corn, sunflower,

soy, peanut), seeds and nuts, while good sources of omega-3 fat are oils

from flax, fish and walnuts. However, when it comes to essential fatty

acid intake there is often one very good food source that gets overlooked

– that being hemp oil

Hemp oil is produced from the plant known as Canabis sativa l. and

has been a traditional food in China as far back as 1500 BC. Hemp has

been legal to grow in Canada since 1998, and lately health-conscious

consumers have discovered the health benefits linked with this wonder

food.

Since hemp seeds are found at the top of the Canabis plant located

within a protective shell, hemp products such as hemp oil contain no, or

miniscule amounts of, THC. In fact, you would probably have to smoke a

whole field of hemp to get any intoxicating effect.

If you are asking yourself why you should incorporate hemp oil into your

already impressive array of dietary oils? Consider this:

 

 

The Perfect Fat Ratio

 

The anti-inflammatory effects of both omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated

fatty acids have been demonstrated in many studies, in particular in the

treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. However this only occurs when these

fats are consumed in roughly similar amounts, such as what is found in

hemp oil.

What is particularly interesting about hemp oil is that the ratio of

omega-6 to omega-3 fat is 3:1, which is generally the ratio recognized by

the World Health Organization as being ideal for optimum health. Most

North Americans consume a ratio of 10:1 as a result of a heavy reliance

on oils and products that contain significantly more omega-6 fat (e.g.

soybean/vegetable oil). There is a good indication that a diet that is

too heavily weighted toward omega-6 fat can negate the positive health

benefits of essential fat intake. Daily intake of hemp oil can help

ensure your fat intake is closer to what nature intended.

In addition to having one of the highest mono- and polyunsaturated fat

contents of all the oils, hemp oil is naturally low in cholesterol, and

saturated fat represents only 9% of total calories. Diets high in

saturated fat can elevate LDL (“badâ€) cholesterol, which is a risk

factor for atherosclerosis.

 

GLA

 

While omega-6 intake in general is quite high among the general

population due to a high consumption of vegetable oils, there is one

omega-6 fat that is relatively rare in our food system – that being

gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). In borage oil, spirulina, black currant and

evening primrose oil, hemp oil is one of the other few sources of this

metabolite of linoleic acid.

GLA is quite similar in chemistry to one of the beneficial fatty acids

present in fish called EPA. And like EPA, some studies have shown that

GLA may help in reducing heart disease. Potential health-promoting

effects of GLA include:

Helping prevent conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, heart

disease, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma and periodontitis by limiting the

inflammatory process. The human body converts GLA into prostaglandins,

which are hormone-like compounds that help to regulate inflammation.

Increasing the effectiveness of cancer treatment. For example,

GLA may enhance the ability of medications used to kill off cancerous

cells in the treatment of breast cancer. In addition, GLA in itself may

help prevent certain cancers by inhibiting cell proliferation.

Along with DHA and EPA, GLA appears to have lipid-modifying

effects such as reducing blood trigyleride levels. This is useful in the

fight against heart disease.

Treating certain skin conditions such as eczema.

Treating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and

Alzheimer’s disease since essential fatty acids like GLA are necessary

for the health and proper functioning of the nervous system.

Promoting growth and neurodevelopment in pre term infants.

 

The Environment

 

When you choose hemp oil you are not only making a wise choice for your

body, you are also making a wise choice for the environment. As a hardy

plant, hemp requires less water than many crops and is suited to grow

very well in the Canadian climate. As a result of its short growing

cycle, hemp is ideal for farmers using crop rotation to help prevent soil

depletion. Also helping the soil, as well as reducing water pollution, is

hemp’s ability to grow without the need for pesticides and herbicides.

And for those who are worried, and rightfully so, about the introduction

of genetically modified foods, the good news about hemp oil, unlike some

other common oils (soy, canola), is that hemp oil is never genetically

modified.

Hemp Oil Tips

 

It is important that you do not cook with hemp oil. It will break down and become ineffective if exposed

to high heat.

Store hemp oil in a cool, dry place away from light (e.g.

refrigerator) to prevent the oil from turning rancid. Always buy hemp oil

in a dark bottle.

To ensure optimal quality choose hemp oil that is produced

using cold/expeller pressed methods, and that contains no artificial

additives.

Hemp oil can be added to salad dressings or smoothies, used in yogurt or as a dip for your favourite bread.

References

Chajes V et al. Omega-6/omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratio and

cancer. World Rev Nutr Diet. 2003;92:133-51

Djousse L et al. Dietary linolenic acid is inversely associated with

plasma triacylglycerol: the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Family Heart Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Dec;78(6):1098-102.

Fewtrell MS et. al. Randomized, double-blind trial of long-chain

polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation with fish oil and borage oil

in preterm infants. J Pediatr. 2004 Apr;144(4):471-9.

Furse RK et al. Oral administration of gamma linolenic acid, an

unsaturated fatty acid with anti-inflammatory properties, modulates

interleukin-1beta production by human monocytes. J Clin Immunol. 2002

Mar;22(2):83-91.

 

Goodstine SL et al. Dietary (n-3)/(n-6) fatty acid ratio: possible

relationship to premenopausal but not postmenopausal breast cancer risk

in U.S. women. J Nutr. 2003 May;133(5):1409-14.

Kast RE. Borage oil reduction of rheumatoid arthritis activity may be

mediated by increased cAMP that suppresses tumor necrosis

factor-alpha. Int Immunopharmacol. 2001 Nov;1(12):2197-9.

 

Laidlaw M et al. Effects of supplementation with fish oil-derived n-3

fatty acids and gamma-linolenic acid on circulating plasma lipids and

fatty acid profiles in women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003

Jan;77(1):37-42.

Little C et al. Herbal therapy for treating rheumatoid arthritis.

Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2001;(1):CD002948.

Menendez JA et. al. Overexpression and hyperactivity of breast

cancer-associated fatty acid synthase (oncogenic antigen-519) is

insensitive to normal arachidonic fatty acid-induced suppression in

lipogenic tissues but it is selectively inhibited by tumoricidal

alpha-linolenic and gamma-linolenic fatty acids: a novel mechanism by

which dietary fat can alter mammary tumorigenesis. Int J Oncol. 2004

Jun;24(6):1369-83.

Menendez JA et. al. Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid gamma-linolenic

acid (18:3n-6) enhances docetaxel (Taxotere) cytotoxicity in human breast

carcinoma cells: Relationship to lipid peroxidation and HER-2/neu

expression. Oncol Rep. 2004 Jun;11(6):1241-52.

Menendez JA et al. Synergistic interaction between vinorelbine and

gamma-linolenic acid in breast cancer cells. Breast Cancer Res Treat.

2002 Apr;72(3):203-19.

Rosenstein ED et al. Pilot study of dietary fatty acid supplementation

in the treatment of adult periodontitis. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent

Fatty Acids. 2003 Mar;68(3):213-8.

 

Simopoulos AP. Importance of the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 essential

fatty acids: evolutionary aspects. World Rev Nutr Diet.

2003;92:1-22.

Spector SL et al. Diet and asthma: has the role of dietary lipids been

overlooked in the management of asthma? Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol.

2003 Apr;90(4):371-7; quiz 377-8, 421.

 

Soeken KL. Selected CAM therapies for arthritis-related pain: the

evidence from systematic reviews. Clin J Pain. 2004

Jan-Feb;20(1):13-8.

Soeken KL et al. Herbal medicines for the treatment of rheumatoid

arthritis: a systematic review. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2003

May;42(5):652-9.

 

Whitehouse PA et al. Synergistic activity of gamma-linolenic acid and

cytotoxic drugs against pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell lines.

Pancreatology. 2003;3(5):367-73; discussion 373-4. Epub 2003 Sep

24.

Ziboh VA et. al. Suppression of leukotriene B4 generation by ex-vivo

neutrophils isolated from asthma patients on dietary supplementation with

gamma linolenic acid-containing borage oil: possible implication in

asthma. Clin Dev Immunol. 2004 Mar;11(1):13-21.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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