Is hemp good for you? Well, there are a plethora of scientifically-backed health benefits of hemp oil if extracted without THC.
Hemp (part of the cannabis plant species) has been all over the news for all the wrong reasons for as long as we can remember. This is because it’s closely associated with the marijuana plant which contains tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – the psychoactive element that makes people high.
Luckily, the opposite is true of hemp plant and it’s main compound called cannabidiol (CBD), which are known to have loads and loads of health benefits.
TL;DR – There are several benefits to using hemp. From healthy fats, to different cannabinoids that can interact with out endocannabinoid system – you should consider using hemp products more often.
In this article, we’ll discuss various benefits of hemp while also offering some insightful reasons why you should start using both hemp seeds and CBD products, today.
Hemp Plant Benefits Explained
The hemp plant is filled with beneficial compounds. Our main focus will be on the health benefits of hemp seeds and CBD, so let’s jump straight in and discuss some of the benefits of the oil from hemp seeds, as well as some of the health benefits of CBD.
Scientifically backed evidence shows that hemp can be used to make a wide range of health products, natural remedies, to help in losing weight, and much more. These products are highly rich in fiber and have a whole lot of nutrients and fatty acids that are of great importance to your overall body, heart, and skin health.
What is CBD?
To start, hemp seed oil isn’t the same as CBD tinctures. Please remember this.
Knowing the difference between the two is really important, because they are so different. While an oil is extracted from hemp seeds, CBD is extracted from other parts of hemp before being combined with a carrier oil such as olive or coconut oil.
As mentioned previously, there is no CBD (or any other cannabinoids) in hemp seeds. While hemp seeds are high in essential fatty acids, the other parts of the hemp plant offer different benefits, largely because of their cannabinoid content.
Discover: What Do CBD Gummies Do For The Body?
The health benefits of hemp are in both products, but in different manners.
Can CBD Make You High?
In case you have some concerns, it’s vital to reiterate that hemp seeds or properly extracted CBD cannot make you high and this has been confirmed by the US Food and Drug Administration. Even though hemp seeds and CBD come from the same plant as cannabis (marijuana), they do not contain THC, which is the main ingredient of marijuana.
This chart will better help you visualize the cannabis plant family.
As you can see, both hemp and marijuana make up the cannabis plant family.
Related: Can You Drive On CBD?
What is Hemp Seed Oil?
Before going into the health benefits of hemp seeds and CBD, you should understand the various parts of the hemp plant (Cannabis Sativa).
To be honest, many people often associate cannabis with getting high. In all fairness, hemp does have the psychoactive element of THC, which is known to make people high. However, there is almost no THC at all in hemp. There are only trace amounts of it in hemp.
To remain federally legal, hemp that farmers grow must contain trace amounts of less than 0.3% THC. For this reason, people stick to hemp derived CBD. It’s not possible to get high off of it.
As such, it’s important to note that the plant’s seeds have no CBD or THC. Hemp seeds are high in essential fatty acids, and can be a good source of nutrients for the skin. Some people also love to cook with the oil from hemp seeds.
Plant based foods, like hemp seeds, can be consumed or used for topical applications to help in treating and preventing various health issues. The best part is, pieces of research offer evidence of real benefits.
No, you don’t need to go out and eat hemp seeds either. While simply eating hemp seeds would be okay, whole hemp seeds don’t taste great, and there are much better forms of hemp seeds available for use.
A Rich Source of Essential Nutrients
Have you ever come across any food that is known to offer multiple nutrients? Well, hemp seed oil is one of them! That’s perhaps one of the main reasons why it’s been trending in the recent past as a superfood.
In addition to being a great source of high-quality protein, hemp seeds contain over 30% of essential fatty acids including:
- alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3)
- linoleic acid (omega-6)
- gamma-linoleic acid
These are basically polyunsaturated fatty acids, which the body cannot produce but are quite essential for your long-term health and must be incorporated into your diet.
The fact that the above-mentioned hemp protein makes up more than 25% of the hemp seeds’ total calories means that hemp seeds are more nutritious than similar foods such as flaxseeds and chia seeds, which both have 18% protein.
Let’s put it into perspective.
Hemp seeds offer almost the same amount of proteins as soybeans. This means that 3 tablespoons of hemp seeds can offer about 9.46 grams of protein, which is quite high!
Hemp protein powder is even becoming more popular. Plant based protein is much easier for many people to digest, too.
But wait, there’s more!
Hemp seeds are a high source of various minerals including potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, iron, calcium, zinc, sulfur, as well as Vitamin E.
Needless to say, these nutrients offer numerous nutritional benefits and might aid in our overall well-being.
Health food stores everywhere are beginning to carry hemp cooking oil, hemp foods, and even raw hemp seeds. The healthy fatty acids from adding hemp seeds to your diet do wonders for the body.
Hemp is Beneficial to the Heart
As we’ve just noted, hemp seeds are a great source of many nutrients that can help in preventing a wide range of health problems.
While heart disease is one of the most common problems today, there’s scientific evidence that hemp seeds can prevent coronary heart disease. This is because these seeds are a great source of magnesium, which is essential in regulating your heartbeat and can help prevent heart problems.
Again, hemp seeds offer vital linoleic acids, which are healthy fats that can help in reducing cholesterol levels by a whopping 15%! This can help in reducing your blood pressure, which is one of the main causes of heart problems.
Not all fats are unhealthy. Healthy fats help your heart. They reduce blood pressure, and decrease congestive heart failure. If you suffer from high blood pressure, add hemp seeds to your diet.
Enhancing Women’s Health
Clinical studies show that hemp seed oil can directly help in the modulation of prolactin, which is a hormone closely associated with premenstrual syndromes such as painful breasts, mood swings, and bloating.
The gamma-linoleic acid found in the oil from hemp seeds can also be beneficial to women suffering from nasty hormonal changes that are associated with menopause including night sweats, hot flushes, and depression.
Benefits of Hemp Oil
Like hemp seeds, CBD oil (or hemp oil) has numerous benefits. Let’s highlight some of these benefits. Remember, hemp oil and hemp seed oil are different.
We covered hemp seed oil above, and now we’ll move into hemp oil.
Relieving Pain
For centuries, one of the main uses of hemp was to relieve pain and inflammation. Modern scientific evidence now shows us that CBD is the main component of hemp that offers health benefits in the form of pain relief.
Our bodies have a special and unique system known as the endocannabinoid system (ECS). This system is tasked with controlling various functions within our bodies including pain, sleep, appetite, and immune system response.
Different receptors make up the endocannabinoid system. Some of these receptors are in the immune system, while others are located throughout the central nervous system.
Reliable studies show that CBD can interact indirectly with ECS and help in regulating sleep, pain, inflammation, immune system, metabolism, and much more. As such, it can reduce pain associated with conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.
Preventing Inflammation
CBD does wonders at relieving pain from inflammation, too. A study conducted on animals showed scientists that “CBD applied on the skin could help lower pain and inflammation due to arthritis.”
Some people use CBD balm over the affected area, others take a pure CBD tincture under the tongue. Neither is necessarily better than the other, it comes down to what works best for you.
Reducing Anxiety and Depression
The pressures of daily life often drive many people to anxiety and depression. Believe it or not, these are some of the most common mental health disorders not just in the United States but in the whole world.
Needless to say, the effects of anxiety and depression can be horrible as far as your overall well-being is concerned.
Traditionally, people have relied on pharmaceutical drugs to treat anxiety and depression. Unfortunately, the side effects can be absolutely devastating. Even worse, these pharmaceutical drugs are quite addictive and can lead to drug abuse.
On the other hand, CBD products can be used in safely treating insomnia and anxiety, especially in individuals suffering from post-traumatic stress disorders. This is because it acts as the brain’s receptor for serotonin, which is essential in regulating mood and social behavior.
CBD is not addictive, either. In fact, it can be used to treat symptoms of cravings that are related to addiction.
Essential in Reducing Acne and Other Skin Problems
One of the most common skin problems that many people face is acne. While acne can be caused by bacteria, it generally occurs because of the overproduction of sebum, which is an oily secretion from the skin glands. Acne can also be caused by inflammation.
Luckily, you can use certain CBD to effectively treat acne. This is because hemp CBD has anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce the production of sebum. For example, this topical CBD acne cream can be ideal in dealing with your acne condition, while offering super beautiful skin.
And it’s not just about acne. Ongoing research is being done to see if you can treat or prevent other skin conditions such as eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis, and dry skin with CBD balm.
This hemp benefit is possible because hemp is known to have essential fatty acids that have anti-inflammatory properties. This means that using CBD may reduce the need to use harmful anti-inflammatory medications that are known for their adverse side effects.
All you have to do is apply CBD topically, and it’ll easily penetrate the deeper layers of your skin.
Other Hemp Benefits and Side Effects
While there’s no clinical evidence that hemp seeds and CBD can be used to cure various conditions, people still use it to treat various conditions including:
- Skin issues
- Pain problems
- Inflammation
- Anxiety and Depression
That said, CBD is known to interact with some medications. Before using hemp seed oil or CBD, you should consult your doctor and determine how to use CBD properly to ensure safety and avoid any harmful interactions with other medications.
While the side effects of CBD are few and far between, they do exist and come in the form of things like nausea and lethargy. Most of these side effects appear after taking far too much CBD oil, so don’t overdo it.
Summary | Hemp Seeds and CBD Oil Benefits
As you can see, hemp plants have their place when it comes to providing health benefits for us. The fatty acids and cannabinoids, like CBD, within hemp are extremely beneficial.
Whatever your preferred method of using hemp, just know that many other people are probably doing the same thing.
Hemp derived product use has sky rocketed since becoming legal in 2018. People all over the US are becoming more open to plant foods and plant derivatives.
Regardless of whether you purchase anything from New Phase Blends or not, just be sure that you are buying quality products from a great company – you can’t go wrong.