User:Sarahdanes/Hemp oil

= Hemp Oil =

Hemp oil (hemp seed oil) is oil obtained by pressing hemp seeds. Cold-pressed, unrefined hemp oil is dark to clear light green in color, with a nutty flavor. The darker the color, the grassier the flavour. It should not be confused with hash oil, a tetrahydrocannabinol-containing oil made from the Cannabis flower.

Description
Refined hemp seed oil is clear and colorless, with little flavour. It is often used in the production of body care products like body creams, lotions, soaps, shampoos, and shower gels because of its high polyunsaturated fatty acid content. Unrefined hemp seed oil can be used as a food oil and has a stronger nutty flavour. Industrial hemp seed oil is used in lubricants, paints, inks, fuel, and plastics. Hemp seed oil has a 3:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 essential fatty acids. It may also be used as a feedstock for the large-scale production of biodiesel. In the construction industry, hemp seed oil-based bioresins can be used instead of commercially available bioresins to make plant-based biocomposites that can be used in place of traditional building materials like timber.

Manufacture
Hemp seed oil is manufactured from varieties of Cannabis sativa that do not contain significant amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the principal psychoactive element present in the cannabis plant. This manufacturing process typically includes cleaning the seed to 99.99% before pressing the oil. There is no THC within the hemp seed, although trace amounts of THC may be found in hemp seed oil when plant matter adheres to the seed surface during manufacturing. The modern production of hemp seed oil, particularly in Canada, has successfully lowered THC values since 1998. Regular accredited sampling of THC in Canadian hemp seed oil shows THC levels usually below the detection limit of 4 ppm (parts per million, or 4 mg/kg). The legal limit for THC content in foodstuffs in Canada is 10 ppm. Some European countries have limits of 5 ppm or none-detected, some EU countries do not have such limits at all. The meat of hemp seeds, from which the oil is mostly derived, typically has a THC content of 0.5 ppm. and thorough cleaning of the seeds further reduces this number

Nutrition
About 49% of the weight of hempseed is an edible oil that contains 76% polyunsaturated fat, including omega-6 fatty acids such as linoleic acid (LA, 54%) and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA, 3%), and omega-3 fatty acids such as alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, 17%) and stearidonic acid (2%). Both LA and ALA are essential fatty acids. In addition, hempseed oil contains 5% to 11% monounsaturated fat and 5% to 7% saturated fat. In common with other oils and fats, hemp seed oil provides 9 kcal/g.

Compared with other culinary oils, hempseed oil has a nutty flavour and contains no trans-fatty acids, is low in saturated fat, and is rich in polyunsaturated fat. It has a relatively low smoke point and is not suitable for frying however it can be used for light sautéing if the temperature is kept low. It is primarily used as a food oil and dietary supplement and can play a part in treating certain illnesses because of its high omega-3 and omega-6 content.