Hemp oil is still largely unknown in the food world. Our nutritionist explains the benefits of hemp oil in your diet and answers whether this oil or olive oil is better, a fairly common question.
What is hemp oil and what are its main benefits?
Whether you've heard of it or not, hemp oil is starting to make its way into the food world. Hemp oil is made by cold-pressing hemp seeds. It has a bright green or golden colour (depending on whether it is obtained from whole or hulled seeds) and a delicious nutty flavour.
One of its most notable features is that it is one of the foods richest in omega-3. Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid, which means it must be obtained from the diet every day. It has heart-healthy and anti-inflammatory properties, and helps protect the proper functioning of the nervous system.
If you want to learn more about the benefits of hemp oil in your diet, we recommend this post: Benefits of hemp oil for your health
Is hemp oil better than olive oil?
Spain is lucky to have one of the best oils in the world at a very affordable price. Olive oil is firmly established as the main oil used for food in Spanish households. It is worth mentioning that virgin oils are the most advisable, because of their higher content of vitamin E, chlorophyll and antioxidant flavonoids (which give the oil its characteristic greenish colour and intense flavour).
Olive oil is certainly one of the best oils you can use in your diet, both raw and for cooking. In that sense, hemp oil is not meant to replace virgin olive oil in the kitchen, but to complement it.
What are the benefits of hemp oil in your diet?
The advantage of hemp oil over olive oil is that it is much richer in omega-3. That is why many nutritionists recommend hemp oil as an omega-3 supplement.
In diets where the aim is to increase omega-3 intake, hemp oil can be recommended, always raw, so that all the properties of omega-3 are preserved. One teaspoon (approx. 5 ml) of hemp oil provides 1 g of omega-3, enough to meet the daily requirement for this nutrient.
Hemp oil as a source of omega-3
Other foods very rich in omega-3 that we nutritionists recommend are hemp seeds, walnuts, oily fish and linseed or chia seeds. The best approach, without a doubt, is a varied diet that includes these foods regularly. However, the walnuts may run out in a few days, or the jars of seeds may sit forgotten on the shelf, and we absent-mindedly forget to add them to our meals. In that sense, getting into the habit of dressing your salads with hemp oil is an easy way to make sure you get the omega-3 you need every day.
How to add hemp oil to your diet
Basically, you pour it into your oil bottle and dress your dishes just as you would with olive oil. You don't need a measuring dropper or to measure how much you use.
- It is best used raw, in sauces or dressings. You can use it (on its own or mixed with olive oil) in pesto, mayonnaise, aioli, etc. We love it simply as a dressing, with a drizzle of hemp oil over a dish, for example when plating hummus, creamy vegetable soups or salads. Its nutty flavour gives it an unmistakable touch!
- It could also be used for gentle cooking at low temperatures.
- It is not recommended for frying, griddling or sautéing at high temperatures (just as cooking with sunflower oil and other seed oils is not recommended either). The oils that best withstand high-temperature cooking are olive oil and coconut oil.
- As a curiosity, you can also use hemp oil in your skincare, in homemade face masks. Thanks to its omega-3 content, it is a real balm for dry skin.
Hemp oil does not contain cannabinoids such as THC or CBD
Hemp oil comes from hemp seeds and therefore contains no cannabinoids (neither CBD nor THC). At most, it may carry tiny traces from contact with the resin during processing, and the EU sets a maximum THC limit for this oil.
THC (the psychoactive compound) and CBD (an anti-inflammatory) are found in the resin of the plant's flowers (buds) and are extracted by other methods. Hemp seeds do not contain cannabinoids and, by extension, neither hemp oil nor hemp protein contains them.
If you have concerns about its safety, you should know that it is a food recognised as safe by the health authorities. You can find more information in our article on Myths about hemp oil as a food
In short, hemp oil is one of the foods richest in omega-3 and can become an ally for your health.
