Our oil adventure continues with Hemp seed and Flax seed oil. So far we have established that while palm oil is sourced from plants it can cost us more than we are willing to lose in the environment. Coconut oil is great for cooking due to its high smoking point while olive oil is best for cold applications. The wonderful array of choices in oils gives you the opportunity to live a healthy lifestyle and find what is available in your local area.
Not-So Controversial Hemp Oil
With all the upheaval and controversy about using Cannabis Sativa legally or medicinally we can lose our focus. Sometimes a plant that may be well known as a notorious mind-altering drug gets a bad rap. The Latin name sativa actually means useful. Hemp oil or hemp seed oil is taken from the hemp plant. The plant’s fibers have been woven to make clothing, rope, and even shoes. The pulp can even make paper, which given how easy it is to grow, could have been an alternative to the use of trees. The hemp seed offers an oil that is nutty in flavor and is great in salads, drizzled over soup, and even taken by itself. Hemp seeds are complete proteins and can be sprinkled on just about anything for a yummy treat. The most exciting thing about hemp oil is that it has many uses both externally and internally. The oil is high in Omega-3 and Omega-6 and fulfills our daily requirements for essential fatty acids! Hemp oil is delicate and needs to be kept refrigerated and in a dark bottle. But you can use it to condition your hair, as a cuticle rub, or simply as a moisturizer after you shave. It absorbs easily through the skin and is often found in many organic skin care products.
Flax Seed Not Just For Egyptians
Flax is mostly associated with biblical times, as something that is made into rope or mixed with clay to form bricks. While we have found more efficient ways of making brick and rope, flax is not any less important to the organic lifestyle. Also, when you purchase clothing that says it is made from linen you are actually wearing the flax plant! Flax oil has a unique flavor that I find to be nutty and adds a great flavor to salads, grains, and is fantastic drizzled over yogurt. Flax is also delicate and needs to be refrigerated and not stored for long periods of time. Flax oil is also high in Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids and has very little saturated fat. Flax oil is actually a better alternative since it has a slightly lower saturated fat percentage than hemp oil. It is important to note that neither should ever be cooked with. They both have low smoke points so you would ruin all that nutty goodness and create a carcinogen if you cook with it. So sprinkle, spray, dip, and drizzle your way to a healthy heart by choosing organic hemp or flax for your cold application oil.
Applications & Resources for Hemp and Flax Oils
- Read more about hemp and flax at org
- Check out Livestrong for some more information
- Go to the University of Maryland for more on flaxseed
Exceptional post however , I was wondering if you could write a litte more on this topic? I’d be very grateful if you could elaborate a little bit further. Kudos!