Hemp Seed Oil VS Hemp Extract (CBD Oil)
Hemp oil sounds pretty self-explanatory, except that it’s just the opposite. Even though it’s only natural to assume that hemp oil comes from hemp, duh, if that assumption was correct, it would mean hemp oil is either a full-spectrum(containing the full spectrum of cannabinoids including up to 0.3% THC) or broad-spectrum (containing the full spectrum of cannabinoids minus the THC) CBD product. However, it’s actually nothing of the sort.
For starters, hemp oil is short for hemp seed oil, and now that is a term that really is self-explanatory. Hemp seed oil is derived from the seeds of hemp, and as such, it contains very little to no CBD, as well as cannabinoids altogether. Using hemp seed oil for its CBD and cannabinoids content makes less sense than drinking Fanta Orange for the health benefits of actual oranges.
Hemp Seed Oil Uses
Hemp seed oil is still very healthy, but in a different, more general and CBD-free way. Basically, it’s good for you the way any healthy food is good for you, and as such, it’s more of a maintenance type of product.
Hemp seed oil is rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which have become synonymous with good health and anti-inflammation, in addition to other nutrients, amino acids, and antioxidants. This is why it’s often found as a key ingredient in nutritional supplements.
Cardiovascular Health
One of hemp seed oil’s most popular applications is in cardiovascular health, as it’s believed to lower cholesterol levels, improve blood pressure and help with atherosclerosis.
Skin Care
Being a powerful source of antioxidants and fatty acids, it also has some anticancer, anti-aging, and anti-inflammatory properties, the latter two of which are particularly relevant to skin care. Hemp seed oil is used to help with skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis, as well as to soothe generally irritated skin.
Neuroprotection
Even though hemp seed oil’s potential in that regard is more speculative in nature compared to its other applications, there’s still a solid reason to believe in it.
Inflammation is one of the scariest plights of the brain that acts as a strong catalyst for its degeneration. In fact, diseases like Alzheimer’s have been linked precisely to inflammation in the brain.
Spurred by hemp seed oil’s known anti-inflammatory properties, a recent study explored if and how they would translate into protection against neuroinflammation. More specifically, the scientists focused on these effects of one of the oil’s constituents in particular – phenylpropionamides. The findings were more than promising, and hopefully, they will be reinforced by studies on humans in the near future.
Hemp Seed Oil or CBD Oil?
Because CBD oils can be referred to as hemp-extracts, and hemp seed oil can be referred to only as hemp oil, it can be easy to mistake the two product categories. Whenever you’re browsing, just make sure to read labels carefully and scan products’ contents, for their exact CBD levels.
While both hemp seed oil and CBD oil can help you with some of the same conditions and aspects of your health, and both have that holistic and non-invasive feel to them, the way they go about helping you is different.
Hemp seed oil is more suited for general health maintenance, a component you can always add to your diet and/or treatment with pretty much no concerns and hesitance. And while the same can be said for CBD oil in most cases, it’s sort of the big guns in this particular comparison, big guns you can point right at a certain problem, making for a more targeted, accurate, and effective approach. Depending on what that problem is, CBD oil can be enough on its own or might need to be used as part of an entire artillery, but either way, it’s the elixir that holds hemp’s true power in full.