What is Hemp Oil Extract?

It is not a secret that CBD and its wide range of forms of consumption have been increasing in popularity over the past years. From your local farmer’s market to your favorite coffee shop, almost everyone is selling CBD products, such as hemp extract or hemp oil.

In the past, due to the misinformation on cannabis and to the fact that researchers used to focus more on THC, which is the psychoactive component of cannabis, we didn’t know all the actual benefits other cannabinoids present in this plant. Thanks to this, we now have CBD, CBG, and more other cannabinoids that have their very own effects on our health.

Hemp oil and hemp extract are some of the newest and reliable forms of CBD available now on the market. In this article, we are going to explain to you what exactly hemp oil is, some of its uses and benefits, and its differences with other kinds of CBD extractions.

What is Hemp Oil Extract?

Due to all the new methods of both extraction and consumption for cannabis, there is a lot of confusion, especially around CBD oil and hemp extract. Moreover, one of the major problems when looking for these wonderful products is that terms like CBD oil, hemp extract, and hemp seed oil are often used interchangeably, despite the difference between them is huge.

You should know that there is hemp seed oil and hemp extract, but nobody has come up yet, with a hemp oil extract that would be actually, according to terminology, an extract that you would get by refining, even more, the oil you get from hemp.

CBD oil and hemp extract are typically synonymous. However, we must highlight the fact that they are not the same as hemp seed oil. Hemp extract is specifically elicited from those parts of the hemp plant known to have high levels of cannabidiol, which provides all the anti-inflammatory and analgesic benefits medical patients mostly look for. In hemp extract, the popular CBD is extracted from the stalks, stems, and flowers of the cannabis plant, but not the seeds.

Hemp Extract or CBD Oil

For a product to be properly called hemp extract, it has to be extracted from the stalk, flowers, or seeds of a hemp plant, mainly for its beneficial compounds, called phytocannabinoids. The most popular among these compounds is CBD. However, unlike isolated CBD extracts, hemp oil is a whole-plant extract, so it contains a blend of many different phytocannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids, all of which work together and have a big impact both on the effects and benefits it can bring.

Cannabinoids act in the human body by interacting and supporting the endocannabinoid system, which is a regulatory system that affects digestive and immune functions as well as brain health.

Hemp Seed Oil

Hemp seed oil is a product that has been extracted by pressing dehulled agricultural hemp seeds. As a result, it contains little to no CBD. However, hemp seed oil is still very beneficial for you. Like other carrier oils such as olive or sunflower seed oil, hemp seed oil is highly rich in antioxidants, amino acids, and a balanced 3:1 ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.

Furthermore, it is actually considered one of nature’s most complete oils for the human body in matters of nutrients. However, we should say it can be a better option as a product for skin or hair care than for aches or pain treatments. Hemp seed oil will not contain any THC either as is extracted directly from the hemp plant seeds.

Hemp Oil Benefits

Hemp Extract Benefits

Full-spectrum hemp extracts interact with a network of neurons in our body called the endocannabinoid system. The ECS is a receptor system in our body that is integral to our wellbeing. It acts as an intermediary, working to regulate the communication between cells in our central nervous system and immune system.

The endocannabinoid system is receptive to hemp extract, and when both interact, it stimulates many functions in the body that help support overall human wellbeing. Hemp extract has also proven to be extremely beneficial for the health of the human brain and heart, and it is very helpful as an anti-inflammatory and anti-anxiety tool in some health treatments.

Additionally, hemp extract also contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, plus synergistic plant terpenes, cannabinoids, and flavonoids that all work together to aid everyday wellness and vitality.

Hemp Seed Oil Benefits

Data suggests that hemp oil may be able to treat certain health issues, such as inflammation and skin conditions. This is primarily because of its essential polyunsaturated fatty acids or PUFAs, including omega-3s and omega-6s fatty acids, which are vital for the normal operation of all body systems.

Some people even claim that hemp seed oil has proven evidence for curative properties ranging from improving acne to treating cancer to slowing the progression of heart disease and Alzheimer’s. Although some of these affirmations haven’t been supported by actual studies, anecdotal evidence supports these theories.

Hemp Oil Uses

Hemp Extract Uses

A full-spectrum hemp extract has a plethora of medical uses, including:

• Relieve chronic pains. A recent review of studies found that hemp extract can reduce inflammation in joints and other parts of the body in rats with no possible side effects. This gives hope that the same can be found in humans. Several older studies have found that hemp extract may relieve chronic pain and reduce inflammation.
• Reduce anxiety and depression.
• Reduce tumor-growth cells and relieve cancer symptoms.
• Treat and reduce seizures in epilepsy.
• Antipsychotic properties.
• Help on the treatment of substance use disorder. As impressive as it sounds, hemp extract counteracts the psychoactive effects of THC. This discovery has led researchers to study the use of hemp extract in decreasing the addictive use of cannabis. Researchers have also found that hemp extract may help treat addiction to tobacco, cocaine, and even heroin due to the anti-anxiety effect it can bring.
• Hemp extract improves and helps to take care of skin health as well as treating skin conditions such as acne, psoriasis, eczema, and lichen planus.

Hemp Seed Oil Uses

Although hemp seed oil doesn’t have the same terpenes and cannabinoids as hemp extract., it can be very useful for several things, such as:

• Moderating skin oil production: Skin dryness can cause your skin to overproduce oil, which in turn, can stimulate acne. Hemp seed oil can prevent dry skin without clogging pores. As a result, it helps reduce acne caused by excess oil.
• Moisturizes and relieves inflammation: One of the omega-6 fatty acids that hemp oil contains is gamma-linolenic acid or GLA, which acts as a powerful anti-inflammatory and also encourages skin growth and new cell generation.
• Treatment to atopic dermatitis: One of the things that make hemp seed oil so beneficial to the skin is that it is rich in omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Consuming these nutrients can help treat skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis.
• Anti-aging agent: the linoleic acid and oleic acids found in hemp seed oil can’t be produced by the body, but can play a crucial role in skin health and anti-aging. Hemp seed oil can help reduce fine lines and wrinkles, as well as prevent signs of aging from developing.
• PMS and menopause: A 2010 study of rats indicates that hemp seed helps to deal with complications of menopause, most likely because of its high levels of GLA. Hemp seed oil’s gamma-linolenic acid or GLA assists in the production of prostaglandin E1. A 2011 research suggests that the physical or emotional symptoms associated with premenstrual syndrome are potentially caused by sensitivity to the hormone prolactin that may be related to low prostaglandin E1 or PGE1.
• Hemp seed oil as antibacterial agent: Researches made in 2017 showed that hemp seed oil’s antibacterial properties are proved to inhibit the activity of various types of bacteria, including Staphylococcus Aureus, which is a dangerous bacteria that can cause skin infections, pneumonia, and even strong infections of bones, and heart valve.
• Improves Cardiovascular System Health: Consuming foods with high arginine levels can help decrease the risk of heart disease. Hemp seed oil results to be one of the richest oils in nature in this beneficial amino acid.

Hemp Oil vs CBD oil

The main difference between Hemp Seed Oil and CBD oil is that hemp seed oil presents little to no CBD content. Hemp extract is made by extracting the compound CBD from the leaves, flowers, and stalks of a hemp plant, while hemp seed oil is made by cold-pressing the dehulled hemp seeds into an omega-rich oil.

Moreover, hemp seed oil can’t be used as a medical treatment, different from CBD oil, which is increasingly being used to treat some of the conditions exposed below. Additionally, hemp seed oil doesn’t contain all the flavonoids, terpenes, and cannabinoids that hemp extract does.