HEMP FACTS

Hemp & GLA: Good Fat Burns Bad Fat

By Meghan Atkinson CN

More than 66% of North Americans are overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).  While a sedentary lifestyle and poor dietary choices can contribute to America's expanding waistlines, there may be more to the story.

Research has found that a deficiency in the Omega-6 essential fatty acid, Gamma Linoleic Acid (GLA), can actually inhibit healthy weight loss and weight control. In fact, recent studies suggest that obesity is linked with low levels of GLA. 

GLA assists in weight loss by significantly increasing metabolism and encouraging stored fat to effectively be used for energy. GLA activates brown adipose tissue (BAT), which is an active tissue that burns calories for heat.  When BAT is actively functioning, it acts as a powerful mechanism for weight loss and weight control.  Studies report that BAT is less active in people who are overweight. 

In addition, GLA also activates the metabolic process through its role in providing the nutrients necessary to control the sodium potassium pump in each cell of the body. The sodium potassium pump is essential for cellular homeostasis, and when it's functioning properly, it can use up to 20-50% of daily caloric energy. Thus, if the pump is not working effectively, the body will store this unused energy as fat.

As important as GLA is for an effective weight management, the challenge is that it only occurs in a very small number of foods in nature. As its name implies, it's an essential fatty acid, meaning that it must be obtained from the diet.  I recommend hemp as the best source of GLA due to it's easy to assimilate and naturally balanced profile of essential fatty acids.

Hemp seeds are a nearly perfect food source. High in digestible protein, healthy Omega essential fatty acids (EFAs) and naturally occurring minerals.

Nutrition and medical experts agree that including EFAs (the "good" fats) in your diet can have important health benefits, including improved heart health, brain function (especially in children), skin conditions such as eczema and immune function. However, as our bodies do not produce EFAs, we need to obtain them through our food.

Hemp seeds have a perfectly balanced 1:3 ratio of naturally occurring Omega-3 and Omega-6 EFAs for our body. And unlike other seeds and nutritional oils, such as flax and fish oil, hemp seeds also contain Super Omega-3 Stearidonic Acid (SDA) and Super Omega-6 Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA) in nutritionally relevant amounts that help to reduce inflammation and improve mental functioning, as well as make up for potentially impaired fatty acid metabolism.

Hundreds of studies have shown that essential fatty acids (Omega 3, 6, and 9) are essential for healthy cardiac function, insulin balance, mood stability, digestion, and skin and joint health. Omega 3 is known to lower blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels. They also play an important role in reducing heart disease and stroke risk. They improve cell growth, organ function, vitality, mental state, and enhance thought processes with the transportation of oxygen, electrons and energy throughout our bodies.

People suffering from Eczema, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Cardiovascular Disease have found that the properties in hemp seed oil have helped to reduce their ailments.

Hemp contains phytonutrients, which may boost immunity, purify the skin, and strengthen connective tissue. Hemp seeds may help with the reduction of cholesterol and blood pressure, reduce inflammation, increase healing time, improve circulation, and boost overall immune function and performance.

Research links essential fatty acid deficiency with cancer, cardiovascular disease, auto immune disorders, impaired wound healing, breast pain, pre-menstrual syndrome, hormonal imbalance, multiple sclerosis, skin and hair disorders. The type of fat in one’s diet is therefore critically important. If then we increase intake of EFA’s to 12-15% of our total daily food consumption then this alone quickens our metabolic rate. This results in a thermogenic reaction causing fat burn off and loss of excess weight. LA and LNA also substantially shorten time required for fatigued muscles to recover after exercise and they facilitate the conversion of lactic acid to water and carbon dioxide.

We all know that fiber is essential to health and well being. You should eat fiber every day, and lots of it, but most importantly, you should be getting insoluble fiber in your diet. Soluble fiber is material that can break down in the system. Insoluble fiber will not break down and will pass through you without incident, except to gently cleanse your inner parts. This is what is so good about hemp fiber, the shells of hemp seeds are mostly made up of insoluble fiber, helping to gently cleanse your system of the build up of toxins in your intestines and digestive tract.

FOR BEST WEIGHT LOSS RESULTS:

Eliminate soda pop, sugars, chips, & desserts from your diet.

Limit carbohydrates, i.e. breads & pastas.

Limit cheese.

Limit alcohol.

Drink plenty of water.

Walk 10,000 steps per day. 

"Make the most of the hemp seed,...and sow it everywhere!" - George Washington