A recently developed hemp plant could prove to be an ideal cooking oil; beware, olive oil has a competitor!

The University of York reported that they have developed a hemp plant that contains a significantly higher amount of oleic acid. The new hemp oil not only offers a longer shelf life and higher heat tolerance, but also has an amount of fatty acid very similar to olive oil.

The research, published in the Journal of Plant Biotechnology, shows that scientists were able to consistently reproduce plants with a composition that had less polyunsaturated fatty acids and instead contained more monounsaturated oleic acids. In fact, the oil of the plant was almost 80% oleic acid. Oleic acid is an omega-9 fatty acid and is found in large quantities in olive and walnut oil. A high monounsaturated profile with a low polyunsaturated profile makes the oil more stable and temperature resistant, which opens the door to many industrial applications. This makes the cultivation of hemp as a product for oil very interesting for farmers, as it has a double advantage - high yielding crop while being a crop with low nutrient demands.

A cardiovascular benefit that has been associated with hemp oil and its omega-3 composition is that it can help reduce "bad" LDL cholesterol and improve insulin sensitivity. Similarly, oleic acid (omega-9) has been associated with a better absorption by the cells of omega-3! It has also been shown to lower triglyceride levels and increase HDL "good" cholesterol. This makes for a very powerful and effective combination to protect the heart. In fact, numerous studies have shown that oleic acid is associated with lower rates of cardiovascular disease. The complete composition of hemp oil is just beginning to be known. For example, a study published by the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry detailed the many compounds in hemp oil, which contains aliphatic alcohols, sterols and linolenic acids, all of which have been associated with the promotion of good health.

The oleic acid content has increased dramatically in this new hemp oil and can greatly influence the marketing of hemp and provide farmers with another crop alternative. Not only is the oleic acid content of the newly developed hemp plant more heat adaptable and stable, which may increase its industrial and cooking uses, but the oleic acid content of this oil may provide a very effective means of improving heart health.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.sciencedaily.com
http://www.acs.org
http://www.naturalnews.com
http://science.naturalnews.com
http://science.naturalnews.com