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Will Hemp Replace Fish as the

King of Omega 3?
by Paul Benhaim, Hemp Foods Australia Pty Ltd, Elixinol LLC
TAGS: organic, omega 3, omega 6, EPA, DHA, GLA, mercury, cannabinoids, epilepsy

As decades of unjustified prohibition and persecution continue to lose their grip, Hemp is rapidly regaining the popularity it has held for millenniums as a primary and sustainable source of lifes
necessities. From a nutritional standpoint, the leaves, flowers and seeds of Hemp Plants provide
essential organic nutrition that cannot be obtained elsewhere. Interest in the oil from the flowers
and seeds is at an all time high and showing no sign of slowing down.

Necessary Nutrients
Hemp Seeds are incredibly nutrient dense. Besides containing arguably the highest quality Protein
that exists in concentrations that exceed that of most other food sources, Hemp Seeds rule the
world when it comes to Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids like Omega 3, 6 and others. These are the
special oils the body uses for detoxification, building brain cells, hormones, neurotransmitters and
many other systems and functions in the body not to mention resisting and reversing Obesity.
As a source of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, Hemp Seeds contain:

11% more than Sacha Inchi Seeds

62% more than Flax Seeds
96% more than Chia Seeds
104% more than Fish Oil
460% more than Whole Fish

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Hemp Seeds also contain Vitamins D3, E and A, cholesterol-fighting Phytosterols and are one of
only a few sources of Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA) an essential fatty acid thought to be
responsible for much of the anti-inflammatory properties that make Hemp Seed Oil popular with
people suffering Arthritis and Eczema.

EPA and DHA - Non-Essential?

Among the different compounds found in fish oil are Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) and
Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA). A number of claims are made about these fats. Firstly that you
cannot get them from plants. Guess where the fish get them from? Plants! Marine algae produce
the Omega Oils that fish eat and incorporate into their fat supplies. Fish do not make Omega oils
themselves. If they dont eat algae they must eat other fish that have eaten algae.
The second claim is that EPA and DHA are essential to the diet. Is this true? EPA and DHA are
Omega 3 fatty acid metabolites, they are not essential fatty acids. The term essential actually
only applies to Alpha Linolenic Acid (Omega 3) and Linoleic Acid (Omega 6) which are essential
fats found abundantly in Hemp seeds that your body cannot manufacture itself.
Guess what that means - your body can and does manufacture EPA and DHA itself. How much
can the body manufacture? According to research as much as it needs as long as you consume
enough fresh Alpha Linolenic Acid and Linoleic Acid in the ratio which is naturally found only in
Hemp Seeds and Walnuts.
Various studies have measured combined EPA and DHA conversion rates in humans at up to 30%.
Factors that can increase and optimise conversion include an adequate dietary intake of
Magnesium. And what is the worlds richest natural source of Magnesium? Dark Chocolate? No Hemp contains twice as much Magnesium as Dark Chocolate.
For most people a tablespoon of Hemp Seed Oil can satisfy their daily EPA and DHA requirements.

Heating, Bleaching,
Industrial Solvents,
Mercury, PCBs and
Dioxins - Is Fish Oil
A Health Food?
A Major Public Health
Concern
In the last 200 years Mercury levels
increased 300% in surface water
and 250% in deep sea water
according to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. The World Health Organisation report
Exposure to Mercury: A Major Public Health Concern states that the main source of human
exposure to mercury is eating fish. The World Health Organisation goes on to say that exposure to
Mercury is a known cause of Epilepsy among other health catastrophes.
Since 1980, randomised double-blind placebo-controlled human trials with CBD, one of the
cannabinoids found in Hemp leaves and flowers has shown that CBD successfully stops and

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prevents epileptic seizures and is safe even when consumed in amounts 5000% higher than what
is necessary to achieve seizure control.
Joint research by teams of scientists from USA and Europe revealed that 97% of all human
exposure to Cancer causing Dioxins comes from eating meat, dairy and fish.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, the main source of human exposure to
Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) is eating fish and that it can result in neurological and
developmental retardation as well as increased cancer risk.

Mothers and Children Beware

A 2013 study of 13 of the top selling Childrens Fish Oil supplements in USA revealed that 100% of
them contained PCBs regardless of what kind of fish the oil came from and the method used to
extract the oil including molecular distillation.

Cold Pressed?
It is well known that heat can render Omega oils toxic. According to Nordic Naturals, one of the
worlds largest fish oil producers all fish oil, regardless of the kind of manufacturing process
usedalways requires the use of heat

Oceans Running Out Of Fish?

The argument over whether or not we should be eating fish may end up being decided for us.
According to the United Nations [ http://www.fao.org/newsroom/common/ecg/1000505/en/
stocks.pdf ], over 70% of the worlds fish are now fully exploited or depleted to such an extent that
stocks of all species currently fished for food are predicted to collapse by 2048.
Hemp on the other hand merely needs to be replanted each year to supply the worlds essential
nutrition needs sustainably.

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