Although approximately two-thirds of the population can metabolize GLA from Omega 6, one third is lacking in the enzyme to do so. These people must take GLA from an outside source to maintain good health, and hemp is an excellent way for them to do so. Recent scientific research indicates that EFAs cannot be manufactured by the human body and deficiencies can cause undesirable chronic conditions such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, eczema and others. Therefore, hemp grain and its by-products can be used today to supplement diets poor in EFAs in order to maintain health. Additionally, industrial hemp contains a large amount of protein.
Hemp protein includes all essential amino acids, making it an excellent vegetable source of protein.
Because of the EFAs and protein found in hemp, many new food products containing hemp are finding their way onto the Canadian market, including pasta, tortilla chips, salad dressings and snack products. Hemp oil has traditionally had industrial uses as lamp oil, paint and varnish, but today is finding major new markets in cosmetics and functional foods. Hemp fibre contains no measurable amounts of THC, and is outstanding for its resistance to rotting, wear and tear, and high tensile properties that make it durable and strong. These qualities have been recognized over thousands of years of real life applications. It is also used for manufacturing hemp paper, although at this time only small quantities are being produced in North America.