What Are the Benefits of Hemp Seed Oil?

Hemp seed oil is a nutty culinary oil pressed from hemp seeds. Its measurable benefit is its fatty acid profile. Most other claims rest on a handful of short studies.

What hemp seed oil is

Hemp seed oil is the oil cold pressed from the seeds of low-THC Cannabis sativa, known as industrial hemp. FDA’s December 2018 letter on GRAS notice 778 describes the process: seeds are cleaned, whole seeds are cold pressed, and the oil is filtered before packaging. The notice describes it as a translucent oil with a nutty aroma and taste.

In that letter, FDA said it had “no questions” about the notifier’s conclusion that hemp seed oil is generally recognized as safe as a substitute for other edible oils in foods such as dressings, table oils, spreads, sauces and smoothies. The letter is not a formal affirmation of GRAS status.

Fatty acid profile

Hemp seed oil is mostly polyunsaturated fat. The figures below are the averages reported in the FDA letter on GRAS notice 778.

That is about 3 parts omega-6 to 1 part omega-3. An independent lab analysis agrees closely: a 2024 study in the journal Foods, Siol and colleagues, measured about 52% linoleic acid, 17% ALA, 14% oleic acid, 6% palmitic acid and 4% stearic acid in a commercial cold-pressed hemp oil.

Linoleic acid and ALA are the two fatty acids people cannot make and must get from food, as the Linus Pauling Institute explains. It lists the adult adequate intake for ALA as 1.6 g a day for men and 1.1 g for women. ALA is not EPA or DHA, the omega-3s in fish, and the institute cites studies showing that only a small share of ALA is converted to them.

What human studies show

Human evidence is thin and mixed. A 2020 review in Nutrients, Farinon and colleagues, found only a few human trials, all of them using hemp seed oil as a supplement.

These trials were short, used very different doses, and do not agree with each other. The review’s own conclusion is that more human research is needed. Treat hemp seed oil as a source of essential fatty acids, not as a remedy.

Use it cold

Hemp seed oil is best used without heat. Nutiva, a maker of the oil, states on its product page that it has a low smoke point, is not suitable for frying, and should be used raw or gently heated. That is one manufacturer’s guidance. No lab-measured smoke point was found in a peer-reviewed or government source for this page, so no temperature is given here.

The chemistry supports caution. A 2022 study in the journal Antioxidants, Tura and colleagues, held nine cold-pressed hemp seed oils at 60°C (140°F) for 18 days. Aldehydes, which are markers of oxidation, rose between 4 and 13 times, and antioxidants fell.

Practical uses:

• Salad dressings and vinaigrettes
• Drizzled over cooked vegetables, grains, soup or pasta after cooking
• Blended into dips, pesto and smoothies

A measured dressing is on the hemp seed recipes page.

How to store it

Keep hemp seed oil in its dark bottle, tightly closed, in the refrigerator after opening. Tura and colleagues note that its polyunsaturated fat is highly prone to oxidation, that its chlorophyll is sensitive to light, and that oxidation can occur even at room temperature.

Siol and colleagues stored cold-pressed hemp oil in dark glass for 4 months at about 4°C (39°F) and 20°C (68°F). Acidity, a sign of breakdown, rose over time and usually rose more at room temperature. Nutiva also tells buyers to refrigerate its oil after opening.

Use the date on the bottle, and discard oil that smells or tastes off.

Hemp seed oil on skin

Hemp seed oil is a cosmetic ingredient, and the supported claim is modest. COSMILE Europe, the ingredient database of the trade body Cosmetics Europe, lists Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil as a skin-conditioning emollient, meaning it softens and smooths skin.

In the US, FDA notes in its cannabis Q&A (content current as of July 16, 2024) that cosmetic products and ingredients are not subject to premarket approval. A cosmetic label is therefore not proof that a product works.

The one clinical trial tested eating the oil, not applying it. Callaway and colleagues ran a 20-week randomized, single-blind crossover study comparing dietary hemp seed oil with olive oil in patients with atopic dermatitis. After hemp seed oil, reported dryness and itch improved (p=0.027) and use of skin medication fell (p=0.024). The change in measured skin water loss was not statistically significant (p=0.074). It is a single study from 2005. See a doctor for a skin condition.

Hemp seed oil is not CBD oil

Hemp seed oil and CBD oil come from different parts of the plant. FDA states that hemp seeds do not naturally contain THC or CBD, and that hemp seed ingredients hold only traces picked up during harvesting and processing. The GRAS notice 778 specification caps THC at 10 mg per kg of oil.

The words “hemp oil” alone do not tell you which one a product is. Check the ingredient list for hemp seed oil, or Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil on a cosmetic. The differences are set out in hemp oil vs CBD oil.

For the whole seed, see hemp seeds benefits. Nothing on this page is medical advice.