by Jenny Kendrick, Statistics Canada

One of the reasons hemp holds promise as an oilseed crop is its interesting nutritional properties. Hemp advocates say it’s on par with some of the most popular oils made from corn, canola, soybeans, sunflower seeds, olives, flaxseed and peanuts.

Most oilseeds contain much the same balance of protein, fibre and other types of carbohydrates — mainly from the hull of the seed — and fats. Fats are made up of various types of fatty acids and glycerine (also called glycerol).

The key difference between the various oils you’ll find on the grocery shelf is their composition of fatty acids. The word “fat” may set off alarm bells, and too much fat in your diet is a bad thing. But we need to take in a certain amount of fat in our diet to keep us healthy. Fat provides energy and essential fatty acids and is a carrier of vitamins such as A,D, E and K. We also need it to support growth and development of body tissues. Fat also protects our vital organs and helps maintain our body temperature.

The problem with fat is that most Canadians eat too much of it and too much of the wrong kinds. Canadians currently get about 38% of their calories from fat. Nutritionists say we should aim to get that proportion below 30%.

But percentages aren’t everything. It’s also important to know about the three main types of fats, which are not created equal (Figure 1). The most benign class of fats, the ones you should get a reasonable serving of, are the unsaturated fats, which come in two forms: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Monounsaturated fats are mainly found in vegetable oils such as canola, olive and peanut oils, nuts including filberts, pistachios, pecans and cashews, and avocados.

Polyunsaturated fats are found mainly in vegetable oils such as safflower, flaxseed, corn, canola and hemp seed. There are two types of polyunsaturated fats: omega-3 and omega-6 — the number refers to the position of the first double bond of the carbon chain, which means it’s unsaturated. The most-discussed member of the omega-3 family is alpha-linolenic acid, and in the omega-6 family it’s linoleic acid. A nutritionally balanced diet containing these essential fatty acids has a ratio of roughly 3:2 linoleic acid to alpha-linolenic acid. The distribution of essential fatty acids in hemp oil is close to this favourable ratio.

But what’s important about omega fatty acids is that the body needs them, and can’t produce them on its own. They’re also known to offer significant health benefits: Alpha-linolenic and other omega-3s may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease — a heart attack or stroke.

Given the types of foods that most Canadians eat, it’s not hard to get enough omega-6 fatty acids in your diet. You probably get your share from the vegetable oils used in baking, cooking, your salad dressing or in nuts. Getting enough omega-3s is not as easy, and many of us likely don’t get enough.

Only four well-known oilseeds contain omega-3s in any significant amount: hemp seed, flaxseed, canola and soybeans. The other key source of omega-3s is seafood, particularly salmon and trout, sardines, herring, swordfish, oysters and mackerel. If you’re not a fish-eater, you may want to pay more attention to what kind of oil you’re getting in your salad dressing.

Saturated fats are chiefly found in animal sourcessuch as meat fat, milk fat and butter. Two vegetable oils — coconut and palm oil — are high in saturated fats. These fats are often used in products such as cookies, crackers and cakes. High intake of saturated fats has been linked to higher blood cholesterol, which has been associated with higher risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Trans fats occur naturally in small amounts in some animal products such as dairy products, beef, lamb and mutton. They appear in larger amounts in some processed foods, including some margarines that contain hydrogenated vegetable oils. Hydrogenation is a manufacturing process in which extra hydrogen is inserted into the fat to protect the fat, and the food it’s in, against spoiling and as a flavour enhancer. However, trans fats are thought to increase the body’s bad cholesterol. High levels of cholesterol have been linked to cardiovascular disease.

All this is to say that regulating your diet is not simply a matter of cutting out all fat. Some fats play important roles in maintaining your health, and the better oilseeds, such as hemp, deserve a place on your pantry shelf.

Regulating your diet alone does not guarantee you’ll never have a heart attack or stroke. Smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, lack of exercise, obesity, diabetes and a history of cardiovascular disease in your family all raise your risk of cardiovascular disease.