Hemp Oil Vs. CBD Oil

Hemp Seed Oil Vs. CBD Oil: Overview

While technically both hemp oils touted for their medicinal purposes, hemp oil and CBD oil are not the same thing. Hemp oil - sometimes called cannabis sativa seed oil, but it's best to call it hemp seed oil - is made from cold pressing the seeds which gives us a cannabis extract that’s rich in omega-3 fatty acids, protein, fiber, magnesium, iron, zinc, and antioxidants.

All of these things are great for the body, and most of us could use more of them in our diets. In fact, they are so beneficial, more dog and cat owners are supplementing them into their pet's diet with roaring success. 

However, while hemp oil or hemp seed oil has health benefits, it’s no hemp-derived CBD oil. CBD oil is created from extracting the resin that covers the leaves, flowers, and stalks of the plant. Rich in cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids, CBD oil contains compounds that mirror ones all mammals naturally produce. Called the endocannabinoid system (ECS), this system composed of endocannabinoids and cannabinoid receptors has been found to influence several biological roles that heal and stabilize the body. 

Did you know: The hemp plant = both CBD oil and hemp oil. A hemp plant is just a cannabis plant that doesn't contain enough THC to cause a high.

What Is CBD Oil Good For?

Without a doubt, CBD oil has changed how we view alternative health and wellness to a much greater degree than hemp oil has. Research shows CBD can help ease the symptoms of many common health issues, including anxiety, inflammation, depression, seizures, and pain relief. Cancer patients often find CBD to be irreplaceable aid for its ability to help with pain, nausea, appetite, and other issues occurring due to the side effects of cancer treatments. 

What Type Of Hemp CBD Is Best?

There are three main types of CBD oil. And you should know, there are some key similarities and differences between them. While all three are phytocannabinoid-rich, the ones they are rich with is the difference.

Full Spectrum Oil

When CBD is first derived from hemp, the extract contains all the phytocannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids naturally in cannabis. When left together they create full spectrum CBD products. Full spectrum CBD is by far the most popular version of CBD at the moment because they provide the strongest entourage effect.

Broad Spectrum Oil

Another popular form is broad spectrum CBD which takes out all traces of THC. Broad spectrums are generally left for those who take extremely large doses of CBD but don't want to worry about the increased amount of THC that comes along with it. Mostly to avoid worries about it causing a drug test to come back positive for marijuana since they test for THC metabolites.

CBD Isolate

Last we have CBD isolate, where cannabidiol (CBD) is extracted away from all the other cannabinoids and terpenes. The CBD content of an isolate is significantly higher than it is in a broad spectrum CBD oil or a full spectrum one. However, most find the benefits of CBD isolates pale in comparison.

This happens thanks to the entourage effect that occurs when the other cannabinoids and terpenes are left together, allowing them to work together in the body for greater health benefits. This is why full spectrum CBD is greatly preferred by most.

Hemp CBD Oil Vs. Marijuana

While hemp CBD and marijuana effects both come from their ability to interact with the ECS, there is a big difference between how they do it. Both hemp CBD and marijuana contain the same cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids that make up all cannabis sativa plants.

However, Hemp CBD oil lacks notable levels of one single cannabinoid out of all the hundreds we’ve identified so far. That cannabinoid is called THC, and it’s the sole culprit behind marijuana’s high because it over-stimulates the ECS. Marijuana plants typically contain at least 20% THC, but hemp plants can be grown to have less than 0.3% THC. 

That amount is so tiny it can’t cause a high, making it safe for kids and pets, and legal in the United States. With such a small amount, hemp CBD products don’t overstimulate the ECS, making their effects much more natural than marijuana’s. 

What is Hemp Oil Good For?

Hemp oil is rich in many vitamins and minerals that are seriously lacking in the average diet. Thanks to the nutritional value of hempseed oil along with its malleability, you can find hemp seeds in a lot of different products.

These products range from beauty products like hemp lotions that treat skin disorders to dietary items like hemp protein powder and hemp milk. To find out if hemp oil or another version of the seeds can benefit you or another, let’s check out the benefits each of the main compounds can offer. 

Omega Acids - Omega-3 essential fatty acids make up a crucial part of cell membranes. Supplementing them into a diet can help stabilize cholesterol, blood pressure, and triglycerides, along with improving eyesight and mediating the effects of depression and anxiety. As well, it's a powerful anti-inflammatory.

Antioxidants - Hemp seeds are rich in antioxidants like phenolic compounds, tocopherols, and phytosterols, which have been noted for their role in reducing the risk of several chronic diseases from cancer to improving cardiovascular health. 

Protein - Hemp seed protein powder has been a godsend for vegetarian and vegan athletes, along with many of us who can’t tolerate milk-based protein powders. 

Fiber - When left with their shell still on, hemp seeds are an incredible source of both soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber is fantastic for its immediate help with digestion. And while we can't directly use insoluble fiber, the gut bacteria vital to wellness won’t let it go to waste, making them happy and strong. 

Zinc - Without zinc, our bodies would struggle to heal wounds and taste the foods we love. Important for immune wellness and metabolism, there’s a good reason multivitamins often contain zinc. 

Iron - From helping to build key hormones to making up hemoglobin and myoglobin, which carry oxygen from the lungs to all other parts of the body, iron is a crucial mineral that also activates vitamin B giving the skin a healthy glow. 

Magnesium - Without enough magnesium, the body struggles to regulate muscle and nerve function, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure.

Which Is Better Hemp Oil Or CBD Oil?

Hemp oil and CBD oil offer their own health benefits. This is one of the reasons we include both together in our PurCBD+ oil. 

Generally, most people prefer the stronger and more diverse therapeutic benefits that come from CBD. Now, this isn’t saying CBD is always the better choice. Because while it's great for chronic conditions like anxiety, pain, and on, it’s not going to support dietary health like hemp oil can. 

Did You Know: Hemp oil and CBD oil are a common staple in health food stores.

Does Hemp Oil Relax You?

While hemp seed oil can ultimately have calming effects because it helps heals several places in the body that can cause stress, it won't relax you like CBD oil.

CBD oil's beneficial effects on the body stem from the cannabinoids' ability to work with the endocannabinoid system, which plays a crucial part in keeping the nervous system itself calm.

Better Together Rather Than Apart

Why try to figure out which is better, hemp oil vs. CBD oil, when you can have them both together, extending their ability to places neither reaches on its own. And it just makes perfect sense to bring them together. CBD oil requires a carrier oil for improved absorption in the body, and the healthy fats from hemp oil provide just that. Even better, not only will hemp seed oil bring along unique benefits while reinforcing many of CBDs', it’s the healthy choice vs. MCT oils. 

At first, MCT oils like coconut oil seemed like a good choice since they are full of fats. However, unlike hemp, these are not healthy fats. Daily overconsumption of MCT oil can cause diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, stomach discomfort, gas, essential fatty acid deficiency, and other side effects. It’s often thought that when people see side effects from a CBD oil, it's the MCT oil in their CBD product. 

How To Read Your Hemp Product

Currently, the FDA does not regulate either hemp seed oil or CBD oil products, treating both as a dietary supplement. This allows companies and manufacturers to freely use misleading labeling, lying about what their hemp product contains. Hemp oil is often mislabeled as containing CBD oil.

This is because hempseed oil is easier to create along with the more pronounced and unique benefits of CBD oil. One reason CBD oil and other products have a higher manufacturing cost is because they must come from industrial hemp plants. A hemp plant loses that label if it creates more than 0.3% THC, which is easy for them to do as THC is created to protect against UV. This can result in the loss of the crop, depending on how the law defines CBD in your area.

All of this means creating a legal CBD oil has significantly more work and cost involved, giving shady companies an easy way to make a buck by praying on the confusion that comes with hemp products.

To ensure your CBD oil contains the correct amount of CBD, look for terms like whole-plant extract, cannabidiol, and industrial hemp extract. As well, all great CBD companies will readily provide you with a Certificate of Analysis, which gives you an in-depth look at what's in your CBD oil.

Did You Know: Hemp oil and CBD oil can be applied topically.

Final Thoughts

For us, there is no winner in the great hemp oil vs. CBD oil fight. We think both are amazing, and in most cases, they are better together than apart. Both hemp oil and CBD oil have many similar benefits, but they are achieved in different ways through many therapeutic compounds. This creates support in ways only achieved when they are together. As well, where a CBD concentrate is geared to helping chronic issues, hemp oil supports dietary wellness, and there's no denying the close relationship and influence those have on each other.

For these reasons and more, you will find we include the entire hemp crop into many of our CBD and wellness products. Hemp oil often pops up in our items under the term hemp seed powder, which provides all the same benefits, it's just easy to work with when combining with several holistic aids. From our CBD oil to our CBD dog treats, you'll only find that we only use hemp-derived full spectrum CBD oil. We've tried CBD isolate, we've tried broad spectrum CBD oil. But in our experience, there is no beating hemp-derived full spectrum CBD oil thanks to the entourage effect.