By Dr. SHERRILL SELLMAN

There is a new natural medicine on the scene that is creating quite a buzz. It is called Hemp Extract. It is a phenomenal gift from Nature made from the hemp plant. Thousands of clinical studies have proven that Hemp Extract can be used to safely address many health issues.

Hemp Extract is effective for conditions as diverse as pain, inflammation, epilepsy, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and infections from multi-drug resistant bacteria, oxidative stress, hormonal imbalance, and loss of bone density, cancer, autoimmune diseases, and even addictive cravings. In fact, over 40 different health issues have shown to benefit from the use of Hemp Extract.

There are now, literally, hundreds of Hemp Extract products available in the marketplace. But the burning question is always, “How do I know which ones are really the best?”

Caveat Emptor—Buyer Beware!

Before you dive into the Hemp Extract world, it is important to become a savvy consumer. There are some important facts you need to know about the growth, processing, and formulation of Hemp Extract products.

The following seven guidelines will help you to choose the best Hemp Extract formulations.

1. Where and how is the hemp grown? 

Some hemp farms grow crops on soils that have been previously contaminated with pesticides and herbicides, or actively use such chemicals in their farming practices.

To avoid chemical contamination, you always want to choose products made with organically grown plants from verified organic farms. Be sure that the label clearly states that it is organic.

2. Which parts of the hemp plant are they using? 

Labels can be very confusing, if not downright deceiving. This is especially true when it comes to Hemp Extract formulas.

Hemp Extract comes from the leaves, the stalk, and the flower of the plant. Only the Hemp Extract has proven therapeutic effects. Therefore, you want to carefully read the ingredients label to make sure you are getting Hemp Extract, rather than hemp oil. 

3. Are you getting an isolate or a full-spectrum CBD hemp extract?

For many years it was believed there was a greater therapeutic effect if specific components were isolated from the rest of the whole plant. However, this theory was debunked after being researched at the Lautenberg Center for General Tumor Immunology in Jerusalem in 2015.

Full spectrum hemp extract contains dozens of compounds that can be extracted from the hemp plant. As it turns out, full-spectrum Hemp Extract has a faster and more powerful effect than the isolate version.

4. How is the hemp processed?

The best extraction method is called supercritical CO2 extraction. It uses carbon dioxide under high pressure and extremely low temperatures to isolate, preserve, and maintain the purity of the medicinal oil. This process requires expensive equipment, but the end product is safe, potent, and free of chlorophyll.

This process extracts the valuable oil without damaging its properties or introducing poisonous chemicals. Other extraction methods either use toxic solvents or the process creates an end product that has a very unpleasant taste and, most importantly, is inefficiently absorbed. When choosing a Hemp Extract product, always check to be sure the CO2 extraction method was used.

5. Are you getting the highest potency hemp oil?

One of the key features of an effective Hemp Extract product is its bio-availability. That means, how much of the active ingredients actually get to the cell. Unfortunately, the majority of Hemp Extract products in the market only have 3–6 percent bio-availability.

Also, check the milligrams of Hemp Extract that are found in each serving. The effectiveness of a Hemp Extract product is determined not just by the amount of Hemp Extract it contains but also by the kind of delivery system used.

6. What is the most effective and absorbable delivery system for CBD hemp oil?

Bio-availability is the proportion of the active ingredients that are absorbed and utilized by the body. If adequate amounts of the active ingredients do not get absorbed into the bloodstream and then on to the receptor sites on the cells, there will be a very little therapeutic effect.

Hemp oil, in its natural form, is dense, sticky oil. Getting any oil-based substance to pass through a cell wall is a challenge, as the absorption rate can be greatly reduced. This means that very little of the active ingredients can be absorbed by the cells. So, you may need to take a higher dose in order to benefit, or the formula may not be absorbed in all.

Liposomes are by far, the best delivery system for optimal absorption. Liposomes are tiny hollow spheres that have the ability to carry both water-soluble and fat-soluble compounds very efficiently through the body and into cell membranes. You can also think of them as very small, Nano-sized packets that are the delivery system allowing for rapid absorption of nutrients into the cell.

Liposomes protect the nutrients as they pass through the stomach and are delivered into the small intestine. At present, liposomes are the most bio-available way to deliver nutrients into the cells.

The reason liposomes are so effective is that they can be absorbed very quickly through a cell wall, either orally or topically. They enhance the effectiveness of Hemp Extract due to this super-efficient delivery method. By attaching to hemp oil molecules and transporting them to their destination, liposomes are a perfect delivery solution for achieving rapid results. Liposomal technology allows the Hemp Extract to be absorbed 15 times more efficiently than the capsule or liquid oil delivery methods.

7. Is the CBD hemp oil free of THC and contaminants?

Hemp extract manufacturers are not required by law to have their products tested by independent third-party labs. However, reputable manufacturers pay for this testing at multiple stages of processing.

As a consumer, you may be most interested in two test results. One, the test for contaminants, and the other is the test for THC, the psychoactive molecule sometimes present in Hemp Extract. Check on the manufacturer’s website for the certificate of analysis.

On a Personal Note

The growing interest in Hemp Extract is well deserved. It is a healing plant that can alleviate so much suffering. It is also safe for children and even your pets. And considered safe with no known side effects.

As a Naturopathic Doctor, I am always searching for the very best products to recommend to my patients. For the past year, I have been researching all aspects of the Hemp Extract story.

After sorting through the confusing world of Hemp Extract products, I found one exceptional company called OptiVida Health. After speaking with the formulator and investigating their manufacturing practices, I was convinced they were heads and shoulders about the rest.

Why? For the following reasons:

1. They use US certified organic hemp.
2. They are the third party certified for purity.
3. They have a high potency product at an affordable price.
4. Their products contain no THC (0%), the psychoactive molecule.
5. They use supercritical CO2 extraction.
6. Their delivery system is a verified, liposomal technology that increases bio-availability.

 OptiVida Hemp products are formulated by Emek Blair, Ph.D., of Valimenta Labs, with an organic liposomal delivery system, which has a proven bio-availability of 15 times better absorption than all the other forms of delivery. 

Check out the products at Optividahealth.com

Join the Hemp Health Revolution

I trust that you are ready to join the Hemp Health Revolution. You now have the guidelines to ensure that you can find the very best products. Everyone, of all ages, can benefit from taking Hemp Extract when needed. We truly live in an exciting time when the healing gifts of nature are so readily available to us.

This extraordinary plant has returned to help us on our path to optimal health and well-being.

This post was republished with permission By Dr. SHERRILL SELLMAN, ND, and Total Health Magazine. 

Dr. Sellman is an international author, psychotherapist, women’s health advocate, and seminar presenter. Through her books including Hormone Heresy—What Women Must Know About Their Hormones, lectures, and seminars, she has empowered women all over the world to make more educated and informed choices about their health. Sherrill’s latest book Hemp Health Revolution explores the history of hemp and the latest research in the Hemp Extract world. Dr Sellman gives us the A to Z list of the many chronic illnesses or health conditions that have been proven to benefit from Hemp Extract. This article was originally published in the November 2018 issue of Total Health Magazine.