Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA)

Want to know more about the benefits of Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA)? KANAPU Hemp Seed Oil is naturally enriched with 4%+ GLA – an Omega 6 fatty acid shown to support several human functions.

Read on to discover the benefits of GLA for inflammation, women’s health, skin health and diabetic neuropathy.

Inflammation is a symptom of many chronic diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and Alzheimer’s disease. It has been reported that diets rich in food that have anti-inflammatory properties lower the level of inflammation in the human body. KANAPU Hemp Seed Flakes and KANAPU Hemp Seed Oil contain GLA. Following ingestion, the dietary GLA is metabolised readily into dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA). The DGLA is then converted into prostaglandin E1 (PGE1), a hormone-like substance which exhibited anti-inflammatory effects. As the precursor of PGE1, GLA has been recognised to have modulating effect on inflammation reactions. A study was conducted to investigate the potential therapeutic effect of hemp seed and evening primrose oil on multiple sclerosis patients. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, inflammatory disease of unknown aetiology that involves an immune-mediated attack on the central nervous system. MS patients who received 18.9 g of hemp seed and 2.1 g of evening primrose oils together daily for 6 months were found to have an improved expanded disability status scale and relapse rate. Their immunological parameters were significantly improved (decreased in pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-17 level and increased in the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-4 level). In addition, consuming 1.4 g of GLA per day for 24 weeks has been reported to reduce the number of tender joints and swollen joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. You can obtain 1.4 g of GLA per day by consuming 2.5 tablespoons of KANAPU Hemp Seed Oil, supporting your arthritis and joint mobility conditions.

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a list of symptoms that appear periodically during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, which include anxiety, depression, acne, fatigue, breast pain, irritable bowel syndrome, and others. Luteal phase is a stage after ovulation and before the start of menstruation. The causes of PMS is still unclear, but hormone fluctuations and the changes in neurohormone and neurotransmitters regulation were some of the proposed aetiologies of PMS. Prolactin is a pituitary hormone regulating the mammary gland in women. High sensitivity and high prolactin level have been suggested to induce PMS in women. Prostaglandin E1 (PGE1), a hormone-like substance, has been reported to have an attenuation effect on the biological actions of prolactin. Imbalance between the PGE1 and hormone dopamine levels in brain has also been reported as the cause of psychological symptoms in PMS. PGE1 is synthesised from dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA), which is readily converted from GLA in our body. A study has investigated on the effect of GLA supplement on PMS. Consuming 180 mg/day of GLA for three luteal phases has been reported to improve the overall PMS and irritability.
GLA is also beneficial to women experiencing menopause. Menopause is the end of the menstrual cycles, when a woman does not have a menstrual period for 12 months consecutively. During menopause, women may experience some symptoms including hot flashes, night sweats, and mood changes. A study has shown that having 140 mg of GLA for 8 weeks effectively reduce the severity of hot flashes and improved quality of life in post-menopausal women. You can obtain 180 mg of GLA from 1 teaspoon of KANAPU hemp seed oil (~5 g) or 1 tablespoon of KANAPU hemp seed flakes (~15 g) daily to maintain a good women health at different stages of your life.

Acne is a chronic inflammatory skin disease. A diet with an optimal combination of omega-6 fatty acid (GLA) and omega-3 fatty acids has been reported to improve the chronic inflammatory skin diseases. It has been reported that consuming 400 mg of GLA per day for 10 weeks decreased both inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne lesions. Consuming 2 teaspoons of KANAPU Hemp Seed Oil (~10 g) or 2 tablespoons of KANAPU Hemp Seed Flakes (~30 g) daily provides around 400 mg of GLA to support chronic skin inflammation conditions.

Diabetic neuropathy is a common complication of diabetes which involved in nerve damage, often characterised by numbness and pain in the legs, feet and hands of diabetic patients. According to the Mayo clinic, a non-profit American academic medical centre, to help managing diabetic neuropathy, it is recommended to control blood sugar either through medication, healthy diet and lifestyle, and/or physical activity, as well as maintain healthy feet. KANAPU Hemp Seed Flakes and KANAPU Hemp Seed Oil contain gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), which can be incorporated into your daily diet, supporting the neuropathy conditions. GLA is an essential component of structural phospholipids in neuronal cell membrane, which is vital for the maintenance of normal nerve membrane structure and functions. Several studies have shown positive effects of GLA on the neuropathy conditions in diabetic patients. For instance, consuming 0.32 g of GLA per day for 12 weeks has been reported to decrease the pain intensity in neuropathy diabetic patients. This finding is supported by the outcomes of another clinical trial, where it was demonstrated that consuming 0.36 g of GLA per day for 6 months improves the neuropathy symptom score, motor and sensory nerve conduction, and thermal threshold in patients with distal diabetic polyneuropathy. Consuming 2 teaspoons of KANAPU hemp seed oil (~10 g) or 2 tablespoons of KANAPU hemp seed flakes (~30 g) daily provides around 0.4 g of GLA to support diabetic neuropathy conditions.