The 'Special Things' in Hemp Oil to Improve Your Pet's Health
Chances are if you have looked around our website, you have noticed the multitude of benefits hemp oil offers your pet.
We want to dive just a little bit deeper with you, though. We’ll go through each major component of hemp oil individually and give you a bit more info.
GLA: Gamma-Linoleic Acid
For the purposes of this article, we’re just going to refer to this as GLA. The chances of your pet being GLA deficient are quite high. Even if your pet appears to be as healthy as ever, there still may be a lack of GLA in their body.
Hemp oil contains linoleic acid. Your pet’s body is able to create GLA from linoleic acid found in the hemp plant.
Why’s that matter?
GLA is a building block for a special kind of hormone-like substance known as prostaglandin. Prostaglandins help control inflammation in your pet’s body.
Pets who have a GLA deficiency can suffer from arthritis, early aging, digestive issues, diabetes, skin problems, and/or cancer.
On top of all that, GLA can also increase your dog’s energy by encouraging the brain to release serotonin (increases fullness and feelings of happiness).
The Omegas for Your Pet
Hemp oil contains Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids which also control inflammation in your pet’s body.
Each ‘Omega’ has a different purpose. If your pet has too much Omega-3, your pet’s body will release hormones to encourage inflammation. That’s where Omega-6 comes in. Omega-6 walks in and tells Omega-3 not to release those hormones anymore.
Since many health conditions involve chronic inflammation, a healthy balance of Omega-3 and Omega-6 is necessary. That’s where hemp oil comes in.
Now, you may be asking what will happen if you don’t manage the inflammation. That’s where health problems like diabetes, allergies, heart disease, liver disease, and arthritis step in. Hello inflammation also means saying hello to harsh health conditions.
Plus, Omega-3 fatty acids are also beneficial to your pet’s joint health, bone health, eyes, and brain. And, they boost the immune system by promoting good blood flow as well as improving organ function.
The Next One: Phospholipids and Your Pet’s Body
Phospholipids are a little more complicated than the others. Basically, a phospholipid is the outer part of a body’s cell. Phospholipids help maintain homeostasis (body regulation). What’s that mean in general terms? The following are the benefits of this special ‘ingredient:’
- The reduction of gastric acid (stomach acid)
- A boosted immune system
- Reduction in tumor growth from cancer
- Lowered risk of cardiovascular disease
Why Not Fish Oil?
There’s a chance someone may have told you to try fish oil instead of hemp oil. We don’t blame them. Fish oil has been known to be beneficial to our pets for a long time. But, we are now discovering some instability in fish oil that makes hemp oil quite a bit safer.
Even though hemp oil is relatively new in the world of veterinary medicine, there have not been any reported side effects from its use. Fish oil; however, has received many complaints.
It’s important to note here we aren’t trying to discredit any company or organization. We are simply wanting to show you what has been discovered.
Heat is required to process fish oil. Heat results in instability. If you heat something up, and then leave it, you can usually count on it ‘going bad’ eventually, right? That means fish oil could potentially result in even more inflammation causing more damage.
Hemp oil is cold-pressed so it’s more stable than fish oil. Organic hemp oil is also grown without pesticides or any other type of toxin (it needs to be to be classified as organic).
As per usual, please feel free to reach out to us with any questions. Thank you for being a part of our pet lover family here at Valerio Paws.