Omega 6, it’s all about balance

Recent research using mice has shown an association between levels of arachidonic acid (a very long-chain fatty acid of the omega-6 class) in the brain and a tendency to develop symptoms similar to Alzheimer’s disease. While this may provide clues for future drug development strategies, it does not provide a direct link between dietary omega-6 fatty acids and risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or other degenerative brain conditions which some media have reported. As a product rich in Omega 3, 6 & 9 GOOD wanted to ensure that we gave you the facts in this area.

It’s not new news that changes in western diets over the last hundred years (with dramatically higher levels of omega-6 and reduced levels of omega-3 fatty acids) may contribute to many of the illnesses seen in modern society, but this report has brought some of this concern to the fore. Nutritional advice in the light of current knowledge would be that as part of a healthy diet plan, consumption of oils and fats should ideally include a ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 of about 3:1, and saturated and trans fats should be limited. Now for the GOOD news, the proportions of Omega’s 3, 6 & 9 in GOOD OIL would contribute to this balance, and with low saturated fat and no transfat, GOOD OIL is a healthy choice.

We plan to publish a more detailed report on this subject in articles, watch this space, it should be up this week.

GOOD day out

Last week we welcomed Abi Silvestre Editor of Hippy Shopper and Sagar Shah The Hempreneur to visit Collabear Farm, meet the team and take the farm tour. After a relaxed lunch with Henry, Nancy and Kellie the guests were taken up to see bayles of hemp fibre on our fields and Henry talked them through some of the history of hemp. From mighty beginnings as one of the key fibres for the country, hemp still has a crucial role to play in creating strong, environmentally sound material for everything from building blocks to BMW car doors.

Up at the field, the remains of the plant after harvest

The GOOD team took the guys on a whistle-stop tour of the grain store, where they were privvy to our cleaning and pressing process, and they got to see our new bottling plant (see Abi’s blogpost showing Henry looking stylish in food safe garments) and before home time they got to meet the real stars of the show Ollie, Tom, Vlvin & Nita (our donkey and horses!)

Abi meets the most hard-working team member

Ollie reveals the secrets of hemp farming to our visitors

Why don’t you post us some of your hemp history facts, and don’t forget we always want recipes and new ideas for using our oils and dressings.

GOOD jumpers

Here’s some pics of the show jumping class that Braham & Murray sponsored this year at Bicton in Devon, 2 of our staff from the farm are involved and we wanted to show our support, so we proudly tottered off to see our guys (and girls) in action.

The show ran from 7th – 10th August, the GOOD Oil Senior Novice Championship saw Finn McCool ridden by Nancy (our Operations Manager) come 3rd, and win the Senior Discovery Class on Thursday and Friday.

Through the pouring rain, the horses and riders battled on, Kellie (our Accounts Manager) saw her horse Master Jasper come 2nd in the British Novice class on Friday & Sunday and then 3rd in the 90cm Amateur class.

A GOOD round for the team, pictures below. Thanks to James Pyne Photography for capturing the moments!

Triumphant!

Jumping for joy

GOOD jumper

Harvest

We thought you might like to see some images of this years harvest at Collabear Farm, we took these a few weeks ago. The same process has been going on with all of the farms who grow seed for us so you’ll no longer see the green fields of hemp if you happen to live nearby.

Our fibre will soon leave the farm to become all sorts of useful products and the seed will come to Collabear for cold pressing and bottling, another GOOD harvest.

GOOD OIL harvest 2008

GOOD OIL Harvest 2008

GOOD OIL harvest 2008