Hemp seed oil, pressed from the seeds of the Cannabis sativa plant, is making a comeback, not just as a source of fibre for textiles, but also as a crop packed with oils that have potential health benefits.

Long been stigmatized because of its "high"-inducing cousins, hemp - derived from low- hallucinogenic varieties of cannabis - have high levels of vitamins A, C and E and beta carotene, and is rich in protein, carbohydrates, minerals and fibre.

Maria Angeles Fernandez-Arche and colleagues note that for millennia, people around the world cultivated cannabis for textiles, medicine and food.

With increasing interest in plant oils as a source of healthful compounds, Fernandez-Arche's team wanted to investigate hemp seed oil's potential.

They did a detailed analysis of a portion of hemp seed oil. They found it has a variety of interesting substances, such as sterols, aliphatic alcohols and linolenic acids, that research suggests promote good health. For example, it contains linolenic acid, which is an omega-3 fatty acid that some studies suggest helps prevent coronary heart disease.

The research is published in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.