Pine Nut Oil Health Benefits

This image was originally posted to Flickr by Paul Goyette at http://www.flickr.com/photos/pgoyette/ 201493259

Pine nut oil, also called pine seed oil or cedar nut oil, is a pressed vegetable oil, extracted from the edible seeds of several species of pine. There are roughly 20 different species used to press the oil. Pine nut oil has many uses, including culinary, nutritive, and medicinal.

In Russia, before the revolution of 1917, pine nut oil was used for cooking during Great Lent when the eating of animal fats was forbidden. At that time, ten percent of all hard currency in Russia was based on the trade of pine oil. Most of the trade was with France, which traditionally uses nut oil in cooking.

Pine nut oil is an age-old remedy for gastric aliments such as ulcers, H. Pylori, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis and acid reflux. It also assists with bloating, gas, cholesterol and blood sugar levels, hypertension, immunity, energy levels and weight loss.

The oil contains a high concentrate of carotenoids and vitamin E, which help reduce oxidative damage; and pinolenic acid, a unique triple-unsaturated fatty acid (found only in pine nut oil) that acts as a powerful anti-inflammatory and digestive aid. It also contains high concentrates of omega 3 and 6, vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, magnesium, iron, copper, phosphorus and iodine.