BENEFITS OF CAMELINA
✓ Improves skin beauty
✓ Antioxidant
✓ Anti-inflammatory
✓ Reduces cholesterol levels
✓ Helps improve diabetes
What is camelina?
Native to Northern Europe and Central Asia, camelina (Camelina sativa) is also called « little flax » or « German sesame ». Like rapeseed, mustard or the watercress, it belongs to the Brassicaceae family. It can reach 80 cm in height and produces yellow flowers similar to those of rapeseed.
Camelina is an oilseed plant whose seeds are pressed to extract the oil. This yields a yellow-golden vegetable oil with a subtle, ‘green’ scent. It is used both in cooking and in cosmetics.
Its seeds are also edible and can be eaten as is. Finally, it is also used to make a gluten-free flour.
Long overlooked, camelina is now returning to the forefront, driven by growing demand for protein crops : fava bean, lupin, sunflower… It stands out for a high content of fatty acids (omega-3-6-9) and vitamin E.
Camelina oil is used externally for skin, body and hair care. Its consumption also helps fight free radicals, reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol levels and help manage diabetes.
Like agave or hemp, camelina is being studied as a potential biofuel. It could notably replace part of the kerosene used in aviation.
It has the advantage of being hardy and adapting to all types of soil, even poor ones. Furthermore, its cultivation cycle is very short (4 months) and allows for a quick harvest. It offers good yields : about 15 quintals per hectare.
It is also of interest in agriculture where it is grown as green manure to enrich the soil. Its flowers are also nectar-rich and attract many pollinators.
Nutritional composition
- Acides aminés
- Vitamines : pro-vitamine A, E
- Minéraux et oligo-éléments : potassium, calcium, fer, sodium
- Protéines
- Fibres
- Glucides
- Acides gras : oméga-3-6-9
- Actifs antioxydants : phytostérols, flavonoïdes, proanthocyanidines
The benefits of camelina
🍑 Improves skin beauty
When applied directly to the skin, camelina oil contributes to its beauty and health. It is particularly beneficial for sensitive and atopic skin, dry or mature skin. It helps reduce redness of the face, soothe skin inflammations and relieve eczema and psoriasis.
For internal use, its properties are just as good for the skin. Camelina vegetable oil is very rich in vitamin E. Thanks to its antioxidant properties, it protects the skin from free radicals that accelerate skin aging. Vitamin E also has a repairing effect and maintains the skin’s elasticity and plasticity.
Finally, the oil’s fatty acids nourish skin cells and strengthen the protective barrier. With about 40% of its composition, camelina oil is one of the plant oils richest in omega-3s.
This review from North Carolina State University (United States) focused on plant oils, including camelina oil, for skin care.
🥝 Antioxidant
Camelina’s vitamin E effectively protects the body from free radicals and their damage. But its action is complemented by other antioxidant active ingredients.
Camelina seeds contain phytosterols, flavonoids and proanthocyanidins, which are also present in sorghum. These compounds prevent oxidation and reduce oxidative stress.
This study from Memorial University of Newfoundland (Canada), conducted in the laboratory, shows the antioxidant potential of camelina seeds.
🔥 Anti-inflammatory
Thanks to its richness in fatty acids, camelina has an anti-inflammatory effect. In addition to soothing skin inflammation, it can help relieve osteoarthritis, arthritis and joint pain.
Camelina oil contains 2 types of omega-3s : Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA). Once consumed, these are transformed into anti-inflammatory compounds (prostaglandins, leukotrienes and eicosanoids).
Moreover, camelina oil has a very good omega-3/omega-6 balance. However, an imbalance in these omegas can lead to an overproduction of pro-inflammatory substances.
This study from the University of Eastern Finland (Finland), conducted in humans, demonstrates the anti-inflammatory effect of camelina oil.
🍳 Reduces cholesterol levels
Regular consumption of camelina oil helps reduce cholesterol levels. It notably lowers the level of LDL cholesterol (or “bad” cholesterol) that accumulates in the arteries. At the same time, camelina oil reduces blood triglyceride levels.
This action is due to its richness in omega-3s and polyphenols. The latter prevent the oxidation of cholesterol and its accumulation in the blood, which leads to atherosclerosis.
This study from the University of Eastern Finland (Finland), conducted in humans, shows the cholesterol-lowering effect of camelina oil.
🍭 Helps improve diabetes
Camelina is a valuable aid in cases of diabetes mellitus and contributes to blood sugar control. On one hand, it reduces blood glucose levels. On the other hand, it improves insulin sensitivity and lipid metabolism.
This study from the Zaporozhye State Medical University (Ukraine), conducted on rats, demonstrates the potential of camelina in diabetes.
How to consume camelina?
Camelina oil
Camelina is most often offered as a vegetable oil, directly extracted from the plant’s seeds. We recommend choosing an oil from a first cold pressing that will be of better quality.
- En cuisine, l’huile de cameline est appréciée pour son petit goût d’amande. Elle s’utilise pour assaisonner les légumes et peut aussi s’ajouter dans les smoothies et boissons santé. En revanche, elle ne peut pas être chauffée afin de préserver ses actifs.
- En cosmétique, elle s’applique directement sur la peau pour les soins du corps et du visage ou les massages. Rapidement absorbée, elle ne laisse pas de film gras. C’est aussi une bonne huile capillaire qui répare les cheveux abîmés.
Camelina seeds
Camelina seeds provide a good source of fiber and plant-based protein. They have a slight nutty, lightly herbal flavor. They can be eaten as-is. You can sprinkle them on salads, add them to soups, yogurts, smoothies and health drinks.
Camelina flour
Camelina flour is obtained by grinding the oil cakes, the residues from oil extraction. Reduced to powder, they yield a naturally gluten-free flour, rich in fiber and protein. This flour has a pleasant nutty flavor and can be used to make breads, pasta, pizza dough… It is added at a rate of 5 to 30% of the mixture.
Consume sustainably: favor local, organic, and fair-trade camelina
✓ Camelina is cultivated in many regions of the world. Thus, it is found both in Europe (Germany, Italy, France…) and in Canada (Quebec). Although its cultivation declined in the 20th century, it is experiencing a revival today. In France, camelina is mainly grown in the southeast but also in the Occitanie region and in the Massif Central as here, on the Velay plateau.
✓ Prefer French production from organic farming. Fair trade supply chains also help support the work of producers.
Dosage
The recommended dosage is 1 tablespoon of camelina per day.
Contraindications and side effects
Camelina consumption has some contraindications:
- Par mesure de précaution, elle est déconseillée aux femmes enceintes et allaitantes et aux jeunes enfants ;
- Parce qu’elle fluidifie le sang, elle est déconseillée en cas d’hémophilie ou de traitement anticoagulant.
Camelina consumption has very few side effects. Only an allergic reaction may occur in cases of sensitivity to plants in the Brassicaceae family.
If you experience side effects, stop your consumption and consult a doctor.
Sources and scientific studies
Erin M. Moore, Charles Wagner, and Slavko Komarnytsky, 2020. The Enigma of Bioactivity and Toxicity of Botanical Oils for Skin Care.
Md Jiaur Rahman, Adriano Costa de Camargo, Fereidoon Shahidi, 2018. Phenolic profiles and antioxidant activity of defatted camelina and sophia seeds.
Vanessa D de Mello, Ingrid Dahlman, Maria Lankinen, Sudhir Kurl, Leena Pitkänen, David E Laaksonen, Ursula S Schwab, Arja T Erkkilä, 2019. The effect of different sources of fish and camelina sativa oil on immune cell and adipose tissue mRNA expression in subjects with abnormal fasting glucose metabolism: a randomized controlled trial.
Suvi Manninen, Maria Lankinen, Arja Erkkilä, Su Duy Nguyen, Maija Ruuth, Vanessa de Mello, Katariina Öörni, Ursula Schwab, 2018. The effect of intakes of fish and Camelina sativa oil on atherogenic and anti-atherogenic functions of LDL and HDL particles: A randomized controlled trial.
