Hemp Seed Uses and Benefits
Complete Protein and Essential Fatty Acids in a Superfood
The 80% unsaturated fat in hemp seed makes it a concentrated source of calories as well as essential fatty acids (EFAs). Hemp seeds are high in Omega-3 GLA, ALA, and DHA, credited with brain and eyesight development and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Hemp seeds also contain Omega-6 fatty acids in an ideal ratio to Omega-3s, which are both necessary for healthy human nutrition.
A Green Industry Capable of Feeding the World
Industrial Hemp is a variety of cannabis plant that contains only .3% of THC, the active ingredient in an another cannabis plant. Marijuana can contain more than 20% THC. The nutrient rich seeds of industrial hemp contain all eight essential amino acids, making them a complete protein like meat, milk, eggs, and soy but in a more digestible form and requiring fewer resources to produce.
Used worldwide to treat malnutrition, one pound of hemp seeds can sustain a human life for two weeks. One tablespoon of hemp seeds provides the recommended daily allowance of essential fatty acids. Hemp plants are environmentally friendly, requiring no herbicides or pesticides to produce a bumper crop of highly digestible nutrient-packed food.
The Healing Properties of Essential Fatty Acids
According to author Udo Erasmus (Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill, 1993), the following benefits are attributed to essential fatty acids in hemp seeds: at a cellular level, they lubricate membranes and eliminate wastes such as lactic acid in post-exercise muscles. EFAs also are important for optimum brain function, improving mood, fighting depression and reducing behavior problems in children, and reversing the irritability of PMS. Essential Fatty Acids help the body’s immune system fight off bacteria, fungi, and viruses, including malaria. These good fats lower cholesterol and protect heart health. Eating hemp seeds over time heals and moisturizes skin, and reduces inflammation. Most important of all to western consumers, the EFAs in hemp seeds have anti-cancer properties that inhibit tumor growth.
Hemp Seeds Contain Other Nutrients
The mineral-rich husk of the hemp seed is removed from commercially packaged and hulled seeds, but still they are a good source of calcium, iron, phosphorus, manganese, magnesium, and zinc. A rich source of B vitamins, they also contain vitamins A, D, and K. They are a gluten-free food. High in both soluble and insoluble fiber that bulk stools and improve digestion, hemp seeds are used to treat constipation and hemorrhoids in Asia.
Hemp Seeds in the Kitchen
A cup of hemp seeds blended with four cups of water produces hemp milk, a non-dairy nutritional beverage, delicious when chilled. Hemp seeds can be used raw or ground in salads, smoothies, and cereals. They add a nutty flavor to baked goods and can be purchased in the form of a nut butter similar to peanut butter that is very popular in Russia. Cold-pressed, unrefined hemp oil is available in healthfood stores. Because it is an unsaturated oil, it should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer and used by the expiration date; such oils can become rancid.
Knowing the benefits of hemp seeds makes people want to eat them. As demand grows, more widespread cultivation of industrial hemp will make them an affordable snack on every family's table!
Hulled Hemp Seeds
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