(OrganicJar) Hemp Seeds, are the most nutritionally complete food source in the world! Hemp has been eaten for thousands of years in different parts of the world. It’s the seed that we eat, and it’s beneficial in terms of protein and essential fatty acids. There’s evidence that goes back thousands of years that it was being eaten in China and in different places around the world for there health benefits.
Hemp seeds have an astonishing balanced nutritional make-up. It is one of the plant kingdom’s most concentrated, complete and balanced sources of all 10 essential amino acids (EAA’s) and essential fatty acids (EFA’s) which are necessary to maintain healthy human life. You can divide it roughly into three components.
First: There are the essential fatty acids in the oil — omega-6, omega-3, omega-9 — and also minor fatty acids like gamma linolenic acid (GLA) and stearidonic acid, which is biosynthesized from the alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).
GLA and ALA cannot be made by the human body and must be obtained through the diet, so they are called essential fatty acids (EFA). GLA and ALA are the most important fatty acids in human nutrition and health. They are involved in producing life energy from food and the movement of that energy throughout the body. EFAs govern growth, vitality and state of mind. Still, much is unknown about their functioning in the body. This oil comprises 35% of the total seed weight and has the lowest amount of saturated fatty acids at 8%, and the highest amount of the polyunsaturated essential fatty acids at 80%. Flax seed oil comes in second at 72% combined total essential fatty acids.
Second: 35% consists mostly of fiber, both soluble and insoluble. Insoluble fiber possesses passive water-attracting properties that help to increase bulk, soften stool and shorten transit time through the intestinal tract. Soluble fiber undergoes metabolic processing via fermentation, yielding end-products with broad, significant health effects.
Thirdly: 25% consists of a complete and highly-digestible protein, 65% high-quality edestin protein, the most potent protein of any plant source, 35% albumin protein and glutamic acid. The globulin edestin in hemp seed closely resembles the globulin in blood plasma, and is compatible with the human digestive system. It is vital to the maintance of a healthy immune system and is also used to manufacture antibodies. Albumin is a protein manufactured by the liver that is supportive of liver and kidney health. Its high quality amino acid composition is closer to “complete” sources of proteins (meat, milk, eggs) than all other oil seeds except quinoa and soy.
Hemp seeds are also high in essential nutrients including chlorophyll, magnesium, potassium, sulfur, phytosterols, ascorbic acid, beta-carotene, calcium, fiber, histidine, iron, potassium, phosphorus, riboflavin, niacin and thiamin.
Omega 3 to Omega 6 Ratio:
A variety of studies have documented the importance of the ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 consumption. Hemp seed oil is the closest to this optimum ratio of any naturally occurring oil. Hemp seed oil has a ratio of at least one-to-three, Omega 3 to Omega 6. Oils with unbalanced ratios have been shown to have detrimental physiological effects.
My Thoughts:
I love hemp seeds and my favorite product is ‘Organic Shelled Hemp Seeds‘ from Nutiva. Hemp seeds have a great nutty flavor with a variety of uses. Nutiva uses the finest certified organic ingredients, there organic seeds are grown without any chemical pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers and there not genetically modified–safer for you and the planet. There products are certified by Quality Assurance International(QAI)-which is a USDA authorized organic certifier.
Nutiva Hemp Seeds Nutrition Chart
Another great way to get the health benefits of hemp seeds is to purchase, ‘Cold-Pressed Hemp Seed Oil‘, which is nutritionally superior to olive or flax oil, and so, makes a great alternative in salads, smoothies, and other non-frying uses.
It should be noted that you can also purchase ‘whole hemp seeds’ that are not ‘hulled’ (outer shell removed). They are a bit harder to find at your local grocery store, but there are lots of places on the internet where you can buy them. Whole hemp seeds are an excellent source of minerals and much more stable out in the air then hulled seed. However Nutiva takes great care in processing and packaging there ‘hulled’ hemp seeds creating maximum nutritional potential. I have recently ordered ‘whole hemp seeds’ from several manufactures and will be writing a future article on the best place to find them.
On a separate note: I highly recommend everyone reading this, to watch a documentary called: Emperor of Hemp by Jack Herer. You will be amazed at how hemp fiber could revolutionize the world we live in, but as always the harvesting of hemp is outlawed to protect ‘Big Corporation’ from massive profit loss. All of which is truly at the expense of our planet.
How To Eat Hemp Seeds:
Incorporating hemp seeds in your diet is so easy. You can purchase whole hemp seeds, hulled hemp seeds, hemp seed protein powder, and hemp seed oil. Simply just eat them raw, add them to a salad, replace olive oil with hemp seed oil, etc. I add 2 tbs of Hemp Seeds everyday to my ‘health shake’. Post a comment below and tell us how you use hemp seeds!
Remember it’s best to keep hemp seeds refrigerated and air tight. If you purchase a bulk 5-pound bag, consider adding a pound to a container for daily use, and seal up the 5-pound bag and place it in the freezer. This will help protect the seed and the nourishing Omega-3s which are sensitive to heat and oxygen.
Where To Buy Hemp Seeds:
You can buy them at Whole Foods and many grocery and health stores, there usually located in the vitamin department. I personally buy them online at www.Nutiva.com. Some grocery and health food stores have hemp seeds in the ‘dry bin’ section. The only reservation I have about this, is hemp seeds should be stored in a dark, sealed, air tight container and then kept at a cool temperature to preserve the nourishing Omega-3s which are sensitive to heat and oxygen, With the ‘dry bins’ you don’t know where the hemp seeds came from, how long they have been there and they’re usually not sealed, in a cool place or certified organic.
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Ryan Cairns | Mar 19, 2008 | Reply
Hemp seeds are amazing. I can’t even taste them in the breakfast dish I added them to. I’m going to be a fan for life.
wingtip | Mar 19, 2008 | Reply
Initiatives
Attorney Gen. File #: 2007-064
California Cannabis Hemp & Health Initiative 2008
Legalization of Marijuana-Related Activities
. The initiative provides that no per-son, individual, or corporate entity could be prosecuted for the possession, cultivation, transportation, distribution, or consumption of cannabis hemp, including hemp industrial products, hemp medicinal preparations, hemp nutritional products, and hemp religious or recreational products. All of these products use as an ingredient the hemp plant commonly referred to as cannabis or marijuana. This measure also provides that the manufacture, marketing, distribution, or sale between adults of equipment or accessories associated with the above products shall not be prohibited.
California Hemp Initiative Volunteers is looking for volunteer petition signature collectors
http://www.myspace.com/hemp2008 http://capwiz.com/norml2/mailapp/
Michael Cobarrubia | Nov 7, 2008 | Reply
I love seeing more & more nutritional facts about hemp nutrition & hemp seeds.
Please visit our website http://www.naturallysplendid.com
We are company providing nutritional facts about hemp and how good it is for the body & brain.
Check out our gourmet hemp recipes using hemp seed provided by our gourmet chefs here in Vancouver British Columbia.
http://www.nslifestyle.com
This is our blog as well……www.naturallysplendid.com/blog
We would love to here your comments…..
Thanks
Cory G | Dec 9, 2008 | Reply
A suggestion on how to take hemp seeds on a regular basis is homemade hemp milk. What I do is measure out 3/4 cup of raw hemp seeds and allow them to soak overnight. I like to change the water whenever it gets mirky, which it always does. When I am ready to prepare the nuts, I rinse them and put them in a blender with about 5 cups of purified water. Then I put the blender on for about 10 minutes. Other nuts like pine nuts or cashews can be blended completely in 5, but hemp nuts take longer and are never completely ground down. After 10 minutes, the water should look white-ish. I find that a large mesh strainer works great for straining the hemp milk into a pitcher. Refrigerate and Enjoy! Also, several websites recommend drinking this blend within 3 days.
Rusty Brown | Jan 29, 2009 | Reply
“Every day” is two words, unless you mean the adjective “everyday” as in “an everyday occurrence”.
They mean different things and are even pronounced differently, as in “We see this everyday kind of error almost every day.
RB
Twitter | Jan 31, 2009 | Reply
I use Dr. Bronner’s soap, it is loaded with Hemp-oil. Remember our skin is very absorbent. That means you absorb hemp-oil, and the health benefits into your skin when you shower with Bronner’s. It can have a significant positive impact on your health. Nevermind you don’t get the nasty chemicals of commercial soaps.
The golden rule is, if you can’t put it in your mouth, don’t put it on your body. In regards to what goes in your mouth, our gums are 90% absorbant, so don’t put anything in your mouth you don’t want in your bloodstream, that includes fluoride, SLS, Triclosan, and other trash in commercial toothpaste!
Jason Cairns | Feb 10, 2009 | Reply
I use Dr. Bronner’s as well. I still have yet to try regular hemp oil, but I do eat hemp seeds. You should check out http://www.GoodGuide.com its a new startup that allows you to discover whats really in the products you use. One of my favorite sites. They have a very useful iphone app.
Marlene Affeld | Apr 5, 2009 | Reply
Thanks for the informative and insightful article – I love hemp seeds, now I know how good they are for you.
anon | May 20, 2009 | Reply
so what kind of toothpaste do you use?
Dave | Jan 24, 2010 | Reply
How silly a statement the first post is. Is this how far we have come?
One of the whole reasons why people like Hemp is because of it’s great fresh taste! A mild delicious fresh taste across your taste buds. It’s a circus!
First post was:
Ryan Cairns | Mar 19, 2008 | Reply
Hemp seeds are amazing. I can’t even taste them in the breakfast dish I added them to. I’m going to be a fan for life.
buford | Apr 8, 2010 | Reply
Please tell me why the US government is keeping the most viable food and industrial product from being grown and used inside this communist country? Why does it cost me 150.00 to buy hemp oil or seeds from a foreign country when we have billions of unused land to farm. Why are we not getting rid of global warming by using hemp to fuel cars and save the trees. What is wrong with our country. Why will Obama not allow Hemp to be grown here. He smoked it while he was young and I believe he smokes it everyday in the White House yet he will not allow anyone to even have hemp on their property. What kind of mad man do we have running our country. What about the hundreds of corrupt politicians that have came and left Washington worse off then we they started. President Reagan was suppose to have been so great but he is one of the biggest violators to our free rights by not allowing hemp. If we do not allow it within the next year we might as well kiss our butts goodbye. Go get your guns and bibles and read the sections where God talked about how Hemp was the Meat of the planet. For all churches that want to really teach about Gods blessings please remember he put hemp on eat to save the people.
buford | Apr 8, 2010 | Reply
You either grow it or can find it cheap. The people we get it from is overcharging for a natural product that can be grown at home. I will not buy it until the price comes down. This is raping the free people of all countries especially the US whose government does not care for advancement as long as the free loaders don’t kill to many people.
buford | Apr 8, 2010 | Reply
Thanks Mike for what you do. Unless we have Hemp grown in all states this country will fail. We need to stop talking about Medical Marijuana and how that is great for medication and that is usually all that is mentioned when talking about hemp. Hemp can be used for building products and other things besides just Medical Marijuana. Whoever decided that Medical Marijuana should be taxed is defeating the entire purpose of hemp. Hemp is a natural plant to provide “Meat” for this planet. God put hemp on earth for people to use to live. The US has taken away that God given right and we need to be on every politicians doorstep until this issue is resolved. We should stop talking about Islamic Terrorist and say to hell with them. We will use Hemp for fuel therefore we can do away with forign oil. If we need oil from the ground we have enough of it in the states but we should not need any oil form the ground since hemp can be transferred into oil for our cars. Stop talking about Medical Marijuana or how much Tax revenue can come from taxing a natural plant. Start talking about all the tax revenue from products created from hemp to be sold. Thanks
Carol | Apr 29, 2010 | Reply
My local nutrition center here in N.J. just received a shipment of hemp seed from Canada this week. I tried a sample, and am hooked on it.
The Socialists running our government don’t want us to be healthy, as it would mean less money for Big Pharma, which they support. We Americans have taken their garbage long enough. It’s about time we stood up for ourselves and brought this country back to a Constitutional Republic, instead of a cog in their worldwide Socialist regime.
Every day I hear about people wanting to scam the country for money. Why does our government still insist on foreign oil? Why do we still make paper from Trees? Why do we have pills that have hemp in them but you cant smoke it instead you have to pay 300.00 for a certain amount of pills they control just like the man made narcotics that cause dependence and addiction along with suicidal withdrawals. Why would a doctor insist on someone with a pinched nerve to use a man made narcotic which is very good at relieving pain at first be then the patient needs more and will commit violent crimes to get them instead of just telling the man to smoke some Hemp and they should feel eased. I always thought the doctors went by the Hippocratic oath but I guess the government stopped that important step. My point to all this is our system is all about money and this entire global warming scam is the biggest scam on earth.
Why do I say this. My question is why hasn’t other people who are either claiming global warming or dispute it. Why isn’t HEMP legal to grow everywhere possible in the US. I can tell you why and if the DEA or Obama or anyone says it is dangerous because it is a gateway drug or it may cause a white female to date a black male was what they used when they first banned it. Henry Ford was planning to grow cars from the ground and he was going to use Hemp to achieve this goal. Mr. Ford was already using Hemp as fuel and he had made car parts from them also. The tree industry did not want to compete with Hemp because the paper from trees is fragile compared to hemp paper. They wanted to make more money and trees were plentiful. Well today Forrest are gone and they cannot do their job which was to protect the earth. Hemp could be used ever season over and over without hurting the ground. Do you realize how much money and trees we will save and all the money will stay in the US. If we started using hemp for fuel we could wean ourselves off of foreign oil after we change over pumps. Even today people are starting to use Hemp seeds as food because they are the most nutritious of all foods. So why would the government either make you buy them from a controlled store instead of letting you grow and eat your own?
Our country and your state has a huge health care industry but we has no way to pay for it without borrowing or raising money every workers taxes which will cripple the nation. If the US wants people to be healthy then let people use hemp as medicine and stop discriminating between sick people or people who just need the natural plant as a stress reliever. Let people grown hemp on property owned and even encourage Hemp planting like President Washington and also in 1942 when Hemp was grown to win the war. Gangs would be gone in one day in California. Less crime and death at the border.Please allow this for your state and our country to survive. I believe anyone responsible for this bill would be recognized in history as a savior.
George Washington told everyone to grow hemp and he said it was the most important plant on earth with so many uses. Even though Hemp was illegal in 1938 the US lifted the ban in 1942 for the war. The name of the campaign was “Hemp for Victory” You would love it and you can find it on YouTube. People grew hemp and got paid for what they sold. People turned the plant into tents, clothes, rope, sails, and anything else the troops needed. Hemp won the war and it is the only thing that will save this country. Why no one has talked about this puzzles me. Does everyone like to see humans treated like slaves?
James | Aug 2, 2010 | Reply
Hi great article thanks for sharing. Are "hemp seeds" just basically a professional name for a cannabis/marijuana seed or is it a seed all its own?