Products made from hemp (the marijuana plant or Cannabis sativa) hit counterculture markets and health food stores nearly a decade ago to a controversial welcome. A look beyond the edgy marketing, however, shows that hemp products do have some real advantages. It takes very little to grow a heck of a lot of hemp fiber in an environmentally friendly way, without chemical pesticides. Cannabis makes sturdy fabric, and hemp clothing is casual and durable – but it is the hemp seed and hemp seed oil that may be the real nutritional treasure of this once-banned plant.
Legalizing Industrial Hemp Production
You can find hemp today in food, clothing, supplements, lip balm, skin lotions, and even hair care products, but that wasn’t always the case.
Canada has permitted the commercial growing of low-THC varieties of hemp (to produce hemp seeds for food, as well as hemp fiber used in rope, cloth and textiles, and hemp biomass for fuel) since 1997 with the passage of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, and has regulated its production since 1998. In the U.K., hemp production is controlled under the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act, some of the restrictions of which were lifted by the British Home Office in 1993. Hemp has been (and currently remains) an illegal crop in the United States since 1937.
Hemp as Food
All edible hemp products come from the same part of the plant: the nutritional powerhouse that is the tiny hemp seed. Hemp oil, hemp butter, and even hemp nut milk are all derived from a seed a quarter the size of a grain of rice. Despite its diminutive size, hemp is increasingly spoken of as one of “the most nutritionally complete food source[s] in the world.”*
- According to the Ontario Hemp Alliance, the hemp seed is roughly 30% oil and 24% protein (sellers report these numbers substantially higher, at 35% protein and 45% oil).
- Hemp protein contains all the essential amino acids needed by humans and is considered a “high quality” and highly digestible vegan protein source.
- Hemp is high in omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, which strengthen the immune system and nourish the brain, skin, and virtually every system in the body.
- Hemp is high in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
- Industrial hemp contains little to no THC, and food crops are regularly tested before being sold.
- Seeds are eaten raw or lightly cooked and have a light, nutty flavor easily incorporated into salads, cereal, or trail mix.
- Hemp seed may be used in vegetarian cooking as a healthier substitute for soy, or hemp flour as a gluten-free alternative for celiacs.
Hemp Seed Oil
Cold-pressed hemp seed oil is rich in essential fatty acids, polyunsaturated fats that support the cardiovascular, immune and reproductive systems, the skin, and the brain.
Hemp oil contains omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids in a 3:1 ratio – the ideal ratio for human diets. The omega 6 portion is mostly GLA (Gamma Linoleic Acid), the healthiest omega 6, which has been studied to lower cholesterol, slow cancer and diabetes, reduce PMS, and more.
The nutty flavor of hemp seed oil makes a nice addition to salad dressings, yogurt, protein shakes or vegetable juices. It can also be taken as a nutritional supplement. Hemp oil is increasingly popular in natural skin care products, where it may be useful for eczema, dry skin, psoriasis and more.
References:
- Canada Food Inspection Agency, "Industrial Hemp Production." Accessed September 21, 2007 at http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/plaveg/seesem/indust/hemchae.shtml
- Ontario Hemp Alliance, “Hemp Information.” Accessed September 21, 2007 at http://www.ontariohempalliance.org/info/p_info.cfm
- *Osburn, Lynn, “Hemp Seed: The Most Nutritionally Complete Food Source in the World.” Accessed September 21, 2007 at http://www.ratical.org/renewables/hempseed1.html
