Because of hemp’s family relationship to cannabis, people ignored their tremendous nutritional value for decades. This was due to the illegal nature of cannabis and its cannabinoids, despite hemp seeds having no psychotropic effects whatsoever, and despite their significant benefit to human health. Hemp’s nutritional profile is unique; leading many experts to believe it could help end world hunger.
The United States has a long history with hemp already. Only during the 1950s did the federal government lump it into the same classification as marijuana, simply because it contains tiny traces of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, a naturally occurring cannabinoid with psychoactive properties. However, hemp contains less than 0.3 percent, which is well below any quantity that could make anybody “high.”
With much evidence of THC collected over the years, data shows substantial health benefits associated with it, and without any side effects. Studies show marijuana literally improving almost every disease or medical condition, from cancer to asthma. In this way, THC is very similar to cannabidiol, or CBD, which is abundant in industrial hemp plants and the primary reason people use hemp oil for pain.
However, even more important is the fact that hemp plants contain very little THC, only around .3 percent, sufficient for medicinal purposes, but not enough to make consumers “high.” Comparably, marijuana contains around 10 percent more. However, hemp is high in CBD and all other cannabinoids, as well as flavonoids, terpenes, and nutrients. Clearly, eating hemp seeds is good for you. Here is why:
Gamma-linolenic acid, or GLA, is a crucial protein for prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are similar to hormones, which the U.S. National Library of Medicine says regulate body temperature, manage inflammation, and have other essential functions for healthy bodily processes. Studies show that supplementing GLA is vital for hormonal health. This is why so many women with premenstrual symptoms find additional GLA helpful.
Hemp seeds are incredibly rich in GLA, and along with other GLA-heavy foods, are notorious among the medical community for helping sufferers of ADHD, breast pain, diabetic neuropathy and diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, multiple sclerosis, premenstrual syndrome, obesity, skin allergies, and rheumatoid arthritis. GLA is important. Hemp seeds offer an easy source of it.
Statistics show many people buy hemp oil to treat joint pain, such as rheumatoid arthritis. According to the U. S. National Library of Medicine, research published by the Journal of Ethnopharmacology analyzed the effect of hemp seed oil on arthritis specifically, and found it slashing survival rates of fibroblast-like synovial cells MH7A, even killing these cells outright at higher doses.
MH7A cells are incredibly high in arthritic patients, triggering the inflammation, pain, and loss of mobility symptoms associated with the disease. The study concluded that the anti-arthritic properties of hemp seeds could help sufferers find significant relief from the condition and its symptoms. Experts recommend one tablespoon of hemp seed oil every day, both preventatively and therapeutically.
Hemp has the ability to suppress the appetite naturally. It lowers cravings for sugar and helps you to feel full for much longer. The University of Michigan Medicine says that hemp seeds are high in fiber, which stimulates weight loss by increasing satiety. They make you eat less. Cannabinoids in hemp aid weight loss in other ways too, most notably by improving the efficacy of all bodily systems and their functions.
Because hemp seeds contain fiber both soluble and insoluble, it provides sufficient bulk to regulate your entire gastrointestinal health. Furthermore, natural gut probiotics feed off this rich mixture of roughage, providing a whole host of benefits for robust immune health too. The most famous benefit of high-fiber foods is their ability to relieve constipation effectively and get all digestive processes moving again.
According to a study published by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, researchers from the School of Chinese Medicine at Hong Kong Baptist University compared a dose-determined study with a placebo-controlled clinical study. They analyzed participants at a two-week run-in, an eight-week treatment, and an eight-week follow-up schedule. All reported major relief from constipation after hemp seed pills.
Hemp seeds are rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. The benefits of this for hair and skin have huge medical implications. People buy hemp oil in high-end products, including soaps, lotions, and even lip balms. Its properties penetrate upper skin layers to promote healthy growth of new skin cells, which in turn smoothens and softens the skin, reducing signs of aging in the process.
In fact, scientists were investigating the effects of hemp seed oil on eczema, or atopic dermatitis, a skin issue that dries the skin out and causes intense inflammation, found sufferers enjoying immense relief from these symptoms after using the oil. Many studies show it treating horrible skin issues effectively, psoriasis and acne among them. Experts advise eating at least two tablespoons of hemp seeds daily.
Due to its abundance of essential fatty acids, hemp seeds balance levels of inflammation and boost the immune system. The minute traces of THC in hemp seeds are enough to stop, even reverse, one of the brain’s deadliest forms of cancer, glioblastoma multiforme. Many studies confirm its ability to improve even the most advanced stage of breast cancer.
Scientists from Germany’s University of Rostock found came to similar conclusions. They noted that cannabinoids in hemp seeds not only inhibit the growth of cancer, especially lung cancer, and stop metastasis, or further spreading, but they also kill cancer cells outright in laboratory tests. All of this evidence points to the promise of hemp seeds as a powerful tool for fighting all types of cancers.
Fiber is crucial to having a healthy heart, and lots of it. It is one of the primary ingredients for building heart tissue, as are plant-based proteins and healthy fats. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, hemp seeds offer all of that and more. Both animal and human studies suggest that eating these seeds can boost cardiovascular health and lower high blood pressure.
Many studies show the medicinal properties of hemp actively lowering dangerous LDL cholesterol levels, increasing healthy HDL cholesterol levels, reducing blood pressure, and stimulating the production of triglycerides. It is clear that hemp seeds support a healthy heart in multiple ways, and that they might, in fact, be essential to the human diet.
With so many people using hemp oil for pain and a variety of other health problems, access to it has never been easier, in California and elsewhere. You can purchase it in health stores, cannabis dispensaries, and recreational weed outlets. In fact, you can even buy hemp oil online. Whatever you do, include hemp seeds in your diet, and scrutinize quality of any products before you buy them.
