5 Reasons to Love Hemp Seeds and Hemp Seed Oil

5 Reasons to Love Hemp Seeds and Hemp Seed Oil

Gone are the days (although there may be a few holdouts) when people thought you could get high by smoking hemp (including hemp clothing!) or by using hemp seed oil or hemp seeds. Now, part of our love affair with hemp (Cannabis sativa and various subspecies) centers around the use of the oil and seeds for a variety of reasons. Here are five great reasons to use it:

Hemp seed oil helps multiple sclerosis

A study of people who have relapsing/remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), the most common form of this autoimmune disease that involves damage and destruction of the protective coating on the nerves, found that supplementing with hemp seed oil was beneficial. Specifically, patients who took hemp seed oil and evening primrose oil (both good sources of GLA, which helps the heart) experienced significantly fewer relapse events and had better function than did patients who took a control (olive oil).

Read more about olive oil

Hemp seeds provide protein power

Vegetarians and vegans (and meat-eaters, too) have an excellent protein source in hemp seeds, which contain 25% of this critical macronutrient and all the essential amino acids the human body needs. Add 2 tablespoons of ground hemp seeds to smoothies, salads, soups, cereals, yogurt, or as a vegetable topping and you’ll be getting 5 grams of excellent protein.

Reasons to Love hemp Seeds and Hemp Seed Oil

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Hemp seeds and hemp seed oil offer healthy fats

Hemp seed oil and hemp seeds are great sources of healthy fats, including linolenic acid (LA, an omega-3 fatty acid) and the omega-6 fatty acids GLA and linoleic acid. Omega-3 fatty acids are important for brain function, heart health, menopausal symptoms, and rheumatoid arthritis, while omega-6 in the form of GLA helps reduce inflammation and regulate blood pressure.

Hemp seeds scores high on minerals

Hemp seed hearts (shelled hemp seeds) do not skimp in the mineral department. One ounce of hemp seed hearts contains 179 milligrams magnesium (that’s 45% Daily Value), 3.2 mg zinc (21%), and 2.7 mg iron (15%).

Read more about hemp

Hemp seeds are good for people with diabetes

Hemp seeds are super low in carbs and have a glycemic load of 0. The glycemic load is the effect a food or meal has on blood glucose levels. The lower the glycemic load the better, especially if you have diabetes. Since one ounce of hemp seed hearts have a 0 glycemic load, you can’t get any better than that!

Hemp seed oil tips

When you bring home that bottle of hemp seed oil, here’s a tip: do not use it to fry foods. High temperatures (212 degrees F or greater) can cause the fatty acids in hemp seeds and hemp seed oil to convert to peroxide. Therefore, consider using hemp oil in a salad dressing or to accent cooked or raw foods. Hemp seed oil should be stored in a dark, airtight container in the refrigerator.

Hemp seeds also should be stored in an airtight container and in the refrigerator or freezer.

Bottom Line

Adding hemp seeds and hemp seed oil to your diet can have great benefits plus they taste great, too.

Read next:

Seeds of Life: Chia, Flax, Hemp & Pumpkin

Recipes:

Hemp Seed Tabouli

Chocolate Berry Love Hemp Heart Bites

Decadent Matcha Hemp Chocolate Bar Recipe

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Deborah is a freelance health writer who is passionate about animals and the environment. She has authored, co-authored, and written more than 50 books and thousands of articles on a wide range of topics. Currently, she lives in Tucson, Arizona.