Yesterday, I briefly talked about flax. Today we will discuss hemp, and look for another post about chia seeds soon!
What do you think of when I say “hemp”? I think of marijuna and hippy homeless young women selling homemade hemp bracelets on the streets. However, hemp is appearing everywhere now in the form of hemp milk, hemp seed, hemp protein powder, etc. I decided it was time to look into the matter and see what all of the hype was about.
(I will do a food tasting review of hemp at the bottom of this page, but in case you can’t wait to find out, hemp seeds taste great-a little like pine nuts).
Benefits
Hemp is a high protein seed containing all nine of the essential amino acids (like flax). It also has high amounts of fatty acids and fiber as well as containing vitamin E and trace minerals. It has a balanced ratio of omega 3 to 6 fats at around a three to one ratio. This won’t help correct your omega balance if it’s off, but it gives you the right balance to start with.
Further the protein content of the hemp seed is supposed to be very digestible. Many people noted their personal experience of finding that hemp seed protein did not cause bloating or gas, like some of their whey, or other protein shakes did.
And, get this, unlike soy which has super high amounts of phytic acid (that anti-nutrient that prevents us from absorbing minerals), hemp seed doesn’t contain phytic acid. At the very least, this makes hemp seed a step up from soy.
The Body Ecology Diet site has an article discussing hemp here.
It contains a list of benefits including what I mentioned above plus including some others as well.
Hemp contains:
* All 20 amino acids, including the 9 essential amino acids (EAAs) our bodies cannot produce.
* A high protein percentage of the simple proteins that strengthen immunity and fend off toxins.
* Eating hemp seeds in any form could aid, if not heal, people suffering from immune deficiency diseases. This conclusion is supported by the fact that hemp seed has been used to treat nutritional deficiencies brought on by tuberculosis, a severe nutrition blocking disease that causes the body to waste away.3
* Nature’s highest botanical source of essential fatty acid, with more essential fatty acid than flax or any other nut or seed oil.
* A perfect 3:1 ratio of Omega-6 Linoleic Acid and Omega-3 Linolenic Acid – for cardiovascular health and general strengthening of the immune system.
* A superior vegetarian source of protein considered easily digestible.
* A rich source of phytonutrients, the disease-protective element of plants with benefits protecting your immunity, bloodstream, tissues, cells, skin, organs and mitochondria.
* The richest known source of polyunsaturated essential fatty acids.
This article claims that because hemp’s protein is in the globulin edistin form it is a superior source of protein. It ends that thought with this paragraph.
“The best way to insure the body has enough amino acid material to make the globulins is to eat foods high in globulin proteins. Since hemp seed protein is 65% globulin edistin, and also includes quantities of albumin, its protein is readily available in a form quite similar to that found in blood plasma. Eating hemp seeds gives the body all the essential amino acids required to maintain health, and provides the necessary kinds and amounts of amino acids the body needs to make human serum albumin and serum globulins like the immune enhancing gamma globulins. Eating hemp seeds could aid, if not heal, people suffering from immune deficiency diseases. This conclusion is supported by the fact that hemp seed was used to treat nutritional deficiencies brought on by tuberculosis, a severe nutrition blocking disease that causes the body to waste away. [Czechoslovakia Tubercular Nutritional Study, 1955] “
Can it make you high?
In short, no. To grow marijuna you have to have special seed that grows a plant high in THC, the property responsible for the drug response. Commercial hemp seed contains very low amounts, plus they contain a substance that counteracts THC. Dr. David West says:
“Reality: Hemp oil is an increasingly popular product, used for an expanding variety of purposes. The washed hemp seed contains no THC at all. The tiny amounts of THC contained in industrial hemp are in the glands of the plant itself. Sometimes, in the manufacturing process, some THC- and CBD-containing resin sticks to the seed, resulting in traces of THC in the oil that is produced. The concentration of these cannabinoids in the oil is infinitesimal. No one can get high from using hemp oil. ” Hemp and Marijuana:
Myths & Realities
Nutiva also answers that concern
“Q:What is the difference between hemp and marijuana?
A. Marijuana and hemp both come from the same species of plant, Cannabis sativa L., but from different varieties. There are different varieties of Cannabis, just as Chihuahuas and St. Bernards are different breeds of dogs, Canis familiari.
Marijuana is the flowering tops and leaves of psychoactive varieties of Cannabis that are grown for their high THC content.
Hemp, also referred to as industrial hemp, are low-THC varieties of Cannabis that are grown for their seeds and fiber. Hemp is grown legally in just about every industrialized country except the USA”
Nutiva, as well as other companies, are part of the “Test Pledge”. It’s a pledge that their products won’t have amounts of THC in them that would cause someone to fail a drug test.
Was it Historically used as a food?
One thing is clear. Hemp has been grown for a long time. It may even be one of the first crops. Hemp was used for making paper, clothes, and ropes and oil for lamps. But was it produced for food, or was it simply eaten in times of famine?
It looks like it was definitely used as a medicine for a variety of uses. The Chinese especially utilized hemp seed for medicine. Go here for some of the historical medicinal uses of hemp seed.
This quote gives a good overview of some of the information I found about the historical uses of hemp as food.
“The use of hemp for food and medicine may be as old as the human race itself. Recent interest in the seed arises from the awareness of the nutritional need for omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids, as well as the need for cheap sources of protein to feed a burgeoning population in Asia and the developing world. In addition to its nutritional value, hemp seed has demonstrated positive health benefits, including the lowering of cholesterol and high blood pressure.
In the second century, Galen recorded that some people enjoyed eating fried hemp seeds with their desserts. As recently as the 1950’s in Southern Africa, mothers of the Sotho tribe served the ground seed “with bread or mealie-pap” to children during weaning. Human uses of hemp seed for food are naturally found in India where the oil is pressed to provide a table oil, and in Russia where the oil is made into a kind of hemp butter or margarine.
In Europe, it was once required of monks that three meals made of hemp seed were eaten daily, whether in soups, gruel, or porridges. In the belief that the spirits of dead relatives visit every Christmas Eve, the Polish and Lithuanian people prepared them a soup of hemp seed which was called “semieniatka”. The Ukrainian and Latvian people made a similar offering on the day of Three Kings. In China, hemp seed was consumed by farmers in the north and the seed were listed as a famine food for the starving multitudes of China near the end of World War II. Australians also used the seed during two famines in the nineteenth century.
Today’s hemp seed products are being developed on the working premise of that which can be done with flax seed and soy beans might also be applied to hemp seed. Very basic food preparation, and the processing techniques have been the start of such seemingly remarkable foods as a hemp seed tofu and a low fat cheese substitute that even melts and stretches like real cheese.”
I felt like the historical use of hemp as a food seems about as high as the case for flax historically being used as a food (some people think that flax was just a “famine food” as well.)
Ending Thoughts
I would like to give hemp a chance, but would like to see more long term studies done on hemp before I add it into my daily diet. It does seem like the Chinese consumed it for a long period of time, and that reassures me. I would just like to read a little more about the long term effects of eating it often. Like flax, I wonder if hemp seed is really meant to be consumed on a constant basis in the form of hemp milk, hemp cheese and hemp protein shakes. That seems to be taking moderation out of the picture.
I don’t like overly processed foods, so if we were to start adding in hemp seed, it would be in the form of hemp seeds, pure and simple. I also don’t think that hemp should replace your animal protein sources-but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t have a place in your diet. One last note, I mentioned yesterday that flax was high in phytoestrogens (in fact, even higher than soy), from what I can tell from my reading, hemp either doesn’t contain any phytoestrogens or very little. (One article said it has some and a bunch of others claimed it didn’t have any). I will try to keep my eye out for more information about hemp and flax.
Hemp Product Review
This post was really inspired by some samples of Nutiva’s hemp products. I had received some of their Organic Coconut Oil (which is great) and some of their different hemp products which they generously gave me. I have been impressed with the quality of products we received from them. Here are some of my thoughts on the samples I received.
Hemp Seeds
Their hemp seed taste great! A very nutty, almost sweet taste. I would have to say that it tastes almost like a pine nut, but a bit more mellow. I can imagine it would be great in a variety of dishes.
Hemp Oil
This has a slightly nutty flavor and lightly green color (similar to some olive oil in color). I could imagine adding it to a salad dressings, but not using just hemp oil for the oil part.
Organic Hemp and Flax Seed Bars
These were delicious. Sweetened only with honey, they were just perfect in their level of sweetness. Of course, none of the seeds in these bars are soaked and dehydrated, but they sure were good! All three of us liked them. If it wasn’t for the enzyme inhibitors in seeds, I would definitely like to have these bars around for a quick bite on the run.
HempShakes
We found that we like these better when added to a smoothie base of frozen bananas and coconut milk. Done this way, they were pretty delicious.
Hemp Protein Powder
We actually haven’t tried this yet, but it seems like it could be a great source of protein.
So there are my thoughts. What about you? Do you have concerns, or do you consume them often? Please share!
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I’ve started using Living Harvest hemp milk due to casein & soy intolerances — it is the only dairy-like product left to me for the occasional baking need. I’m not real happy about how soy is in almond and rice milks as well as soy milk! I previously tried to avoid soy, but with this new diagnosis I have to be super vigilant. So, hemp milk it is.
I don’t drink it, so I can’t vouch for the taste. Due to the cost, we also don’t use it a whole lot (I am inclined to water down milk to stretch it for baking, anyway). But when you need the occasional dairy substitute, it works. I’m happy with it.
Oh, I suppose there is coconut milk, but I’ve never used it for baking.
Since we use other coconut products, I’m not too inclined to add another form of coconut to our life (other than the occasional ice cream). Diversity in the kitchen is a good thing!
I’ve just discovered hemp milk, which is a great substitute for soy or rice milk. My favorite is unsweetened vanilla, which is great in oatmeal, on cereal, and in baked goods!
I like hemp seeds too. I bought a big bag from Nutiva and froze individual portions in ziploc bags, since they go rancid pretty quickly. They work perfectly for me when I make a dish that needs to be served over rice. I make rice for my husband and pull out the hemp for me. I especially like fish with a mustard cream sauce over hemp seeds. (Speaking of which, I need to post that recipe…)
I tried Nutiva’s hemp shakes too, but those I just can’t handle. I put up with them for a little while but eventually gave up. I’m hoping my husband will finish the tub himself. One thing that really turned me off is that they thicken up A LOT — to the point of turning into absolute sludge. For someone who likes to sip smoothies slowly, this doesn’t work for me.
I haven’t tried hemp milk yet, but I’d like to.
Lizzykristine — have you tried making your own nut milks? It’s super easy, and there are lots of recipes online. Plus, you know all the ingredients.
We used hemp milk for a LONG time – before I realized that my boys dairy allergies only manifested with non-raw milk products. It worked great for pretty much anything I threw at it. I do have one thing about it though – watch out for the sugar content in the milk if you don’t make your own! I grabbed a “sweetened” one on accident one time, and found that it contained 27% DV of sugar!
wow, thanks for the tip about the sugar content. I got Pacific hemp milk and it does have a lot of sugar in it… will look for one with out!!!!
I like the fact that omega-3 and omega-6 is in balance. I added some flax to our oatmeal the other day (following your recipe) and it was great. That would be a great way to get a little hemp seed in too.
My dairy-allergic child didn’t like the hemp milk, but she was drinking it. I haven’t tried any further experiments. Should/can hemp seeds be sprouted?
Hemp milk steams beautifully and is great in lattes.
Hemp: Not For Human Consumption
More on this page (scroll down toward the bottom to find why hemp is not for human consumption.
http://www.westonaprice.org/farming/hempandkenaf.html
A number of companies are now selling hemp oil, toasted and shelled hemp seeds and granola bars containing hemp seeds. This is not a good use for hemp. Hemp may be appropriate for domestic animals and birds, but it should not be used for human food. In China, where cultivation of hemp originated, hemp oil was used occasionally, but there are no references in the Chinese literature to the use of hemp seeds as food for human beings. (Simoons, Food in China, 1991)
Hemp oil has been promoted in recent years as a “heart healthy” oil that is rich in essential fatty acids and low in saturated fat. Hemp oil is indeed highly unsaturated, and this is exactly why it should be avoided. Hemp oil is over 75 percent polyunsaturated, containing about 55 percent omega-6 fatty acids and about 20% omega-3 fatty acids. It contains only about 10 percent saturated fatty acids and 10 percent monounsaturated fatty acids. It is, therefore, highly unstable and prone to oxidation; and the high content of linoleic acid makes it particularly unsuitable for human consumption. Diets containing an excess of polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly omega-6 fatty acids, have been linked not only to heart disease but also to cancer and autoimmune disease.
An additional problem derives from the fact that hemp oil may contain traces of cannabinoids and these substances can then turn up in the urine of those who consume it. In one research project, seven adult volunteers purchased hemp oil from a health food store and ingested 15 milliliters each. Urine samples taken at 8, 24 and 48 hours after ingestion were positive for THC. (Journal of Analytical Toxicology October 1997 21(6):482-485.) If these volunteers had been obliged to give a urine sample to their employers, they would have failed their drug test.
Because hemp oil is highly unsaturated, it makes an excellent base for paints and varnishes. In fact, there is no need to consider hemp for human consumption except in small quantities for medicinal purposes. There are many good fats and oils that humans can use and there are many good industrial uses for all the by-products of the hemp plant. Let’s not make the same mistake with hemp that we have made with soy, by promoting its inappropriate use as a human food.
KH: Hi Marie! Thanks for the comment. I had read the article you linked to before when I was researching hemp. As you probably know I am a big Weston A Price foundation fan. I still feel cautious in the use of hemp and certainly haven’t added it into my daily diet, but I wasn’t completely convinced against it by their advice against it. Like I mentioned in the post, there seems to be about as much historical evidence for eating hemp as there is for flax seed (they support flax seed in small amounts). And the test when they tested positive for THC was before hemp seed was regulated. That shouldn’t happen anymore.
However, I think that the thought about it being unsaturated is something to consider! In the end, I think my thoughts are, why add this in when there is so many other healthy foods out there that we can eat with no worries? I will continue to watch research regarding hemp. It will be interesting to see what happens with it.
My husband and I have been having Hempseed flour in our morning breakfast shakes to replace other soy-based protein powders. We have trialled this for the last two months.
I was really surprised to find myself going regularly each morning. I had suffered from constipation for over 10 years, the doctor’s kept telling me to eat more fruit (at one time I picked fruit at an orchard and could have all I wanted). Among other things we had tried flaxseed but that didn’t work either. The only other way I could clear the pipes was with coffee or licorice.
Our shakes consist of 2 desertspoons of Hempseed flour, 1-2 serves fruit*, 300ml of cows milk, 15ml of coconut oil, 15ml of aloe vera juice and 5ml of concentrated mineral water.
*we usually have a banana each or whichever fruit is cheap at the markets.
My morning shake tastes great and I look forward to it. It keeps me going for about 3 hours, then I have a Carmen’s Mueslie Bar and then I’m right until lunch.
When combined with exercise I have noticed I have lost weight. The main thing is that I feel better and more active and that’s already half the challenge over.
one of our daughters is allergic to wheat and in an effort to expand her food variety we tried a hemp granola. like you, we have concerns, so it is an every so often thing we give her. but, from what i have read myself – it appears to be totally fine. and the product we found tastes great, which truly is a blessing for our ltitle 3 year old (often as i am sure you have found some all natural products can be low on taste.) : )
thanks for this post!
I’ve been vegan for about the past seven years of my 26 year old life, and have had to learn how to eat properly. I’ve experimented and researched to discover a diet suitable for a vegan athlete. I must say hemp seeds are a fabulous food, forming the cornerstone of a vegan “kung fu” diet. Sure, I eat more than just hempseeds, but I find tem nearly critical. The omegas in sweet balance is ideal. The protein is fantastic. I even like the calories. People like Scott Jurek, vegan ultramarathon runner, have proven hempseeds potential.
I wouldn’t care about failing a drug test; if I got fired for eating a compassionate, well planned diet I’d be happy to leave.
Smoothies made with dehulled hempseeds and fruit using aj for liquid are simple and delicious, or make a bowl of chopped fruit and nuts with them. No need to get fancy with them unless you just feel like being fancy.
Also, ecologically speaking, hemp is supersustainable and productive. Feel good about what you eat as you eat it.
Believe me, hempseeds are the way.
Thanks for this post. My amazon shipment of Nutiva hempseeds arrived yesterday and I LOVE THEM. They are yummo. I also bought hemp milk over the weekend and it is a great alternative for our non-dairy family. The best part of all this is seeing the look on my mom’s 65yr old face when I tell her I am drinking pot
I’ve been using hemp often in smoothies and raw crackers and I love that it goes with everything. Kind of a blank slate, but full of nourishment. Nut I’m a raw foodist and concerned that hemp isn’t a raw product. It has been rendered non-viable by a heat process. Does anyone know where one can get truly raw hemp seeds?
I made a Key Lime Hemp Faux Cream Cheese this morning. Key limes (3) with half the zest and all the seeds removed, 1 C hemp seeds, salt and pepper to taste. Blend with enough EVOO to make a smooth paste. It was delicious on my raw bread warm for the dehydrator, with a cup of White Symphony tea. (o:
Great information about Hemp Seed: nutritional value and thoughts. Basically the hemp trade was a fundamental driving force in the early colonization of America, but its importance to mankind was established long before, at the dawn of civilization. The Cannabis (hemp) plant was valued early on for its strong Fiber, used for cordage, rope and cloth (linen), and for its seeds, used in food, and their oil.
For more information about hemp visit at Hemp Revolution
Wow, great artical, have to say Ive been a Hemp supporter for years. In fact my state wuse to be the top grower of hemp and many older folks remember growing it, though there are less and less if them to speek with.
Anyhow I just want to say its a shame and scam why the general public doesnt know all this information. Its a crying shame we havent invested more time and research into Hemp and all its uses, over 5000! We say we care aboutt he environment, we care about how much oil/gas we use and we care about feeding the planet, yet Hemp is hear has been since the dawn of time, yet we keep letting miss information and lies hold us in fear of Hemp.
Isnt about time we look at this plant that so many demonize and start looking at our future without oil/gas, without food for all, we better start waking up and see the turth soon. The main stream media is no help they run story after story only to keep the public miss informed, we talk to legislators and they know the truth gut fear the back lash when they seem soft on drugs, yet our issue has nothing to do with drugs.
Things really need to change, and its people like you with families adn normal everyday folks that really need to voice the hemp can beifit so manuy and reduce our dependence on petro based supplies, gas, chemicals, plastic you name it Hemp can make it or be made into it, at a cheaper cost, with less harmful ways to the environment and while creating new Green industries and jobs for so many.
The time is now for our kids futures to stop this miss information about Hemp and start a science based study and once and for all put these lies to reat. it take people like all of us to write to our legislators and tell them we want the public to know the truth and we want the governemtn to stop leading us down the wrong path when it comes to Hemp.
Last note, when Henry Ford made his first Modle T, it was run on Hemp fuel, made from Hemp Plasitc and becasue he was, well forced/told/made/bribed or whatever, he scraped all that and went with petro based plastic and oil based fuel. now things would be much diffrent had a minor few back in the 30s would have let Hemp survive. We wouldnt have the greenhouse gas problem, we wouldnt have the oil shortage, wouldnt have the lack of food and hinger in the world. things would be diffrent, but because of a minor few very greedy men, we have been a very downward slope for years, but its not too late, we can still make the changes we need to save our planet, Hemp and all we need to do, is get everyone educated and tell our legislators we demand an end to Hemp Prohibition and all the violence and lies that have gone with it for over 70 years!
Great article, one that any mom could read and see they have been lied to for years and years about Hemp! Stop the miss information, contact your legislators and demand they pass laws to bring hemp back to the USA!
Thank you!
Hi. Just finding your website during a recipe search. Thought the info re: globulin was interesting as I have a Primary (not Acquired) Immune Deficiency, which (in part) keeps me from producing gamma globulin (IgG) in amounts adequate to fight off infection. During my “misspent youth,” when the seeds were leftover after the rolling was done, I would quickly munch whatever seeds someone wasn’t keeping for planting. They would still be in their hulls and un-steamed (as I understand it the seeds now have to be either hulled or steamed to be sold commercially) so they wouldn’t have undergone the oxidation which was a part of WAPF’s concern. The wisdom of the body at work again… Thanks for a great site–I’ll be back (and I also sent it to a friend).
It seems there is ample evidence of the use of hemp as food so I am not nervous on that account. I am more concerned about how it is processed and stored. My sense from Fallon about the problem with polyunsaturates was not so much that they were innately bad but were volatile and easily go rancid. They are better consumed in whole foods than as extracted oils.
I’ve seen loads of products with hemp in them- like hemp granola and hemp milk in a box- and can’t imagine how those EFAs are faring in there. Making cereal is generally a high-heat process and grinding hemp into milk and letting it sit around indefinitely seems like it won’t preserve the integrity of the nutrients. My favorite way to use hemp is to buy it in bulk bags from someone who keeps it refrigerated, keep some frozen and the rest in dark jars in the fridge. Note that we don’t really get seeds, we get the little meat inside the hard shell in the states. (The government is afraid that if we are allowed to buy the actual seeds we will grow marijuana which is impossible to do with hemp seed. It is a different plant. More on that later.) I like to add hemp hearts to sprouted meusli, smoothies and other room temp dishes. I’ve made great basil and cilantro pestos using hemp hearts. Also milk is very easy because no soaking is required- just vita mix and put through the nut milk bag and eat that day or the next (with a pinch of salt and agave).
Back to the government’s fears about hemp: when defending and promoting hemp, the following is a good piece of info to share. The US Govenment argues that if they allowed hemp to be grown in the states, real marijuana plants would be easy to grow in the midst of a huge field of hemp, and the drug laws would be unenforceable. The big joke is that if we grew large amounts of hemp in the states it would actually be a disaster for marijuana production. Any marijuana plant near enough to hemp plant to be cross-pollinated will be ruined in terms of it’s psychoactive value; it’s THC level will drop so low that it will become unsmokable. One would smoke bags and bags of woody weed and still not get high. So hemp is actually a great anti-marijuana device! (Not that I think marijuana should remain criminalized while red bull and vodka is legal) And growing hemp is one of the most easy and efficient ways to create green biomass that sucks up a lot of CO2, and has near infinite uses. Whether you eat it, wear it, write on it or put it on your skin, support hemp and it’s production in the states.
Wow,
There are a lot of long comments on this article.
All I must say is that eating too much of anything can do harm. People here that this or that is so wonderful and so they consume a bunch of it every day of there lives. I just bought a 5 lb. bag from Amazon but I am not going to be eating hemp everyday.
There are thousands of healthy foods out there. Maybe an average of 1 T is perfect but eating 5 T a day does not seem reasonable to me.
There is no food that I eat everyday. The more of a variety you have in your diet the better. We all know we are suppose to eat plenty of veggies everyday but don’t you think that eating different ones are better than eating the same 5 or so? To me that is common sense.
I will eat my hemp seeds as I enjoy them in smoothies and on my once in a while oatmeal, etc. But, every day? No. Maybe 1-2 T a day for the average in take.
Nice write-up. I’ve started consuming hemp seeds daily, whether adding them to salads or to my morning shakes. I love their nutty flavour, and they appear to be very nutritious.
You mention at the end of the post that you would like to see more studies before you add hemp seeds to your diet. What are your potential concerns with them?
I go for raw hemp seeds, unshelled. I have to say that i feel completely fulfilled nutritionally, with less need of junk food and cravings in general. Its funny how the hemp seed delivers this perfect mix of nutrients for the body, its almost as if it was made just for us.
I will eat it forever:-)
Peace
Great article and obviously a passionate topic for many.
Common Sense I agree goes a long way….If you need a dairy/soy alternative – do your research and then create balance and moderation in your diet. Many buys families can get “lazy” having the same 6 or 7 meals every week.
So great recipes can be found on my friends site “www.HellotoHealth.com
Pardon me – the site for the recipes are at http://www.gotohealth.com
I bought hemp about a week and a half ago. I have already noticed a nice, sublte, mood change due to diet. My cravings for junk food are gone. I have been eating a fresh salad from my garden every day, and sprinkling hemp on other things. I have been snacking on Goji berries and drinking lots of good vege. juice. I have 6 children, which includes 17 month old twins. I am also caring for my 85 year old mother-in-law. The extra energy and better mood has really helped the stress around here. Thanks Todd, for telling us how much we should eat, because I didn’t know, but I was averaging just a Tablespoon or two. I am so pleased with the results, that it truly convinces me through diet that one can throw anti-depressants out the window, which I did about a month ago. I am anxious now to see if through running, and diet, I can finally lose this twin pregnancy weight!
Yes, the best way to eat hemp seed is to buy the freshest shelled seed and keep it in the refrigerator. I do not consume the oil or the preground flour/ protein powder, as it will too quickly go rancid. Remember that most oils and ground nuts have the same problem, not just hempseed! It’s always best to buy it fresh and only grind as much as you are about to use.
As to viability, brazil nuts and pine nuts are also non-sproutable nuts after processing removes their shells, but that doesn’t mean they are not raw, i.e., contain no living enzymes. I think cashews are far less digestible yet I see them in raw recipes all the time. I’ve been eating virtually all raw vegan food for 8 years and I do feel that hempseed is an enzyme rich food when freshly shelled. Moreover hempseed contains no enzyme inhibitors so does not need to be sprouted in order to be digestible. I think even if I found out shelled hempseed was not raw I would still eat it as it simply is too nutritious to miss.
I always make my own milk because the hemp milk in stores is not raw. It is the easiest milk in the world to make. I blend just one Tablespoon and one cup water to make enough milk for my daily use (either for cereal, or a glassful to drink or use as a base to a shake) I add a teaspoon of honey or agave or 1 date for sweetener. If you like it thicker by all means add more hempseed.
I consume hempseed on average 1 T daily; some days more, some days not at all. It’s great as a milk on my raw grawnola or in a banana carob shake. Or I sprinkle it on salad or use in pesto. I find its ideal ratio of EFAs and complete amino acid spectrum are great for balancing brain chemistry. I believe it surpasses flaxseed since there is such a thing as too much Omega 3s especially if you already have low blood pressure and if you’ve been raw vegan for a while; it’s important to keep 3 & 6 balanced for healthy circulation.
How many hemp seeds do you have to eat to get the benefits?
Interesting piece. I make hemp milk to eat on cereal in the morning. 1/4 cup seeds to 1 1/2 cups water blended well, shared between two adults. It’s delicious. I’m sure the food hysterics will soon be whipping up a campaign against this ancient food just like they have done against soy. No doubt. The whole hemp thing really exposes the US as the fascist state it has become. I don’t personally smoke weed, but I’m pretty opposed to imprisoning people who do. What utter utter nonsense. Ahimsa is the path of truth.