Hemp seeds / seed oil

[gertvegan]

Hemp seed oil is extracted from raw hemp seed and contains a fully balanced spectrum of essential fatty acids. When processed and stored correctly, the beneficial properties of the oil can be readily absorbed by the skin.

Hemp seed oil is noted for these benefits:

Superb moisturiser, natural anti-inflammatory
Rare source of gamma-linoleic acid
Protects from UV radiation and pollution
Assists healing, soothes acne
Prevents and repairs hair damage
Treats eczema and psoriasis
Rich in anti-oxidants

This is from www.yaoh.co.uk

Is hemp seed oil a super food or what ?

[ConsciousCuisine]

Hemp seed oil is AMAZING! It is one of the "must-haves" for vegans, especially. Hemp seed, flax seed, extra virgin coconut oil...all have been proven as "Superfoods" and we consume them as often as possible in my family. (unheated, naturally)

[8 winks]

sounds good. how do u use it though? can i cook with it like i do olive oil? is it good on salad? any menu ideas would be so appreciated cause i'm going shopping tomorrow and now i really wanna try this "new to me" food.

[ConsciousCuisine]

Please, never heat these delicate oils ! Heating causes them to become rancid and creates free-radicals in your system!
(It's best to never heat ANY oil, but especially flax and hemp, evening primrose, rice bran and other such delicate oils)

It is good as a raw salad dressing or in smoothies etc.

[8 winks]

thanks. that's good to know about not heating it.

[gertvegan]

More info on the "Benefits of Hemp Seed and its Oil" is on the YAOH website.

[PinkFluffyCloud]

I have been bathing in Hemp Oil for about a week now, and it is amazing!!!

I actually bought it by mistake (a £9 mistake, ouch!!), when I really wanted Flax Oil to take each day for my Omega 3s. Then I didn't use it up in time (it's fresh and needs to be used within 6 weeks), so I decided to put it in my baths with a little essential oils for a nice aroma!

Well, my skin is GLOWING, the spots I had are gone (I always get spots when I am stressed, as I have been), and I feel fantastic!!!!!!

I will buy it again, for my skin, and the oil gets into body through your skin, so it will make me well inside, too!

[Kim[ba]]

Ingesting legal hemp seed oil may cause an individual to test positive for THC metabolites on a standard urine drug screen, according to three separate reports published in The Journal of Analytical Toxicology.

http://www.cleartest.com/testinfo/hemp_products.htm

I baught some hemp seed oil tonight, but I most likely have a drug test coming up soon. This is pretty bad. This makes hemp oil a negative for everyone on probation, or looking for a job. It could even cause some of us to loose our job if we were "randomly" tested.

[Jobey]

I have been bathing in Hemp Oil for about a week now, and it is amazing!!!

You must be rich, how many bottles does it take to fill?

[PinkFluffyCloud]

He-he, I don't bathe JUST in Hemp Oil, I add some TO the bath!! You don't need much to do the job, it's strong!

[Gorilla]

thanks for the tip about putting it in the bath PFC, that might help my skin as it's been really sore recently. i bought a bottle to start using it as my omega oil source, but i don't like the taste very much. it's ok on salad and pasta but it makes them so greasy and i don't like greasy food. it's so rich i find it difficult to eat the recommended amount every day. perhaps i'll get used to it.

[PinkFluffyCloud]

Worth a try, Gorilla, it's made a real difference to me!

[foxytina_69]

heres a couple links i found about hemp oil. its apparently much better for you than flax because of the 3:1 ratio. apparently flax over time can actually cause problems for you. im excited to go on this oil.

http://www.motherhemp.com/nutrition.html

http://www.innvista.com/health/hemp/hempoil.htm

[foxytina_69]

cc, i was in the healthfood store yesterday and saw that they had virgin coconut oil. is extra virgin coconut oil different? are they both good to take or is extra virgin better?

[foxytina_69]

here are some recipes for hemp products:

http://manitobaharvest.com/recipes/

[kokopelli]

It's worth mentioning that hemp seeds don't just contain the perfect balance of omega fatty acids for human health, they also contain perfect protein, so it's good to eat the whole seeds and not only the oil, although hulled seeds would be ideal because the seed cases are hard, but so far I haven't found a source of them in the UK. You can make hempseed milk by grinding the seeds in a blender, 1 cup seeds and 3 cups water (wash the seeds first), then strain through a fine-meshed cloth. Nice cold, or gently heated with spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom etc) and sugar to taste, to make hemp milk bhang.

Gorilla, did you try different brands of hemp oil?
I really didn't like the taste of 'Mother Hemp' (fishy tasting), but 'Elmer's' is delicious (nutty), I love it on grated carrots, shredded lettuce and baked potatoes. Today I had some with strawberries and yogurt and it was lovely. I didn't really find it greasy, because it's a much lighter oil than others eg olive.

We had some 'Mother Hemp' oil we didn't use because of the taste, and my partner rubbed it into his hands every day when they were all rough and chapped after working outside in winter, and it soon healed them...so you could try rubbing it in to sore skin, as well as adding it to the bath.

[kokopelli]

http://www.cleartest.com/testinfo/hemp_products.htm

I baught some hemp seed oil tonight, but I most likely have a drug test coming up soon. This is pretty bad. This makes hemp oil a negative for everyone on probation, or looking for a job. It could even cause some of us to loose our job if we were "randomly" tested.

This urine testing thing is unbelievable! I just don't know how they can get away with such a blatant infringement of civil liberties. It's literally taking the piss!

What happens if you refuse to give them a sample? Will they accept that people have the right to eat healthy food without worrying about losing their jobs? Will they accept the explanation that hemp oil can cause a positive result?

[Kevster]

The 'toxicity' of hemp products legally on sale in the UK is extremely low, i don't have any facts or figures but i would say it would have to be an extremely sensitive test to pick it up. I suppose someone may consider it to be the remnants of drug taking?

Anyhow, hemp seeds (hulled and dehulled) are available from Yaoh.

[foxytina_69]

does anyone know how long it takes for the effects of hemp oil to kick in?

[kokopelli]

The 'toxicity' of hemp products legally on sale in the UK is extremely low, i don't have any facts or figures but i would say it would have to be an extremely sensitive test to pick it up. I suppose someone may consider it to be the remnants of drug taking?

Anyhow, hemp seeds (hulled and dehulled) are available from Yaoh.

Thanks for that info, Kevster

Anyway, THC, the cannabinoid they look for in urine tests, isn't toxic at all, actually it protects the brain from exposure to neurotoxins and cannabinoids are more powerful antioxidants than vitamins C or E. They are also very effective anti-inflammatory agents.

Here's an article from the Journal of Neuroscience about the neuroprotective effect of THC (vivisection involved):

THC Neuroprotection

And here's another study, from the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, about the protective anti-oxidant effect of cannabinoids. In this experiment, lymphoblastoid cells were deprived of serum, which normally kills them within 2 days, but THC prevented cell death in a serum-free medium, due to its antioxidant effect.

Cannabinoids Antioxidant

[kokopelli]

I'm considering trying hemp seed oil on salads to alleviate my joint problems. Although the bath idea sounds easier!

Mozbee, eating hemp oil would definitely be better for your joint problems.

Actually, cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive cannabinoid abundant in low-THC 'industrial hemp' has been shown to be protective against arthritic damage to joints, in this experiment (vivisection involved):

Cannabidiol Anti-Arthritic

Here's what it says about hemp oil for rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases in 'Cannabis and Cannabinoids: Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutic Potential' by Russo and Grotenhermen:

GLA and its related prostaglandins have anti-inflammatory and immune system-stimulating properties. Daily oral administration of 1.2-1.4 grams of GLA over a period of twelve to twenty-four weeks was found to reduce the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis significantly without causing side-effects.

Other ailments it's good for:

Atopic Eczema (Neurodermatitis) and Psoriasis
Acne
Cardiovascular Disease
Osteoporosis
PMS and Menopause

The book also says that although there's no direct evidence of the benefits of hemp oil in treating the following diseases, benefits may be expected from the moderate quantities of GLA and comparatively high level of ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), because a deficiency of this fatty acid in the diet of many people in industrialised countries is now increasingly implicated in the genesis of several of these illnesses. The use of hemp oil as a dietary oil, rather than a nutritional supplement, improves ALA supply and will aid in their prevention:

MS
Diabetes
Cancer (GLA has been shown to selectively destroy cancer cells, and slow progress of common cancers)
Depression
Attention Deficit Disorder
Schizophrenic Psychosis

Hemp is indeed a wonder plant

[Seaside]

It's worth mentioning that hemp seeds don't just contain the perfect balance of omega fatty acids for human health, they also contain perfect protein, so it's good to eat the whole seeds and not only the oil, although hulled seeds would be ideal because the seed cases are hard, but so far I haven't found a source of them in the UK. You can make hempseed milk by grinding the seeds in a blender, 1 cup seeds and 3 cups water (wash the seeds first), then strain through a fine-meshed cloth. Nice cold, or gently heated with spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom etc) and sugar to taste, to make hemp milk bhang.

I never knew there were so many good things about hemp seeds and hemp oil. We can get raw hemp seed butter and raw hulled hemp seeds, beside the oil. Unhulled seeds are not available because they are illegal.

[strawberry]

Hi all,
I was wondering b/c Im going back to school I know Im going to be stressed out to the max. I drink a few cups of tea a day and was wondering if a certain oil (I read about hemp recently) had a de-stress effect that I can add to my tea before bed to rest my mind, increase my health benefits, and that somewhat tastes good. Any advice would be great! Thanks

[Yogini]

I finally found some hempseed oil. While it's not the nummiest thing in the world, it's way better-tasting than flaxseed oil. The flavor is actually a bit reminiscent of roasted peanut, which is really interesting since the oil is raw. And the price is about the same as flaxseed oil. I hope my store continues to carry it (I had to put in a special request to get it.)

Love,
Anna

[cedarblue]

So - i've bought a small packet of hemp seeds and dont know what to do with them. i dont have a coffee grinder or anything, so...

any ideas on how to use them in recipes??

[ConsciousCuisine]

Smoothies and salads

[thecatspajamas1]

Can you grow the seeds?

(hemp seeds are high in omega-3's, I think)

[ConsciousCuisine]

You may get into a lot of trouble trying to grow hemp Hemp is very healthy, high in omega 3's, rich in fiber and protein.

[ukahela]

I've read the contrary, that though hemp may have omega 3, its ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 is NOT particularly good, so it actually is not a good source of omega 3. linseeds/oil would be the best veg source.

[Pilaf]

*sigh* Isn't that the same thing as weed?

[Gorilla]

i don't think cannabis can be grown from edible hemp seeds.

[Tigerlily]

*sigh* Isn't that the same thing as weed?

Nope. They are sold freely in stores and you cannot sprout these seeds. You cannot even get high of the seeds either.

[gertvegan]

Theres some info about 'Benefits of Hemp Seed and its Oil' here. Maybe more in the next Vegan Guide to Bristol.

[thecatspajamas1]

If they were growable for marijuana use, you could definitely not buy it in the store. But since it's kind of a different plant (or strain), I thought it could be grown for eating.

[ConsciousCuisine]

I've read the contrary, that though hemp may have omega 3, its ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 is NOT particularly good, so it actually is not a good source of omega 3. linseeds/oil would be the best veg source.

Tomato, to-mahto, potato, po-tah-to...
I never said the 3/6 ratio was perfect or the best Lots of experts say so though!

Is there a better source of omega 3's? SURE I've discussed this until I became BLUE in the face and stiff in the fingers! Would we be doing more for the planet, our health and the animals if we all became raw foodists/high-raw eaters? SURE!

To each her own

[null_void]

If they were growable for marijuana use, you could definitely not buy it in the store. But since it's kind of a different plant (or strain), I thought it could be grown for eating.

Yep. The look you get when you walk up to the service counter of a grocery store and ask for them is priceless, though.

[grail]

What about chia seeds? I heard they had an optimal 6-3 ratio - but I could be wrong. I am curious how hemp compares with chia though, because I've never tried hemp.

All I know is that that cool mucilaginous thing chia seeds do in water is what's been keeping me going between meals the past few days - they are wonderful!

[ukahela]

I never said the 3/6 ratio was perfect or the best Lots of experts say so though!

Is there a better source of omega 3's? SURE I've discussed this until I became BLUE in the face and stiff in the fingers! Would we be doing more for the planet, our health and the animals if we all became raw foodists/high-raw eaters? SURE!

To each her own

Yes, to each her own, but sometimes one's own changes with what new things one learns or tries out... The problem with things that have a unfavourable ratio of omega6/omega3 would be that no matter how much you eat of them, you can't in any way get enough omega3, as it wouldn't be properly utilised by the body in the presence of so much omega6.

btw, i don't think we'd do either ourselves or the planet (or the animals) any particularly favour by eating exclusively raw. but that's another chapter..

[mew_76]

Do you lot get your Hemp seeds with shells on? Do you use them like linseed? You can get shelled Hemp seeds but they are extortionately expensive and the only ones Ive seen are Dr Gillian McKeiths own brand.

[ConsciousCuisine]

btw, i don't think we'd do either ourselves or the planet (or the animals) any particularly favour by eating exclusively raw. but that's another chapter..

I didn't say exclusively

[Gorilla]

What about chia seeds? I heard they had an optimal 6-3 ratio - but I could be wrong. I am curious how hemp compares with chia though, because I've never tried hemp.

All I know is that that cool mucilaginous thing chia seeds do in water is what's been keeping me going between meals the past few days - they are wonderful!

i've never heard of chia seeds. what are they? where do you get them from?

[Tigerlily]

Aren't chia seeds the same seeds made to make Chia pets?

[ConsciousCuisine]

Why yes, Tigerlily, yes they are

[Gorilla]

i'm still none the wiser!

[grail]

"The seeds also contain some omega-6 essential fatty acids and exhibit a favorable omega-3 to omega-6 ratio of 3:2."
http://www.integratedhealth.com/hpdspec/chia.html


http://www.newstarget.com/015405.html
http://www.living-foods.com/articles/chia.html
http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-B00001-01c20nN.html

Also a good source of calcium. If you put them in water, they swell up and make this funky gel. I've been drinking 8 oz of the gel (about 1tbsp seeds) between meals to combat the munchies. I have a desk job and I have to keep munching on things to help during the day, or I go crazy.

They seem to have some benefits for diabetics (the gel slows absorption of sugars) and I am trying to get my type-2 diabetic mom to try some. Google "chia diabetes" and you'll see some interesting stuff.

I buy mine at the local food co-op - in with the sprouting goodies, like broccoli and alfalfa seeds. A little bit goes a long way, I think it will take me 6 months to a year to use up a pound of them for about 18 dollars.

[ConsciousCuisine]

Yes, to each her own, but sometimes one's own changes with what new things one learns or tries out

Please do share links that support your statement that hemp has an unfavorable omega 3/6 ratio as there are plenty available that state the opposite. I would be very interested to see any new findings in this area. Either way, hemp is rich in vital nutrients and a great food for vegans and non-vegans alike and I encourage vegans to eat it regularly.

http://www.motherhemp.com/nutrition.html

Why Choose Hemp Food Products for Health?
Hemp oil is a rich source of Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) - Omega 6 linoleic , Omega 3 alpha linolenic and Gamma Linolenic acid (GLA) that are important for optimum health in the body. EFAs cannot be produced by the body itself and are vital for the structure and functions of tissues in the body.
Essential fatty acids can also be obtained from eating hemp seeds, which are also a rich source (approx. 25%) of high quality protein, containing all 9 essential amino acids.
Omega 3, 6 and GLA in hemp oil are present in a biochemically optimal ratio.

http://www.iriehemp.co.za/

HEMP SEED OIL
Nature’s Perfect Food?

Hemp Seed Oil is Nature's single richest source of Essential Fatty Aids (EFAs), nutrients essential to health and vitality that the human body cannot produce on its own.

World-renowned nutritional expert Dr Udo Erasmus, in his book Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill, says no other single plant source can compare with the nutritional value of Hemp. “Both the complete protein and the essential oils contained in Hemp seed are in ideal ratios for human nutrition,” says Erasmus.

Get all the Omegas in one oil

There are two groups of Essential Fatty Acids (click here for more info):

Omega-3 - Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA)

Omega-6 - Linoleic Acid (LA) and Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA)

Nature’s richest source of omega-3 is flax oil and Safflower oil is our richest source of omega-6. But only Hemp Seed Oil contains all the omega-3s and -6 EFAs (including GLA).

This EFA combination in Hemp Seed Oil is unique among edible oil seeds.

Eminent nutritionist Patrick Holford, in his book The Optimum Nutrition Bible, sums up the benefit of Hemp: “It is the only common seed oil that meets all known essential fatty acid needs.”

EFAs in the perfect combination

In addition to being the single richest plant source of all EFAs, Hemp Seed Oil combines them in the best possible ratio for the human body. As a result it has been described as Nature’s most perfectly balanced oil.

Says Patrick Holford: “Research shows we need to take in twice as much Omega 6 as Omega 3 -- and the best source in this respect is Hemp Seed Oil.”

The optimum ratio of EFAs for human consumption is 3:1 (omega-6 to omega-3) and Hemp Seed Oil is the only oil to deliver this ratio: 19% omega-3 and 59% omega-6. Dr Udo Erasmus says this is the ideal long-term ratio for the human body.

http://www.ratical.org/renewables/TherapHoil.html

Andrew Weil, MD

Hemp seeds contain 25% high quality protein and 40% fat in the form of an excellent quality oil. Hemp oil is just now coming on the market. It has a remarkable fatty acid profile, being high in the desirable omega-3s and also delivering some GLA (gamma-linolenic acid) that is absent from the fats we normally eat. Nutritionally oriented doctors believe all of these compounds to be beneficial to health.

Hemp oil contains 57% linoleic (LA) and 19% linolenic (LNA) acids, in the three-to-one ratio that matches our nutritional needs. These are the essential fatty acids (EFAs)-so called because the body cannot make them and must get them from external sources. The best sources are oils from freshly ground grains and whole seeds, but EFAs are fragile and quickly lost in processing.

Adding these foods to the diet seems to lower risks of heart attacks because omega-3 fatty acids reduce the clotting tendency of the blood and improve cholesterol profiles. They also have a natural anti-inflammatory effect that makes them useful for people with arthritis and autoimmune disorders.

[Litsea]

"Chia" is Maya for strength or strengthening. You can find loads of information on it here.

[thecatspajamas1]

Do hemp seeds need to be ground down the way flaxseeds do- in order to digest them?

[ukahela]

I didn't say exclusively

ok, my misunderstanding, sorry.. =/

reg. hemp seeds and omega 6, something i read the other day, been trying to find the article but i can't see to find it.. it was on omega3s and ve*gans, they suggested flax seed may be th ebest veg source and hemp not as good as sometimes claimed.

but anyway, if there are nutrient analyses out there that show hemp's good, then it might well be, of course . i had a bottle of hemp oil some time ago, according to the label it wasn't all that good in terms of o3, so what the authors of this article said just seemed to fit with my idea - maybe i jumped a little to quickly to accepting what they said..!

[applecrumble]

Yes, I eat some ground up hemp seeds every day.