Pubdate - May 1998: A number of articles from past issues of Hemp Magazine are available at: http://www.marijuananews.com/hemp.htm - --- Richard Lake, Sr. Editor,

NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS OF HEMP SEEDS by Ann Fleischmann

The seed of the hemp plant is one of the most nutritious foods available to humans and animals. It is a complete protein source, containing all of the essential amino acids. It is also an ideal source of the two essential fatty acids ( EFA).

Nutrients are considered essential when they are necessary for health but cannot be made by the body. Therefore, it is necessary to obtain them from the foods in our diet. There are about 50 essential nutrients for human health, including: 2 essential fatty acids ( fats), 8 essential amino acids ( proteins), 13 vitamins, 20-21 minerals, a source of energy (calories), water, oxygen, and light. Foods usually contain some, but not all, of the nutrients we need, which is why variety is the spice of life. Deficiencies in the essential nutrients are detrimental to health, and they are surprisingly common among affluent nations. Over 60% of North Americans get less than the recommended daily amount of one or more essential nutrients. This is because affluent nations consume large amounts of highly processed foods, including refined flour, rice, sugar, and fats. The refining processes strip away most of the vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids, leaving the calories without the nutrients. Affluent nations also consume more animal foods in relation to plant foods, which can also cause imbalances in essential nutrients. ( 1)

In our bodies, essential amino acids and EFAs work together synergistically to produce life's energies. They combine to form lipoproteins which make up the cell membranes of every cell in our bodies. Lipoproteins also form the hemoglobin in our blood and move fats through our bodies. To maintain healthy bodies, it's important to balance our intake of protein and essential fatty acids. The average North American consumes too much protein and not enough EFAs to balance them out, which can lead to protein toxicity. Increasing EFAs in the diet can decrease the toxicity of extra protein, and also reverse many of the common health problems we have today, including heart disease and cancer. ( 1)

The hemp seed is a rare source of plant food because it contains all of the essential amino acids in an easily digestible form, plus both of the essential fatty acids in the ideal ratio for human health. This is why some populations have been able to survive on hemp seeds alone during times of famine. ( 2)

Protein

The number of vegetarians and meat-reducers in this country is steadily increasing, bringing an increased demand for good sources of plant protein. In the past, government recommendations led people to believe that animal foods were required in order to get complete proteins. We now know this to be false; plant foods can easily provide all the protein we need. Populations all over the world maintain excellent health by eating plant based diets. North Americans actually consume 2-3 times the recommended daily allowance ( RDA) for protein, and the RDA represents over twice as much as our bodies actually need. The RDA for protein for a 174 pound male is about 63 grams; for a 138 pound woman about 50 grams. Nutritionists and health professionals now consistently recommend the health benefits of diets high in plant foods ( grains, beans, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds) and low in animal products.

There are a few plant foods that are excellent sources of complete proteins, containing all the essential amino acids in a single source. The most commonly used is the soybean. Soybeans can be made into many different foods to replace animal products in the diet, and are a staple food for many people.

Hemp seed is another great plant source of complete proteins, considered equal or superior to soy protein. ( 2) Hemp seeds have a delicious, nutty flavor, and can be made into a vast array of different products. These include: hemp seed oil, hemp milk, hemp tofu and tempeh, hemp cheese, hemp ice cream, hemp flour, hemp beer, and more. Whole hemp seeds contain about 23% protein; dehulled seeds contain around 30-31%. ( 8) Dehulled hemp seeds have the outer fibrous shell removed, which is done to make products like hemp milk, cheese, and tofu. Hemp seeds contain all 8 essential amino acids for adults, plus three other amino acids that are considered essential for children and infants. Table 1 lists the protein breakdown for a typical batch of hemp seeds.

Another benefit of the protein in hemp seeds is that it contains the highest amount ( 65%) of edestin protein among plant seeds. (2,3) This is a form that is easily digested and utilized by the body. Edestin is a type of globular protein, classified by their globe-like shapes. All enzymes and antibodies in the body are globular proteins, as are many of the proteins found in blood and hormones. These proteins carry out many of the important life functions in our bodies. ( 3) Animal feeding studies have found that edestin proteins are capable of serving as the sole source of protein in animal diets. ( 2) Because of their high quality protein, hemp seeds were used like soybeans for premium cattle feed in the United States, until they became unavailable in the 1950's. As more people are getting more of their protein from plants, it makes sense to look at the plant foods that provide the best nutrition for other herbivores.

Fat

Fats, or fatty acids, come in many different forms. Natural fatty acids are either saturated, monounsaturated, or polyunsaturated, depending on the number of double bonds in the molecule. Saturated fats have no double bonds, making them straight chain molecules which tend to stick together. An excess of saturated fatty acids in the diet can cause diseases of the heart and arteries. ( 1) Monounsaturated fats have one double bond, which makes the shape of the molecule slightly bent. These fats have less tendency to stick together and are more fluid at body temperatures. Polyunsaturated fatty acids have more than one double bond, so they are even more bent in shape and more fluid, or less sticky. The ratio of these fats in our diets is important; polyunsaturated fats in the diet help to fluidize the saturated fats so our bodies can effectively transport and process them. ( 1)

Of all of these natural fats, only two are essential in our diets, and they are both polyunsaturated. Linoleic acid ( LA) has two double bonds and is also know as the omega-6 fatty acid. Alpha-linolenic acid ( LNA) has three double bonds and is known as the omega-3 fatty acid. The fact that these two fats are essential in our diets is dangerously ignored in America today. Americans have caught on to the fact that high amounts of some fats can cause health problems, but the rush to eliminate harmful fats from the diet has lead to a low-fat craze where any and all fat is viewed as taboo. The truth is that we absolutely need the essential fats in our diet every day; health problems come from eating too much of the wrong fat, and too little of the right fat. ( 1)

Many of the diseases that afflict developed nations, including heart disease and cancer, have shown dramatic increases in the last century. Researchers are now recognizing that the increases in these diseases probably correspond to overall changes in our diets; especially the consumption of processed fats and excessive amounts of animal products. Many of our current health problems are thought to be related to fatty degeneration diseases, which come from eating too much bad fat and not enough good fat. The topic is too large to cover in this article, but an excellent source for the complete story on fats is "Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill" by Udo Erasmus. ( 1)

One of the problems with our current dietary fat is that the ratio of saturated fat is often too high. The main source of saturated fat is animal products, while plants are high in mono- and polyunsaturated fats. The second problem with dietary fat is our heavy consumption of refined and processed fats. These fats usually start off with good sources of plant oils, high in polyunsaturates. However the processes used to make them more shelf-stable can convert them from nutrients into toxins. ( 1)

Because essential fatty acids contain two or three double bonds, they are inherently unstable, and easily react with heat, light, and oxygen. These reactions can convert them from healthy molecules into unhealthy ones. In order to obtain oil that is nutritious, plant seeds should be processed with great care in the absence of heat, light, and oxygen, then stored in opaque bottles at reduced temperatures. Unfortunately, the processing of most commercially available oils is the exact opposite. Manufacturers are concerned with making fats and oils more stable, so they have a long shelf-life and can be stored for up to a year without turning rancid. They often subject natural oils to severe processing with high heat and chemicals, with no care to exclude light or oxygen. These processes remove the unstable molecules, which, unfortunately, are also the nutrients. The end result is drastic changes in our fats. Refined oils have had many of the nutrients stripped away, and some toxic compounds can be formed. A worse case is partially hydrogenated oils, where almost all of the nutrients are removed with the formation of large amounts of unnatural molecules that can be extremely toxic to our bodies, including high amounts of trans-fatty acids. Trans-fatty acids were once essential fatty acids whose double bonds have been morphed into a form that is not usually found in nature. These fats are no longer bent in shape and no longer function in the roles of essential fatty acids, but instead function like saturated fats. Margarines and shortenings are partially hydrogenated oils, and most contain high amounts of trans-fatty acids. ( 1)

Neither monounsaturated nor saturated fats are essential in our diets because our bodies can make them from the essential fatty acids. We use them primarily for calories. EFAs, on the other hand, have many vital functions in the body, including the oxidation of food into life energy, oxygen transport, and the formation of the molecules in blood and cell membranes of every cell in the body. EFAs, especially LNA, are often deficient in the diets of North Americans, due to our consumption of highly processed, refined fats and animal fats. Deficiencies in EFAs can lead to deficiency symptoms ( see Table 2) and contribute to fatty degeneration diseases. The reintroduction of these nutrients into the diet can reverse these conditions. We require the essential fatty acids at minimum amounts of 1-2% of the calories in our diet to prevent deficiency disease. Researchers such as Dr. Andrew Weil and Udo Erasmus believe that the optimum amounts of EFAs are much higher, and both recommend the health benefits of including hemp seed oil in the diet ( 1,5). Optimum amounts of the two essential amino acids are in the range of 9-18 grams or about 1 tablespoon for LA, and between 2-9 grams or 1-2 teaspoons for LNA. ( 1)

The oil of hemp seeds is an ideal source of the two essential fatty acids. The seeds contain about 35% oil. The oil contains about 75-80% essential fatty acids. Hemp seed oil is also the only oil which has these two EFAs in the ideal ratio for human health: 3 parts LA to 1 part LNA. ( 1,5) Hemp seed oil typically contains 56.9% LA and 18.9% LNA. ( 7) The daily addition of 1-2 tablespoons of hemp seed oil in the diet can provide all the essential fatty acids needed for optimum health. Hemp seed oil production is increasing because of it's health benefits, so better care is taken to process virgin hemp seed oil that is cold pressed in the absence of heat, light, or oxygen. However, it is always best to look into the processing methods of individual oil producers.

Hemp seed oil is also one of the few plant sources of gamma-linolenic acid ( GLA). This is a polyunsaturated fatty acid that can be made by the body from LA, however, production of GLA may be impaired due to stress or aging, and dietary GLA is thought to be beneficial for preventing or treating certain health conditions, ( 6) including premenstrual syndrome (PMS). (8) The fatty acid breakdown of hemp seed oil is listed in Table 3.

Nutrition experts such as Dr. Andrew Weil and Udo Erasmus are strong supporters of the therapeutic benefits of including hemp seed oil in the diet. ( 1,5) But hemp seeds are valuable for more than just the oil. The seeds contain about 35% oil high in essential fatty acids and 23% complete plant protein, and can be grown organically. Hemp improves the soil and helps reduce pests. All of these factors make hemp an ideal food crop, not only for a diet which sustains our health, but also for agriculture which sustains the health of our planet.

Table 1: Protein Breakdown of Hemp Seeds ( 7)

Amino Acid mg/g seeds

Phosphoserine 0.9

Aspartic Acid 19.8

Glutamic Acid 34.8

*Threonine 3.7

Serine 8.6

Proline 7.3

Glycine 9.7

Alanine 9.6

*Valine 3.0

Cystine + Cysteine 1.2

*Methionine 2.6

Cystathionine 0.9

*Isoleucine 1.5

*Leucine 7.1

Tyrosine 5.8

*Phenylalanine 3.5

*Tryptophan 0.6

Ethanolamine 0.4

*Lysine 4.3

**Histidine 2.5

**Arginine 18.8

* essential amino acids **essential for children

Table 2: Symptoms of Fatty Acid Deficiencies ( 1)

LA Deficiency Symptoms eczema like skin eruptions loss of hair liver degeneration behavioral disturbances kidney degeneration excessive water loss through the skin accompanied by thirst drying up of glands susceptibility to infection failure of wound healing sterility in males miscarriages in females arthritis-like conditions hearth and circulatory problems growth retardation

LNA Deficiency Symptoms growth retardation weakness impairment of vision & learning disability motor incoordination tingling sensations in arms & legs behavioral changes high triglycerides high blood pressure sticky platelets tissue inflammation edema dry skin mental deterioration low metabolic rate some kinds of immune dysfunction

Table 3: Fatty Acid Breakdown of Hemp Seeds ( 7)

Component Name Carbon Chain

% of Total Chain Fatty Acids

Palmitic Acid C16:0 6.1

Palmitoleic Acid C16:1 0.3

Heptadecanoic Acid C17:0 0.2

Stearic Acid C18:0 2.1

Oleic Acid C18:1 12.0

*Linoleic Acid ( LA) C18:2 56.9

*Linolenic Acid ( LNA) C18:3 18.9

Gamma Linolenic Acid ( GLA) C18:3 1.7

Arachidic Acid C20:0 0.5

Eicosenoic Acid C20:1 0.3

Behenic Acid C22:0 0.3

Erucic Acid C22:1 0.2

Lignoceric Acid C24:0 0.3

Nervonic Acid C24:1 0.2

*essential fatty acid C18:0 has 18 carbons in a chain and no double bonds - ( saturated). C18:1 has 18 carbons and 1 double bond - ( mono-unsaturated) LA, LNA and GLA have 18 carbons and 2 or 3 double bonds ( polyunsaturated)

REFERENCES:

( 1) Erasmus, U. 1993. Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill. Alive Books. 7436 Fraser Drive, Burnaby, BC, Canada.

( 2) Jones, K. 1995. Nutritional and Medicinal Guide to Hemp seed. Rainforest Botanical Laboratory. P.O. Box 1793, Gibsons, BC, Canada V0N 1V0.

( 3) Osburn, L. 1992. Hemp Seed: The Most Nutritionally Complete Food Source in the World : Part One. Hemp Line Journal, Vol 1. No. 1., pp14-15.

( 4) Osburn, L. 1992. Hemp Seed: The Most Nutritionally Complete Food Source in the World: Part Two: Hemp Seed Oils and the Flow of Life Force. Hemp Line Journal, Vol. 1 No. 2, pp12-13, 21.

( 5) Weil, A., 1993. Therapeutic hemp oil. Natural Health, March/April, pp10-12.

( 6) Deferne, J. and Pate, D., 1997. Hemp Seed Oil: A Source of Valuable Essential Fatty Acids. Hemp Magazine, Oct, pp19-20.

( 7) Das, A. Original Sources. Boulder, CO.

( 8) Rose, R. Rella Good Cheese Co., Santa Rosa, CA.