HealthyFoodJournal.com

There is an article on the Manitoba Harvest website by Darrell L. Tanelian, M.D., Ph.D. that gives a pretty good rundown on the value of hemp nut seed.  Following are some excerpts from Dr. Tanelian’s work:

“In terms of its nutrient content, shelled hemp seed is 34.6% protein, 46.5% fat, and 11.6% carbohydrate. The most important feature of hemp seed is that it provides both of the essential fatty acids (EFAs) needed in the human diet–linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid–as well as a complete and balanced complement of all essential amino acids.”

“Besides providing the human EFAs and having a favorable unsaturated-to-saturated fat ratio, hemp seed is an excellent dietary source of easily digestible, gluten-free protein. Its overall protein content of 34.6 g/100 g is comparable to that of soy beans and better than that found in nuts, other seeds, dairy products, meat, fish, or poultry.”

“Hemp protein provides a well-balanced array of the 10 essential amino acids for humans. An important aspect of hemp seed protein is a high content of arginine (123 mg/g protein) and histidine (27 mg/g protein), both of which are important for growth during childhood, and of the sulfur-containing amino acids methionine (23 mg/g protein) and cysteine (16 mg/g protein), which are needed for proper enzyme formation. Hemp protein also contains relatively high levels of the branched-chain amino acids that are important for the metabolism of exercising muscle.”

“The high content of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, and the relatively high phytosterol content of hemp foods, make them beneficial to cardiovascular health.^“

“Polyunsaturated fatty acids, and especially GLA, have also been found beneficial in treating various human cancers, and studies have shown that phytosterols may offer protection against colon, breast, and prostate cancers.”

You can read more details by clicking on the link to the Manitoba Harvest website at the beginning of this post. I wanted to add that the Omega 6 and 3 essential fatty acids are very useful to help with thinking clearly. As we think and learn, electrical impulses travel through cells in our brains called neurons. The electrical impulses run the pathways of the brain, leaping from one neuron to the next with a sparking action. In order for the neurons to spark or “fire” correctly, they must be lubricated with the essential fatty acids found in hemp nut seed. (We also get this in our diets from fatty fishes such as salmon.) Without this lubrication, the electrical impulses fall short, and we experience difficulty in thinking clearly and learning efficiently.

Hemp nut seed is excellent to use in many different recipes, where you would use nuts or seeds. Here’s a recipe from Manitoba Harvest:

Hemp Banana Bread

Makes: 1 loaf
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cook Time: 45-60 min. Ingredients:

2 eggs
1/3 cup applesauce
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup Hemp Seed Flour
2 3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (about 3 medium)
1/4 cup Shelled Hemp Seed
1/4 cup chocolate or carob chips (optional)Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix first 3 ingredients with mixer at medium speed until pale yellow. Add dry ingredients alternately with bananas to mixture. Mix at medium speed until well blended. Pour into greased or sprayed loaf pan (9 x 5 or 8 1/2 x 4 1/2). Bake 45-60 minutes, until cake tester comes out clean and dry. Let cool in pan 20-30 minutes before turning out onto rack.

This recipe is not gluten-free as it stands, but if you are familiar with gluten free baking, you can make subsitutions for the wheat flour.