Hemp seeds – Small powerhouses for health, fitness & well-being

Botanically speaking, the small nut fruits belong to the oil fruits. In addition to their high protein content (20-24%), which includes the entire amino acid spectrum, hemp seeds offer us 28-35% fat in an optimal composition of different fatty acids for our body.

Hemp Seeds: The underestimated superfood for body and mind

Fats are the most important building material of our body after protein. They surround our organs and are part of the cell membranes, they transport the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K through the intestinal wall into the blood and are involved in many metabolic processes. In addition, they keep us warm and strengthen our nerves.

Proteins, Fatty Acids & Vital Nutrients: Why Hemp Seeds are so healthy

Many of us consume too many saturated, mostly animal fatty acids, which can increase cholesterol levels in the long term, lead to arteriosclerosis, and promote inflammation. Particularly valuable, on the other hand, are essential unsaturated fatty acids from seeds and nuts – “essential” because our body cannot produce them itself but must absorb them through food, and “unsaturated” because they have at least one double bond in their chemical structure and take on important metabolic tasks due to their reactivity.
With a proportion of unsaturated fatty acids of 80-90%, hemp seeds are the frontrunners among plants! Crucial for our body is an optimal ratio between the essential unsaturated fatty acids Omega-6 and Omega-3. With a ratio of 3(-4):1, hemp seeds and hemp oil are close to the optimum determined by nutrition scientists for the human organism and belong to the outstanding Omega-3 fatty acid suppliers. These have versatile effects, for example, they increase the level of messenger substances like dopamine, whereby the happiness hormone serotonin better docks to corresponding receptors and we feel good. Too many Omega-6 fatty acids, on the other hand, can lead to chronic inflammation, cancer, memory loss, and depression.

The lion's share in hemp oil is made up of the two essential fatty acids linoleic acid (Omega-6) and alpha-linolenic acid (Omega-3) with 75-85%. Most oils, such as sunflower oil, contain sufficient linoleic acid but very little alpha-linolenic acid. From them, the body must form further higher fatty acids with the help of enzymes, such as gamma-linolenic acid and stearidonic acid. In many people, these conversion processes can be impaired genetically or nutritionally or due to medication – but hemp already provides us with these two rare fatty acid treasures in the plant kingdom ready-made! The unsaturated Omega-6 fatty acid gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), discovered only in 1942, is part of our cell membranes and plays an important role in cellular respiration. It is the starting substance for prostaglandins, which are important as tissue hormones for metabolism and prevent inflammation. Besides hemp oil with a content of 3-4%, it is also found in evening primrose oil, borage oil, and blackcurrant seed oil.

Omega-3 and Omega-6 in the ideal ratio for heart, brain, and skin

Numerous studies indicate that an imbalance of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acid intake and the associated imbalance of their metabolic products, the prostaglandins, play a role in the development of common diseases, for example in the cardiovascular area or in rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammations. For instance, treatment of patients with alpha- and gamma-linolenic acid caused a rapid decrease of all elevated cholesterol levels in the blood and the inflammatory state of the organism could be reduced. Research has also shown that a deficiency of essential Omega-6 fatty acids like gamma-linolenic acid in humans and animals leads to inflammatory skin changes, so that the cause of neurodermatitis in some cases could be a congenital disorder of fatty acid metabolism. By administering gamma-linolenic acid, the ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids in the skin cells of neurodermatitis patients improved. With stearidonic acid (SDA), hemp seeds and hemp oil contain another important building block for our fat metabolism. Together with other higher Omega-3 fatty acids formed from it, it is a crucial part of the nerve cells in the brain and retina and also contributes to mental presence and fitness as well as good eyesight! The formation of this fatty acid is impaired in many people, which can be easily compensated by consuming hemp seeds and hemp oil.

Hemp seeds in nutrition: snacks, smoothies, salads & hemp oil

Hemp seeds are the ideal crunchy snack for in between and refine muesli, smoothies, salads, and many other dishes. The hemp oil pressed from the hemp seeds is power in liquid form! Just 2-3 teaspoons daily are enough to absorb enough essential fatty acids, whereby only cold-pressed oils from the first pressing (“extra virgin”) guarantee optimal quality. Hemp oil must not be heated because the polyunsaturated fatty acids are not stable and already oxidize and become rancid at 60°C. Therefore, hemp oil with its nutty taste is ideal for dressings and dips and can be added afterwards to cooked dishes, sauces, and soups. Besides its use as food, hemp oil is increasingly used in cosmetic body care products such as soaps, creams, and lotions. The high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids can help with dry skin and compensate aging processes because the favorable fatty acid ratio in hemp oil corresponds to that of human skin!

Image source: © 2020 Tabea Walch