What are Hemp Hearts and What are Their Benefits?

Hemp hearts are incredibly nutritious and make a great addition to any diet. Learn more about their benefits & nutrition facts here.

What are Hemp Hearts and What are Their Benefits?

Hemp seeds, also known as hemp hearts, are a highly nutritious food. They are technically a nut, with a mild nutty flavor and a hard, walnut-like exterior and a soft interior. Hemp hearts are the name commonly given to the soft inner part of the seed. Hemp seeds can be eaten raw, cooked, or roasted.

Whole hemp seeds are an excellent source of both soluble and insoluble fiber, containing 20% and 80%, respectively. Hemp hearts are incredibly nutritious and make a great addition to any diet. According to the USDA, hemp hearts are made up of 25 percent protein and more than 20 percent fiber. The crunchy shell is also a great source of fiber and can be ground into a fine powder for baking or used as a supplement in smoothies.

Hemp hearts can be added to salads, granola, cereals, popcorn, veggie burgers, or smoothies for an extra boost of nutrition. Hemp seeds contain significant amounts of the amino acids methionine and cysteine, as well as very high levels of arginine and glutamic acid. They are also packed with nutrients like chia or flax seeds. Hemp seed oil is also very healthy and has been used as food and medicine in China for at least 3000 years.

30 grams of hemp seeds, or 2-3 tablespoons, provide approximately 11 grams of protein. The hemp plant is the same species as the marijuana plant, Cannabis Sativa L, but hemp does not contain the same compounds as marijuana. Hemp hearts contain gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), which helps reduce the effects of the hormone prolactin. The seeds can be pressed to create hemp seed oil or they can be ground and mixed with water to create hemp milk.

Just three tablespoons of hemp hearts provide more than double the recommended daily allowance of alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid that the body cannot produce on its own and must obtain from the diet. Studies have also shown that administering hemp seed oil to people with eczema can improve levels of essential fatty acids in the blood.

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