With the consumption of Hemp about to become legal in Australia we thought we would have a look at the health benefits of this often wrongly judged superfood.
In our ever growing and rapidly changing society people have been looking at healthy alternatives to replace the harmful mass produced foods that are so common place in our lives. There is now also a greater understanding and knowledge of the harms that meat can have on the body. Arthritis, diabetes, and many forms of cancer are just a few examples of the degenerative effects meat can cause. This has turned many to become vegetarian or vegan. A common thought though is that it is hard to provide the body with sufficient protein on a vegetarian diet. This however is untrue. There are many sources of protein in foods other than meat. Tempeh, lentils, chickpeas, tofu, and hemp seed are just a few sources of non-meat protein. One of the best sources of these is hemp seed.
So what sets hemp seed apart as a great source of non-meat protein? Well most importantly it contains all the essential oils our body needs to survive. In a 5 tablespoon serving it contains 15 grams of omega-6 and 5 grams of omega 3 essential fatty acids (EFA's). These EFA's are essential in preventing disease such as arthritis and for neural networks in our brain. They promote healthy skin which has been very beneficial for those dealing with acne and the list goes on. I highly recommend you research the benefits that EFA's have. These fatty acids contain important health benefits most of our diets lack.
The chlorophyll found in hemp powder, oil, nuts, and seeds causes them to have a greenish hue. Chlorophyll (often known as plant blood) promotes healing.
In hemp powder, oil, nuts, and seeds, the ratio of omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids is about 4/1. This is just the right ratio to benefit the human body and aid in the prevention of major diseases.
Hemp is great for athletes and bodybuilders because it boosts energy and builds muscles. Hemp powder, oil, nuts, and seeds provide a tremendous energy boost for everybody so is not just for body-builders. Go ahead and add hemp products to your fat-burning diet.
Using the same portion size, hemp seeds also contain 20 grams of protein. This is equal to a medium size chicken breast, yet with much greater health benefits. For example, this portion of chicken contains 100 mg of cholesterol which is over 30% of your daily intake while hemp seeds contain no cholesterol at all. This makes it very easy to replace meat all together if you choose to.
A great thing too about hemp seed is the taste. Personally I find that it has a very neutral taste. This makes it easy to compliment other foods. Adding it to a salad is very easy and is hardly noticeable to the palate besides the texture which many find enjoyable. You can even now make your own hemp oil at home with the BioChef Vega Oil Press machine.
By adding just 5 tablespoons of hemp oil it is possible to eliminate an entire portion of meat and still be getting all the needed protein. It seems that hemp seed is still being overlooked as a great health food to this day although it is growing quickly in popularity.
It is definitely a natural superfood everyone should be adopting into their diet for a long and healthy life. You have nothing to lose in making the healthy choice with hemp seed and thankfully Australia has finally decided to join the rest of the world and make this home grown superfood legal for human consumption.