Recently, a friend turned me on to his favorite post-workout treat: a smoothie mixed with a spoonful of ground hemp seeds. He said that the hemp seeds are filled with protein, which makes them ideal for post-workout recovery.
Intrigued, I decided to do a little reconnaissance. It turns out he’s right: hemp seeds do, in fact, contain a lot of protein—two egg whites’ worth in just two tablespoons. They’re also one of the few foods in the plant world that contain all nine essential amino acids, which are crucial for protein synthesis because our bodies can’t make them on their own. In other words, hemp seeds could be considered “complete proteins” like meat, poultry, eggs, or dairy—except, unlike those foods, they’re vegan.
But you don’t have to follow a vegan diet to enjoy the benefits of eating hemp seeds. Why be constrained by silly labels? After all, hemp seeds are also rich in omega-3 and omega-6, and studies have shown that increasing our intake of those important fatty acids can help prevent all sorts of stuff we don’t want, like arthritis, cancer, and even acne. And speaking of skin health, hemp seeds also contain vitamin E, which we all know can help hydrate and regenerate the skin. They’re also filled with a ton of essential minerals like phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, potassium, sulfur, iron, and zinc.
A brief history of hemp
Hemp seeds come from the Cannabis sativa plant—yes, the same plant that produces those infamous aromatic buds. But you’d have to eat a ton of hemp seeds to get high from them—the amount of THC they contain is too negligible to produce psychoactive effects.
Cannabis, or hemp, is native to Central Asia and its seeds have long been consumed as food in Russia and China; their flavor is mild, kind of like a sunflower seed. Today, this very tall annual plant (it can reach heights up to 23 feet!) is cultivated to produce more than just food, edible oil, and medicinal compounds; it’s also used for textiles, paper, animal feed, bioplastics, biofuels, and cosmetics. And here’s a cute tidbit you may love: they’re often also called “hemp hearts.”
The benefits of eating hemp seeds
There are a lot of reasons to eat hemp seeds—and some doctors even say they make the ultimate snack. “Hemp seeds are tasty, nutritional powerhouses packed full of protein, fiber, good ratios of healthy fats, and even key minerals like magnesium,” explains Stephen Dahmer, MD, Director at the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine. He recommends eating hemp seeds over packaged, processed snacks and he likes that you can even make an joke about their origins. “When your coworkers ask you what you’re eating, you can say ‘an edible,’” he laughs.
Jokes aside, the benefits of eating hemp seeds are seriously impressive. In addition to all that plant protein and the other benefits mentioned above, here’s a peek at a few more:
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