hemp seeds - What are the benefits
Jan 30, 2012
Hemp is the common name used to describe the Cannabis genus of plants that have long been used as a source of fiber in production of rope, boat sails, paper, and cloth, and which has more recently played an expanding role in the food supply.
Hemp seeds and hemp oil are found in an increasing variety of food products and have also been fairly well studied in terms of their nutritional content. Seeds from this group of plants-like most plant seeds-are a good source of essential fatty acids. Linoleic acid, the omega-6 essential fatty acid, accounts for about two-thirds of the essential fatty acids found in hemp seeds.
The other third comes from alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the omega-3 fatty acid that forms the starting point for production of all other omega-3s in the body. There are also amino acids found in the protein portion of hemp seeds that can make important contributions to daily protein requirements.
With respect to drug testing, I want to point out that hemp is not the same thing as marijuana. Although marijuana and hemp come from the same genus and species of plant, the varieties used in plant breeding are different and hemp only contains very small amounts of the THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) cannabinoids found in marijuana. (These substances are the ones responsible for marijuana's psychoactive effects).