Hemp Seeds... For Your Health!

     Cannabis sativa, also known as hemp or simply "cannabis", is one of the most nutritionally balanced foods known to man.  In a day when health foods and supplements are billion-dollar industries,  it is crazy to think that society has not caught on to health benefits of this amazing seed.
     Hemp seeds have been used as a source of food throughout history.  It has been given to livestock and birds as a cheap, balanced food source.  Even today, many natural food advocates praise hemp seed for its high protein and high essential fatty acid (EFA) content.  The protein found in hemp seeds is close to two-thirds edestin and one-third albumin.  These two types of globulin proteins together contain all eight essential amino acids.  About 44% of the weight of the seed consists of healthy oils, which 80% of are EFAs like alpha and gamma-linolenic acids and linoleic acid.

     Medicinally, the oil from the seed has been used to treat skin disorders such as eczema, psoriasis, and acne.  The high "good fat" content of the oil promotes cardiovascular and joint health.  EFAs found in hemp seed oil are also essential for immune health as well as proper nervous system function.
     Currently, it is illegal for farmers to grow cannabis in the United States.  Hemp seed and its oil has to be imported into the country, which at that point can be sold or used as an additive in healthcare products and foods.  Hemp grows in a variety of climates and needs little or no herbicides and pesticides.  Hopefully in the near future, cannabis will be able to be freely grown for its many uses, such as for food, medicine, and industry.