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HEMP SEEDS: The divine seed.
How to Eat Hemp Nut:
Hemp Nut can be soaked for two hours (as long as overnight) and refrigerated with a storage life of 4 days (if hemp is not soaked and kept dry in cool dark place hemp can last over 6 months). Soaking nuts and seeds can make them more bioavailability, or digestible because it will remove enzyme inhibitors. The seed may taste more palatable when soaked as it is thought to remove bitter saponins. The nut can be put in a blender with water and mixed to a fine consistency to make hemp milk. The milk can be put through a cheesecloth for a milk-like consistency, and sweetener such as fruit like dates or bananas can be added, or maple syrup or agave nectar. Hemp nut can be added to smoothies, frozen deserts, cultured yogurts, salad, pastas, soups, breakfast dishes, porridges, oatmeal, grains, desserts, pies, fruit, vegetables, trail mix, tacos, cooked dishes, guacamole, dips, appetizers, flour, bread, pudding, cakes, cookies, mixed with salt, mixed with salt and sesame seeds, and eaten raw or roasted.
Hemp Nut Nutrition:
Protein, Fat, and Carbohydrate Composition:
“Approximately 44% of the weight of hempseed is healthy edible oils, containing about 80% essential fatty acids (EFAs); i.e., linoleic acid, omega-6 (LA, 55%), alpha-linolenic acid, omega-3 (ALA, 22%), in addition to gamma-linolenic acid, omega-6 (GLA, 1–4%) and stearidonic acid, omega-3 (SDA, 0–2%). Protein is the other major component (33%), second only to soy (35%), but more easily digestible because it’s primarily globular proteins, 33% albumin and 65% edestin (a Greek word meaning edible). Its amino acid profile is close to “complete” when compared to more common sources of proteins such as meat, milk, eggs and soy.”
[Callaway JC (2004). Hempseed as a nutritional resource: an overview. Euphytica 140:65-72.]
The fat of hemp seed has the same ratio of omega 3, 6, and 9 as in brain tissue. Regarding human protein requirement: “Qualitively, it is considered desirable to secure amino acids similar to those of human tissues, both as to kinds and relative quantities of the various kinds.”
[Textbook of Anatomy and Physiology, Kimber, Gray, Stackpole, 1943]
“The omega 3′s and 6′s found in hemp oil are in the ratio of approximately 3:1 to 4:1. This is exactly between the ratios recommended by the World Health Organization and the fat and oil expert Udo Erasmus. Hemp hearts are the only food that has this ideal balance. Of course throughout your day you will eat a variety of foods and if you know what foods contain which types of oils, you can keep your diet inline with this ratio. The average person eating a standard American diet is getting a ratio of omega 6′s to omega 3′s at 20:1 or even as severe as 50:1. This causes major imbalances in the body and is precisely why you have been hearing all this craze about omega 3 fats. Once you are eating a balanced plant based diet however, you need to not overdo the omega 3′s and aim roughly for the 3½:1 ratio of omega 6′s to omega 3′s.”
http://www.secrets-of-longevity-in-humans.com/hemp-hearts.html
“Superfoods” by David Wolfe (North Atlantic Books, 2009)
European Journal of Nutrition states that “The proportions of linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid in one tablespoon (15 ml) per day of hemp oil easily provides human daily requirements for EFAs. Unlike flaxseed oil, hemp oil can be used continuously without developing a deficiency or other imbalance of EFAs.[24] This has been demonstrated in a clinical study, where the daily ingestion of flaxseed oil decreased the endogenous production of GLA.”
[Schwab U, Callaway J, Erkkilä A, Gynther J, Uusitupa M, Järvinen T (2006). Effects of hempseed and flaxseed oils on the profile of serum lipids, serum total and lipoprotein lipid concentrations and haemostatic. European Journal of Nutrition 45(8):470-7.]
Disease Prevention and Healing Effects of Hemp Nuts:
According to the Journal of Dermatological Treatment, hemp oil has been shown to relieve the symptoms of eczema (a-topic dermatitis).
Callaway, JC, Schwab U, Harvimaa I, Halonen P, Mykkänen O, Hyvönen P & Järvinen T (2005). Efficacy of dietary hempseed oil in patients with atopic dermatitis. Journal of Dermatological Treatment 16: 87-94
“Eating hemp seeds could aid, if not heal, people suffering from immune deficiency diseases. This conclusion is supported by the fact that hemp seed was used to treat nutritional deficiencies brought on by tuberculosis, a severe nutrition blocking disease that causes the body to waste away.
[Czechoslovakia Tubercular Nutritional Study, 1955]”
http://www.ratical.org/renewables/hempseed1.html
From: Hemp Line Journal, July-August 1992, pp. 14-15, Vol. I No. 1 Hemp Seed: The Most Nutritionally
Complete food source in the world. Part One by Lynn Osburn
Additional Information about Hemp nuts Preparation:
“Many plant foods contain protease inhibitors, also known as trypsin inhibitors, which block enzyme function and protect plants from insects. These inhibitors can also prevent protease enzymes from digesting protein in the human digestive tract which can burden the pancreas with the need to produce more enzymes. Based on animal research, it’s believed this burden can potentially lead to hypertrophy and cancer of the pancreas in humans. According to the work of Dr. Edward Howell, this increased requirement for digestive enzyme production can also deplete the body of valuable resources needed for other physiological functions.
Koiwa H, Bressan RA, Hasegawa PM. “Regulation of protease inhibitors and plant defense.” Trends in Plant Science. 1997. 2(10):379-384. 14. Rackis JJ, Gumbmann MR. “Protease Inhibitors: Physiological Properties and Nutritional Significance.” Antinutrients and natural Toxicants in Foods. 1981. 15. Heathcock JN. “Residue trypsin inhibitor: data needs for risk assessment.” Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology. 1991. 289:273-279. 16. Howell E. “Enzyme Nutrition: The Food Enzyme Concept.” 1985.
http://naturalbias.com/a-hidden-danger-with-nuts-grains-and-seeds/
“Phytic acid is a substance found in cereal grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes that prevents premature germination and stores nutrients for plant growth. Research has shown that it also reduces the absorption of the important minerals calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc when consumed by humans. Phytic acid also has potential to reduce the digestibility of protein.17 This doesn’t only apply to the minerals and protein in the food containing the phytic acid, but also the food that you eat with it.
Frequent consumption of foods that contain phytic acid can lead to nutrient deficiencies and can cause a wide variety of issues including skin problems, impaired appetite, mental fatigue, altered gene expression, and impaired immunity due to zinc deficiency, anemia and poor development in infants and children due to iron deficiency, and increased risk of rickets and bone softening due to calcium deficiency. Although it’s rare for these problems to occur in developed countries as a result of nutrient deficiencies, even a mild deficiency is enough to detract from optimal health and cause undesirable symptoms. For example, a mild zinc deficiency, which can result after just a few months of consuming just 1 milligram per day less than needed, can reduce testosterone production and alter immune function.
. Lolas GM, Markakis P. “Phytic acid and other phosphorous compounds of beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.).” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 1975. 23(1):13-15. 2. Mollgaard H, Lorenzen K, Hansen IG, Christensen PE. “On Phytic Acid, its Importance in Metabolism and its Enzymic Cleavage in Bread Supplemented with Calcium.” Biomedical Journal. 1946. 40(4):589-603. 3. McCance RA Widdowson EM. “Phytin in Human Nutrition.” Biochemical Journal. 1935. 29(12):2694-2699. 4. Hallberg L, Brune M, Rossander L. “Iron absorption in man: ascorbic acid and dose-dependent inhibition by phytate.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1989. 49(1):140-144. 5. Bohn T, Davidsson L, Walczyk T, Hurrell RF. “Phytic acid added to white-wheat bread inhibits fractional apparent magnesium absorption in humans.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2004. 79(3):418-423. 6. Turnlund JR, King JC, Keyes WR, Gong B, Michel MC. “A stable isotope study of zinc absorption in young men: effects of phytate and alpha-cellulose.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1984. 40(5):1071-1077. 7. Heaney RP, Weaver CM, Fitzsimmons ML. “Soybean phytate content: effect on calcium absorption.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1991. 53(3):745-747. 8. Prasad AS. “Zinc deficiency in human subjects.” Progress in Clinical and Biological Research. 1983. 129:1-33. 9. Prasad AS. “Discovery of human zinc deficiency and studies in an experimental human model.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1991. 53(2)403-412.
The Benefits of Soaking
Cereal grains, beans, nuts, and seeds are all considered plant seeds, and when a plant seed undergoes germination, a lot of changes occur that provide the growing plant with needed nutrients. This includes the breakdown of phytic acid and complex carbohydrates, the inactivation of protease inhibitors, and the increased availability of vitamins and minerals, all of which increase the nutritional value of the seed and improve its digestibility.
In nature, germination typically occurs when a plant seed encounters conditions that are favorable for its growth which typically involves water. As such, the germination of grains, nuts, beans, or seeds can be easily initiated by soaking them in water. Although mostly focused on grains and beans, research has shown soaking to be quite effective for the reduction of phytic acid in as little as 12 hours as well as the subsequent increase in mineral availability and for the reduction of protease inhibitors starting at about 36 hours. In both cases, the amount of reduction increases with time, especially for protease inhibitors. Soaking can also increase the content of some components of the vitamin A, B, C, and E complexes, and through the activation of amylase enzymes, helps to break down complex carbohydrates and improve their digestibility. This latter benefit is especially important for optimal digestive health because it will reduce the possibility of complex carbohydrates from being fermented in the intestines and contributing to the proliferation of undesirable bacteria.
When time is limited, the combination of soaking and cooking has been shown to be much more effective than only soaking for a short duration. However, because cooking has also been shown to be less effective at reducing phytic acid, soaking is still important. For grains and beans, light cooking is generally a good idea anyway since it further improves digestibility and deactivates natural plant toxins that may still exist after soaking.
The seeds being soaked can easily absorb chemicals from the water or container that they’re soaking in, and in some cases, such chemicals may be even more of a concern than the phytic acid and protease inhibitors that you’re going out of your way to avoid. As such, it’s important to use a glass container and filtered water. Because phytase enzymes tend to function optimally at a slightly acidic pH at warmer temperatures, it may also be beneficial to use warm water and increase its acidity with something like lemon juice. It’s also believed that adding sea salt will help to neutralize the enzyme inhibitors.
Mahgoub SEO, Elhag SA. “Effect of milling, soaking, malting, heat-treatment and fermentation on phytate level of four Sudanese sorghum cultivars.” Food Chemistry. 1998. 61(1-2):77-80. 19. Mbithi-Mwikya S, Van Camp J, Yiru Y, Huyghebaert A. “Nutrient and Antinutrient Changes in Finger Millet (Eleusine coracan) During Sprouting.” Lebensmittel-Wissenschaft und-Technologie. 2000. 33(1):9-14. 20. Duhan A, Chauhan BM, Punia D, Kapoor AC. “Phytic acid content of chickpea (Cicer arietinum) and black gram (Vigna mungo): varietal differences and effect of domestic processing and cooking methods.” Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 2006. 49(4):449-455. 21. Perlas LA, Gibson RS. “Use of soaking to enhance the bioavailability of iron and zinc from rice-based complementary foods used in the Phillipines.” Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 2002. 82(10):1115-1121. 22. Ologhobo AD, Fetuga BL. “The Effect of Processing on the Trypsin Inhibitor, Hemagglutinin, Tannic Acid and Phytic Acid Contents of Seeds of Ten Cowpea Varieties.” Journal of Food Processing and Preservation. 2007. 8(1):31-40. 23. Gibson RS, Yeudall F, Drost N, Mtitimuni B, Cullinan T. http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/reprint/68/2/484S”Dietary interventions to prevent zinc deficiency.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutirtion. 1998. 68(2):484S-487S. 24. Bishnoi S, Khetarpaul N, Yadav RK. “Effect of domestic processing and cooking methods on phytic acid and polyphenol contents of pea cultivars (Pisum sativum).” Plant Foods for Human Nutrition. 1994. 45(4):381-388. 25. Khokhar S, Chauhan BM. “Antinutritional factors in Moth Bean (Vigna aconitifolia): Varietal Differences and Effects of Methods of Domestic Processing and Cooking.” Journal of Food Science. 2006. 51(3):591-594. 28. Mbithi S, Van Camp J, Rodriguez R, Huyghebaert A. “Effects of sprouting on nutrient and antinutrient composition of kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris var. Rose coco).” European Food Research and Technology. 2001. 212(2):188-191. 29. Sharma A, Sehgal S. “Effect of domestic processing, cooking and germination on the trypsin inhibitor activity and tannin content of faba bean (Vicia faba).” Plant Foods for Human Nutrition. 1992. 42(2):127-133. 30. Vidal-Valverde C, Frias J, Estrella I, Gorospe MJ, Ruiz R, Bacon J. “Effect of Processing on Some Antinutritional Factors of Lentils.” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 1994. 42(10):2291-2295. 32. Marfo EK, Simpson BK, Idowu JS, Oke OL. “Effect of Local Food Processing on PHytate Levels in Cassava, Cocoyam, Yam, Maize, Sorghym, Rice, Cowpea, and Soybean.” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 1990. 38(7):1580-1585. 34. Osman MA. “Changes in sorghum enzyme inhibitors, phytic acid, tannins and in vitro protein digestibility occurring during Khamir (local bread) fermentation.” Food Chemistry. 2004. 88(1):129-134. 35. Sung HG, Shin HT, Ha JK, Lai HL Cheng KJ, Lee JH. “Effect of germination temperature on characteristics of phytase production from barley.” Bioresource Technology. 2005. 96(11):1297-1303. 36. Greiner R, Jany KD, Alminger ML. “Identification and Properties of myo -Inositol Hexakisphosphate Phosphohydrolases (Phytases) from Barley (Hordeum vulgare).” Journal of Cereal Science. 2000. 31(2):127-139. 37. Yang F. Basu TK, Ooraikul B. “Studies on germination conditions and antioxidant contents of wheat grain.” International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. 2001. 52(4):319-330. 38. Ray SN. “On the nature of the precursor of the vitamin C in the vegetable kingdom: Vitamin C in the growing pea seedling.” Biochemistry Journal. 1934. 28(3):996-1003. 39. Burkholder PR. McVeigh I. “Vitamin Content of Some Mature and Germinated Legume Seeds.” Plant Physiology. 1945. 20:301-306. 40. Okamoto K, Akazawa T. “Enymatic Mechanisms of Starch Breakdown in Germinating Rice Seeds.” Plant Physiology. 1979. 63:336-340. 41. Vidal-Valverde C, Frias J. “Changes in carbohydrates during germination of lentils.” Zeitschrift für Lebensmitteluntersuchung und -Forschung A. 1992. 194(5):461-464. 42. Fallon S. “Nourishing Traditions.” 2001.
