Cannabis seeds are considered a superfood. Extracted from varieties of industrial hemp, it is the plant of a thousand uses since with it ropes, textile fibres, oils, paints, biofuels, paper, extractions of CBD for medicinal use, etc. can be made. Besides, cannabis is a very resistant plant that grows even in the most impoverished soils and the most challenging climates. It needs relatively little water. It does not require the use of pesticides, and its cultivation is becoming more and more widespread.
Hemp does not contain any psychoactive cannabinoids, and neither do its seeds. It was not inconvenient for the US government to prohibit its cultivation, moved instead by the interests and pressures of the great oil and cotton magnates, who saw in cannabis a plant that hardly needed resources and endangered their businesses.
What is a cannabis seed?
Cannabis seeds, therefore, do not contain THC and are classified as a dried fruit. They are brown to dark grey, almost round and with a diameter of 3-4 millimetres.
The peel is hard and difficult to chew, so they are usually purchased peeled. In the case of shelled seeds, they are traditionally crushed well in a mortar.
They have a delicious flavour between pine nut, walnut and almond, very common and recognizable. Although, without a doubt, its greatest virtue is not its taste, but its nutritional content that we will analyze in-depth.
They are surprising for their very high level of vegetable proteins, essential to maintain good health since they constitute the basis of our body. The seeds can contain up to 50% easily digestible protein, something necessary for vegetarians or those who generally consume little protein in their diets. They also have 21 amino acids, including 9 essential amino acids that we need but that the human body cannot produce on its own.
As for essential fatty acids, they are presented in a perfect 3: 1 balance between Omegas-3, Omegas-6 and gamma-linoleic and the most important essential fatty oils for well-being, since flexibility will depend on them. The fluidity of our cell membranes, as well as being very useful in the prevention of arthritis and rheumatism. Cannabis seed oil is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and contains low concentrations of saturated fatty acids, very beneficial in terms of nutrition, rich in essential fatty acids, etc.
On the other hand, this oil also contains tocopherols, substances that can reduce cardiovascular diseases, cancer and muscle degeneration due to age, with acute antioxidant effects. It has more tocopherols than other vegetable oils already rich in this substance such as sunflower or soybean.
Also, due to their high fibre content, 28% in shelled seeds and 7% in peeled seeds, they are highly indicated in people suffering from digestive disorders. It also helps fight constipation and obesity, as they clean and eliminate waste and toxins from the digestive system, one of the leading causes of diseases. In this sense, shelled cannabis seeds contain less fibre, although the amount of amino acids is higher.
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100 grams of cannabis seeds also contain vitamins and especially:
- vitamin E
- vitamin B1
- vitamin B2
The ten essential macronutrients and trace elements in Cannabis Seeds are…
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
- Magnesium
- Calcium
- Iron
- Sodium
- Manganese
- Zinc
- Copper
- Nitrogen
The iron, together with the vitamins of group B, are recommended in case of anaemia. The magnesium helps in periods of physical fatigue, relaxing muscular tension, besides being the second mineral constituent of bone.
Just 4 tablespoons of seeds provide almost 50% of the recommended daily amount. It has also been shown to improve the condition of the skin and hair, like vitamin E, it already has antioxidant properties and makes its consumption highly recommended in the case of degenerative diseases such as osteoarthritis.
How are cannabis seeds consumed?
Today the market offers the possibility of buying cannabis seeds in the shell, peeled or in flour, in addition to hemp seed oil. They are consumed in the same way as any other dried fruit such as walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds or soybeans. If they are shelled, they can be germinated beforehand and eaten in salads, such as young bean sprouts. They can be added already crushed to yoghurts, cookies, as a condiment for pasta, rice …
The cannabis flour is used as any other meal, with the particularity that, having no gluten, a binder, is not easy to get a homogeneous mass. On the other hand, for cookies or cakes, it is perfect. To make pizzas, cannabis seeds can be mixed with another type of flour. It can also be used in hamburgers, batters, creams …
And finally, hemp seed oil, an essential source of Omega 3 and Omega 6 acids, vitamins, minerals and proteins. The seeds are cold-pressed at temperatures below 50º, resulting in dark green oil with a flavour of nuts, and more specifically of nuts. Perfect to use in salads, toasts or any food, preferably to use cold.
Regardless of the way of consuming them, as we see, cannabis seeds are a super complete food that covers several of our nutritional needs, also preventing diseases and ailments, and can calmly be considered as fundamental for the human diet.