{"id":165637,"date":"2010-01-11T11:54:41","date_gmt":"2010-01-11T16:54:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.marksdailyapple.com\/?p=10123"},"modified":"2010-01-11T11:54:41","modified_gmt":"2010-01-11T16:54:41","slug":"dear-mark-how-primal-is-hemp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/165637","title":{"rendered":"Dear Mark: How Primal is Hemp?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"hempseedsAs I\u2019ve always said, part of the Primal Blueprint<\/a>\u2019s power is its continuing evaluation and evolution. As a broad lens defined by tried and true physiological principles, the PB can effectively assess and (when appropriate) seamlessly accommodate \u201cnew\u201d\/rediscovered practices and foods. Readers send me questions all the time that help redefine or further confirm the Blueprint\u2019s existing range. Here\u2019s one such inquiry.<\/p>\n

Dear Mark, <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been seeing more hemp products in the stores these days and have friends who call themselves hemp converts. They say it\u2019s a good protein source. What do you think of hemp? Do you consider it Primal?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Hemp products have indeed exploded onto the marketplace in the last few years. Consumers appear to have waved off past alarm about drug associations. Up until the late 1990s, a large portion of the U.S. hemp imports came from China, where industry practices often left measureable levels of the psychoactive component tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Since Canada legalized industrial hemp in 1998, the import picture has shifted. Today most hemp products come from Canada and are essentially free from THC contamination. (The U.S. doesn\u2019t allow cultivation within its borders.)<\/p>\n

If you look at the nutrition, there are some reasons to recommend hemp. As seeds go, they\u2019re a good source of protein. (Industry sources sometimes say 33% protein. Other sources, including a university nutritional overview<\/a> concluded 25%.) For a plant source, it\u2019s a thoroughly respectably source of usable protein (albumin and edestine being the primary forms) and offers all the essential amino acids. Hemp also contains a healthy dose of fiber, vitamin E complex, iron, magnesium, and potassium. Then there\u2019s the fatty acid content. Hemp is very high in PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids) to the tune of 80% or so. Although the prevailing CW would fall down and worship the very acronym on the page, there\u2019s more to the picture as Primal types know. Yes, hemp has a good amount of omega-3 to its name, and it also has plenty of omega-6. The omega-6 to omega-3 ratio comes out around 3:1, which is considerably better than soy but still falls short of the PB-recommended 1:1. (The omega-3 is also in the form of ALA rather than the preferred DHA and EPA.) To its credit, the omega-6 content does include the healthier gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and stearidonic acid (SA), both of which are believed to be anti-inflammatory in nature. Nonetheless, the very high PUFA content makes the seeds and oil prone to rancidity.<\/p>\n

I think we\u2019ll see more research coming out in the next few years exploring the particular health benefits of hemp now that the drug-associated fervor has died down and the public understands that these products don\u2019t pose a psychoactive risk. Traditional practice supports hemp\u2019s anti-inflammatory action. Specifically, the GLA and SA in hemp are credited with effectively treating skin disorders, particularly eczema. Some recent studies also point to hemp\u2019s positive influence on immune function<\/a>, and its prevention of unhealthy blood platelet aggregation<\/a> (clumping), which researchers attribute partly to the GLA content. Finally, other researchers have explored hemp\u2019s apparent stimulation of the brain enzyme calcineurin, which helps support both cardiac<\/a> and neurological functioning<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In terms of palatability, the shelled seeds have a fairly nutty, mild flavor. I\u2019ve enjoyed the seeds in salads and have seen people add them to homemade protein bars. Some folks liken them to sunflower seeds or pine nuts \u2013 fitting comparisons, I think. Although hemp seems to be fairly well tolerated and don\u2019t contain the same anti-nutrients that soy does, those who are more sensitive to other seeds might find the same digestive reaction with hemp.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t personally speak to the oil\u2019s taste, but I\u2019ve heard it can vary considerably by brand. (Hemp eaters, what say you?) If you purchase the oil, it\u2019s of course important to look for cold-pressed and store it in a dark container in the refrigerator. As for hemp protein shakes, I\u2019d say they\u2019re reasonable secondary alternatives for those who can\u2019t\/won\u2019t eat whey-based. I\u2019d definitely put hemp above soy in the #2 spot. That said, I\u2019d do a little homework into the processing of the brand, given the high PUFA content and its rancidity risk. Look for cold pressing (for initial oil removal) and cold milling (for powder production).<\/p>\n

Finally, as to whether hemp is Primal or not, I\u2019d put it (like other seeds) in a supporting role. It\u2019s not main Primal fare, but \u2013 when eaten in its healthiest (fresh) state \u2013 it can complement a good Primal diet.<\/p>\n

Let me know what you think. As always, thanks for the questions and comments, and keep \u2018em coming!<\/p>\n

Get Free Health Tips, Recipes and Workouts<\/a> Delivered to Your Inbox<\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/h4>\n

Related posts:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Dear Mark: Is Flax Bad?<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Dear Mark: Arachidonic Acid<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Dear Mark: Visting Family – Primal Compromises and Grain Alternatives<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    As I\u2019ve always said, part of the Primal Blueprint\u2019s power is its continuing evaluation and evolution. As a broad lens defined by tried and true physiological principles, the PB can effectively assess and (when appropriate) seamlessly accommodate \u201cnew\u201d\/rediscovered practices and foods. Readers send me questions all the time that help redefine or further confirm the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-165637","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165637","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=165637"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165637\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=165637"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=165637"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=165637"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}