Hemp has always been an important grain in
traditional Asiatic food and medicines. Hempseed, considered a superfood for
many reasons, is gaining popularity in the West. The American demand for
omega-balanced hempseed oil is fueling a windfall for hemp farmers.
American farmers have watched as Canadian farmers
clear huge profits from hemp at $250 per acre in the 2013 market. While soy, a
major crop, nets U.S. farmers about $71 per acre.
Hemp is a variety of the cannabis plant and a cousin
of marijuana. Hemp contains 0.3% or less of the psychoactive component THC,
while marijuana plants typically contain 5% to 20% THC. You cannot get high
from hemp, however starting in 1937 U.S. drug laws banned the cultivation of
hemp.
In the 2014 farm bill, signed by President Obama on
Feb. 7, hemp grown for research purposes was removed from the Controlled
Substances Act, which is the main federal drug law. Scientists in the West
continue to discover new benefits of the seed and its derivatives.
Besides being a superfood, hemp has dozens of uses.
The Dutch manufacture a stronger-than-steel hemp fiber that is used in Mercedes
door panels. Hempcrete is a hemp fiber insulation that outperforms traditional
fiberglass insulation.
Many uses of hemp:
- Food
and nutrition
- Bodycare
- Paper
- Fabric
textiles and rope
- Fuel
- Building
materials
- Plastic
alternatives
One of the advantages of growing hemp is that it needs
half the water of wheat, which will be of great benefit to farmers in the
drought ridden western U. S. It is believed that hemp will revive family
farming in this time of climate-change. Hemp is also a good rotation crop as it
returns nitrogen to the soil.
Hempseed oil contains linolenic acids an omega-3
fatty acid that helps prevent coronary heart disease and sterols are that are
beneficial to lowering cholesterol.
Hemp benefits individuals
•
Those interested in preventative health and wellness
•
Diabetics
•
Those with obesity
•
People with chronic constipation
•
Elderly individuals with chronic health problems
•
People with high blood pressure
•
Individuals on carb-reduced diets
•
Individuals battling high cholesterol
•
People with Celiac Disease
•
People battling depression
•
Pregnant and lactating mothers
•
Children with hyperactivity disorders
Hemp seed oil contains active ingredients that reduce
platelet aggregation and antioxidant that have anticancer actions. It also
contains antioxidants, which are beneficial against diseases, such as
Alzheimer's, hardening of the arteries, dermatological diseases and lipid
metabolism where fatty acids are broken down. In 2013, Medical News Today reported on a study investigating medical marijuana.
Findings suggesting that the THC content of marijuana may be medically
beneficial for treating autoimmune diseases.
Hempseed oil is nutritious and tastes good. It contains:
an excellent balance of polyunsaturated fatty acids; the vitamins: A, C, E, and
beta-carotene; and the minerals: phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, sulfur, and
calcium.
Hempseed can be purchased and used in these forms: as raw shelled seed, protein high fiber drink mix, hemp oil, as a non-dairy beverage, a powdered fiber, hemp heart, hemp butter, cereal flakes, teas, nutritional capsules, and in body lotions and soaps.
Research studies demonstrate health benefits for:
- Atherosclerosis
- Anticancer
- Strengthens immune system, antioxidant properties
- Bad cholesterol
- Blood clotting-- protection against clot-induced
strokes and myocardial infarctions
- Skin conditions, including atopic dermatitis
- Heart disease and helps prevent a variety of heart
conditions
- Degenerative diseases
- Chronic inflammation
For thousands of years, we have used parts of the hemp
plant for food, textiles, paper, fabric, and fuel oil. Modern technologies have
made it possible to create alternatives petroleum products that help us lessen
our reliance on polluting and expensive fossil fuels.
The hemp plant is a renewable resource that grows
quickly, naturally resists plant diseases, requires little weeding, thrives in
most climates, and enriches soil.
Because of over fishing and chemical contamination of the
oceans, hemp has become in important source of omega-6 and omega 3 fatty acids.
Hemp is used in animal feed, as fishing bait and in bird feed (hemp is
preferred by song birds.).
Hemp is a good alternative to the toxic chemicals present
in petroleum-based lotions and cosmetics. Also, because of chemical
contamination of the oceans and over fishing many individuals have switched to
hempseed oil for essential omega-3.
Thomas Jefferson is quoted as saying hemp is the first
necessity to the wealth and protection of the country. The American government
encouraged farmers to grow hemp to help aid the war effort during World War II.
Levi Strauss is original denim fabric for jeans made of hemp, as was the fabric
for the first American flag. Hemp can be used to create biofuels that replaces
gasoline that burns without creating pollutants.
http://www.informationdistillery.com/hemp.htm
No comments:
Post a Comment