Hemp Milk: Benefits and Side Effects

created on Friday, January 05, 2018

Nutrition

Per 100 ml of plain, natural, unfortified hemp milk
Energy 22 kcal
Fat - 2.2 g.
Proteins - 0.5 g.
Carbohydrate - 0 g.
Sugars- 0 g.
Fiber - 0.3 g.
Vitamins - Vitamin E 11%
Minerals - Magnesium 10%, Manganese 20%

Benefits

Rich in Heathy Fats
Hemp seeds and milk are excellent source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These are the essential fatty acids which hemp seeds have the optimal ratio of 3 parts of omega-6 and 1 part of omega-3. Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids are the fatty acids that the body is unable to produce which can only present in the body from food consumption. They are the important parts of the cell membrane, blood pressure regulation and inflammatory responses.

Helps Lower blood Pressure
Hemp seeds contains high amount of amino acid arginine which is changed into nitric oxide (NO) in the body. Nitric oxide is powerful neurotransmitter that makes the blood vessels relax and lower the blood pressure. This is also proven by an animal study, resulting in decrease of blood pressure from the intake of hemp seed.

May Reduce PMS and Menopause Symptoms
PMS symptoms developed when women are sensitive to the hormone prolactin. Hemp seeds are full of Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) which helps reduce the prolactin. This is also associated with aiding menopause symptoms and hormone imbalances.

Side Effects

Not Suitable for Anticoagulant Medication
Hemp products are not suggested for people who take anticoagulant medication as hemp seed contains high amount of Linoleic acid (LA) or omega-6 fatty acid. The study found that the substance can adverse the effect of anticoagulant and blood platelets which lead to blood thickening.

It might be Hard to Find
Hemp tree or Canabis sativa, the same species as marijuana, are illegal in some countries. Hemp seed that is used for hemp milk contains very low to non THC which is the substance found in marijuana creating high feeling. However, Hemp tree are illegal to be grown in some countries and only allowed to be grown for studies in some countries.

Final Thoughts

Hemp milk is quite new in my idea which doesn't sound bad overall. There are so many health benefits from consuming hemp milk from the healthy fats and amino acids found in hemp milk. Hemp milk also helps balancing hormones in our body. However the disadvantages of hemp milk are that it is not suitable for people with some medical conditions and the plant is still illegal to be grown in some countries. Also more research should be conducted on hemp milk due to the increasing consumption.