Does Cannabis Have Nutritional Benefits?
Everyone knows about marijuana’s psychoactive effects and the benefits of CBD.
What’s lesser known is that the cannabis plant offers much more than just psychotropic benefits and a source of CBD.
One of the greatest uses of the cannabis plant is actually through the nutrition it provides.
Dietary cannabis will likely become a staple source of nutrition in the years to come as the persecution of this amazing plant is washed away.
In this article, we’ll explore the nutritional benefit of the cannabis plant, including cannabis leaves, seeds, roots, and flower.
Let’s get started.
Nutritional Value of Cannabis Seeds:
The seeds of the Cannabis plant are nutritional powerhouses.
The ratio of Omega-3 (linolenic acid) to Omega-6 (linolenic acid) is roughly 3:1, which is considered by many experts to be the optimal ratio for human health [4].
Typically, cannabis seeds are sold either roasted or with the hard fibrous husk removed (called “Hemp hearts”). The fiber is a good nutritional ingredient but can make the seeds hard to eat.
Hemp hearts add a tasty boost of protein, trace minerals, vitamins, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and omega fatty acids to whatever food you would like to add them to.
The nutritional content of hemp hearts are as follows:
It isn’t hard to see that cannabis seeds are a potent source of nutrition. For every 50 g serving of hemp hearts, you’re getting a whopping 16 g of protein.
Hemp seeds contain all the essential amino acids humans need to function.
Simultaneously with the same serving, you’re only receiving about 4 grams of carbohydrates and a healthy serving of polyunsaturated fats as well. When pressed into oil the seeds contain a low concentration of unhealthy saturated fat compared to other oils (about 8% total) [4].
Consuming the raw, roasted seeds provides a large dose of insoluble fibres within the seed husk which are important for supporting healthy digestive function and motility.
How To Eat Hemp Seeds:
Hemp hearts are sold in many supermarkets and health food stores. They can be eaten as is or blended into smoothies or shakes, added to salads and pasta, and can be roasted or made into cookies or other baked goods.
A paste similar in texture to peanut butter can also be made by grinding and mashing the seeds until an even consistency is found. This paste or “Canna-butter” is actually quite delicious and delivers much denser nutritional value than peanut, or almond butter.
Another common method of ingestion is in oil form. The seeds are dried (to prevent sprouting), and pressed. They are then bottled in an oxygen-free environment to prevent contamination and rancidity.
The oil is extremely nutritious, but due to its fragile nature, it's not suitable for cooking. The cis fatty acid bonding may be converted to trans during the heating process.
Using the inner “meat”, nut milk, and cheeses can also easily be made at home or bought and consumed.
Nutritional Value of Cannabis Leaves & Flowers
The leaves of the Cannabis plant can be eaten as a salad raw, or cooked, juiced, powdered and blended into smoothies.
The leaves contain a rich source of fiber, free radical scavenging polyphenols, flavonoids, 9 essential amino acids (including lysine and arginine), essential oils [2], as well as the minerals magnesium, calcium, and phosphorous.
Polyphenols are well studied, especially in popular herbs such as the tea plant (Camellia sinensis)[3] and Yerba maté (Ilex paraguariensis) [5]. Polyphenols have a wide range of actions but are especially known for their antioxidant value.
This class of chemical is common in leaves and vegetables and is important for reducing the damage that free radicals can have on the body, which keeps the body looking and feeling younger as a result. It's been shown that there is a direct correlation between dietary phenolic compound intake and a reduced incidence of chronic diseases such as cancers, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases [1].
Some added benefits that the leaves contain, are due to the same phytochemicals that are generally desired for medicinal purposes. Some of these chemicals will become psychoactive if heated (decarboxylated), but will remain non-psychoactive if left unheated. Some of the main phytochemicals contained are essential fatty acids, essential amino acids, fiber, terpenes, and the cannabinoids: THC-A, CBC-A, CBD-A, CBG-A, and CBN-A ([1].
The most beneficial molecule is arguably the CBD-A molecule, which is found predominantly in the “Hemp” variety of Cannabis. It is the carboxylated form of CBD. In its raw (CBD-A) state, this molecule has a variety of beneficial actions in the body while maintaining a non-psychoactive effect.
We have in our bodies an endogenous cannabinoid system, used to control cellular function. When CBD-A (or CBD) is introduced into our body it works off of our built in endogenous cannabinoid system to aid in a broad spectrum of anti-mutagenic, regulatory, and other actions that many use to combat or prevent cancer from thriving within the body.
The flowers contain the same slurry of chemicals but have a much more concentrated level of the resin, which is where the majority of the THC-A and terpenes are stored.
Due to the leafs high polyphenol content, a rich source of trace minerals, fiber, and fatty acids, cannabis leaf and flowers (buds), are a great source of daily nutrition, with added preventative and medicinal benefit.
Nutritional Value of Cannabis Stems
The stem of the cannabis plant is generally not consumed as it has a very high fiber content, most of which is insoluble and has a texture similar to wood. This is the part of the plant often used in the textile industry, due to its abundance of quality fiber.
There may be a place for this part of the plant in nutrition as a fiber supplement, but the author is unaware of any such products at the time of writing this article.
Nutritional Value of Cannabis Roots
The root of the cannabis plant has been used in the distant past as medicine, especially for pain or injury as a topical application. It has not had much of a history in nutrition, however, and currently the roots are the least studied part of the plant.
Researchers are still searching for details about the nutritional and medicinal values locked away in the small web-like roots of the cannabis plant.
Author:
Justin Cooke, BHSc
The Sunlight Experiment
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References:
Andre, C. M., Hausman, J. F., & Guerriero, G. (2016). Cannabis sativa: the plant of the thousand and one molecules. Frontiers in plant science, 7, 19.
Audu, B. S., Ofojekwu, P. C., Ujah, A., & Ajima, M. N. (2014). Phytochemical, proximate composition, amino acid profile and characterization of Marijuana (Cannabis sativa L.). J Phytopharm, 3, 35-43.
Chen, B. T., Li, W. X., He, R. R., Li, Y. F., Tsoi, B., Zhai, Y. J., & Kurihara, H. (2012). Anti-inflammatory effects of a polyphenols-rich extract from tea (Camellia sinensis) flowers in acute and chronic mice models. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity, 2012.
Callaway, J. C. (2004). Hempseed as a nutritional resource: An overview. Euphytica, 140(1-2), 65-72.
Lima, M., Colpo, A., Salgueiro, W., Sardinha, G., Ávila, D., & Folmer, V. (2014). Ilex paraguariensis extract increases lifespan and protects against the toxic effects caused by paraquat in Caenorhabditis elegans. International journal of environmental research and public health, 11(10), 10091-10104.
USDA National Agricultural Library. (2016, March 11). hemp - Food and Nutrition Information Center. Retrieved March 12, 2016