How Hemp Seeds Can Boost Your Lung Health

by Dr. Victor Marchione

When it comes to your health, I believe that every little bit helps. Amazingly, even something as simple as a seed could provide your body with many great health benefits. In fact, seeds might be the key to optimal health.

Seeds are a big part of a healthy lifestyle. Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds—they all make a great addition to morning oatmeal or an afternoon snack of Greek yogurt and berries. And if you like the taste, you’ll love the amazing health benefits—especially when it comes to hemp seeds.

Hemp seeds are a controversial food. It is actually illegal to grow hemp seeds in the U.S. because they come from the same plant that produces marijuana, and they contain very small traces of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). However, washed hemp seeds are likely to be free of THC. Having said that, hemp seed products are legal in the U.S., and they are becoming increasingly popular in supplement form, primarily for their essential fatty acid, fiber, and protein content.

There have been many studies that support the health benefits of hemp seeds, but there’s one in particular that caught my attention. I recall a groundbreaking study from Palacky University (Czechoslovakia) that took place just before World War II in the 1930s. It was later presented at a scientific conference in Olomouc, Czechoslovakia in 1955. At the time, hemp seeds were thought to be the only cure for tuberculosis, which is considered among the 15 most prominent causes of death in the U.S. The study’s authors were clearly ahead of their time. Despite the advances in chemotherapy and antibiotics at the time, they observed that the nutrition of the patients with tuberculosis had to improve to increase overall resistance to the disease; they believed in functional foods that naturally supported better health.

The study was an accumulation of 30 years of research. One case from the study observed 16 children with tuberculosis (eight boys, eight girls) between the ages of six and 16, which began the study with “depressed nutrition.” The children were given a soup-spoon, or 50–80 grams, of ground hemp seed mixture (colloidal hemp seed extract) with lightly heated milk, three times daily, 15 minutes before a meal. They also received two tablets of vitamins B1 and C, along with a nutrient-rich diet. The treatment duration varied among the children; however, the lung or gland disease was healed in all cases.

What made the hemp seeds such an important contributor toward the treatment of tuberculosis? Its main protein, edestin. This protein contains 19% of the amino acid arginine, which helps form and grow new tissue in the body. A high protein diet overall was reported to be important in the treatment of tuberculosis. Other important sources of protein in the diet included egg yolk, cottage cheese, cereals, fruits, and nuts.

But there are other reasons to consume hemp seeds besides lung health. Hemp seeds are also known to reduce food cravings and blood pressure, prevent blood sugar spikes, improve mental function and digestion, and lower the overall risk of cardiovascular disease. According to a review published in the journal Nutrition & Metabolism in 2010, dietary hemp seeds have the potential to positively affect heart disease. A survey of 13,401 participants within the review found that a diet high in arginine-rich foods might lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. Future research is needed to back up these findings.

So aside from supplements, how can you add hemp seeds to your diet? Hemp protein powder is a perfect addition to smoothies or you can add whole hemp seeds to any salad, yogurt, steel cut oats, or kefir for flavor and added nutrition.

Sources for Today’s Article:

• Kabelik, J., “Importance of hemp seeds in the tuberculosis therapy,” Hemp Hearts web site, 1955; http://www.hemphearts.com/HempHeartsStudy.pdf, last accessed September 16, 2014.
• Rodriguez-Leyva, D., et al., “The cardiac and haemostatic effects of dietary hempseed,” Nutrition & Metabolism 2010; 7: 32.
• “5 Surprising Health Benefits of Hemp,” Care2Healthy Living web site, August 7, 2013; http://www.care2.com/greenliving/5-surprising-health-benefits-of-hemp-2.html.
• “Hemp Seeds: Benefits, Nutrition, Side Effects and Facts,” SeedGuides.info web site; http://www.seedguides.info/hemp-seeds/, last accessed September 11, 2014.
• Hanks, A., “The Use of Hemp Milk to Treat Tuberculosis,” March 19, 2014; http://www.globalhemp.com/2014/03/the-use-of-hemp-milk-to-treat-tuberculosis.html.

This article “How Hemp Seeds Can Boost Your Lung Health” was originally published on DoctorsHealthPress, visit their site to access their vast database of articles and the latest information in natural health.

Victor Marchione, MD received his Bachelor of Science Degree in 1973 and his Medical Degree from the University of Messina in 1981. He has been licensed and practicing medicine in New York and New Jersey for over 20 years. Dr. Marchione is a respected leader in the field of smoking cessation and pulmonary medicine. He has been featured on ABC News and World Report, CBS Evening News and the NBC Today Show and is the editor of the popular The Food Doctor newsletter. Dr. Marchione has also served as Principal Investigator in at least a dozen clinical research projects relating to serious ailments such as bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).