Hemp Seeds for Weight Loss: 5 Reasons They’re Effective
Hemp seeds are nature's most potent superfood. They’re full of fiber, protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. These tiny seeds are so effective and impactful on your overall health and wellbeing—we encourage everyone to incorporate them into your diet today! In fact, so do leading functional medicine experts around the world. When it comes to weight loss, these tiny seeds are more than beneficial. Here are five reasons why hemp seeds can help you lose weight:
- Hemp Seeds Contain Complete Protein
Hemp seeds are one of nature's most nutritionally dense foods, with one of its incredible attributes being the protein content. On average hemp seeds contain about eight grams of protein. And while this may be comparable to other products, not all protein sources are not created equal. What makes hemp seeds unique is that it is a complete protein. They contain all 20 amino acids and all 9 essential amino acids.
This is critical because the body is unable to produce the essential amino acids on its own. Amino acids are the catalysts to muscle growth, acting as the building blocks for proteins, which help the body recover and grow.
- Hemp Seeds are High in Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Hemp seeds provide your body with its preferred Omega 3:6 fatty acid ratio (1:3). This is impressive because it is the only vegan whole protein source that provides the body with the perfect ratio of Omega 3:6s.
But why is this so important? Most Americans are drastically off in their Omega 3:6 ratio. Over 90% of people are between 1:10-1:25 ratio due to the high amounts of Omega 6s we eat. The imbalance creates an inflammation nightmare in the body.. Just one serving of hemp seeds can help you balance your body's ratio to its preferred state, aiding in recovery, reducing inflammation, and boosting brain health.
So how can omega 3s help you with weight loss? Having a balanced omega 3:6 ratio in your body significantly reduces appetite and sugar cravings, especially if you are on a weight loss diet. These Omega 3s also aid in increasing metabolism. This is very important because the more efficient your body is at burning food, the more weight you can lose. Due to its powerful anti-inflammatory benefits, hemp seeds also significantly increase performance in physical exercise which results in weight loss. Your body will recover faster, you will feel fewer aches, and your sleep will be optimized. This snowballs into more energy which allows you to perform at your highest level, ultimately burning more calories.
- Hemp Seeds are Rich in GLA
GLA (Gamma-Linolenic acid) is an Omega 6 fatty acid that is hugely beneficial for the body. Not only is it vital for proper hormonal health and controlling inflammation and high blood pressure, but it is also helpful for weight loss. GLA helps to raise your metabolism and catalyzes the body’s adipose tissue (brown fat) to burn calories for energy to keep your body warm.
Since brown fat is less active, the more overweight you are, the more benefits you will receive from additional GLA. The GLA can help activate this brown fat, which helps your body burn off white fat, which is the visible fat under your skin. When you eat foods rich in GLA, such as hemp seeds or products rich in hemp seeds such as our Super Chocolate Bar your appetite is suppressed due to it raising the level of serotonin in your body. Also due to the high fiber content, the seeds make you feel full and eat less. When studied, moderately healthy diet subjects lost 9-11 pounds in 6 weeks when eating a diet rich in GLA.
- Hemp Seeds are High in Fiber
Note that our hemp seeds are very different from our hemp hearts. Hemp hearts remove the hull, which contains the fiber. Our Toasted Hemp Seeds are high in fiber, both insoluble and soluble.
Both forms of fiber have their benefits, including naturally cleansing the colon and feeding the probiotics in your gut, which is essential for a healthy gut. The fiber helps rid toxins in your body. Studies also show that fiber significantly reduces cravings for foods high in sugar due to its incredible satiating effects, and blood sugar stabilization. Due to the high fiber and low sugar in hemp seeds, your body will not have an insulin or blood sugar reaction. This is critical because when you do not have a blood sugar spike, you won’t have any energy crashes or sugar cravings, and you will feel satiated for much longer.
Everything starts in the gut. When your intestines are healthy, not only will you feel great and full of energy, but your body will be much more efficient at spreading the nutrients it is fed to their proper receptors. The nutrient distribution will allow your body to absorb all the nutrients you give it, which also assists in your weight loss journey because micronutrients are vital when living a healthy lifestyle. The high fiber in hemp seeds will also help relieve constipation and prevent diarrhea and constipation!
- Hemp Seeds are Satisfying and Satiating
Hemp seeds are a potent snack when attempting to lose weight. In terms of micronutrients, hemp seeds have high mineral content. They include minerals in high amounts, such as magnesium and zinc, which most Americans are deficient in. These micronutrients are critical for gut health, hydration, satiation, and more.
Hemps seeds’ combination of killer taste, healthy fats, high protein, and fiber keep you extremely satisfied and satiated. Trust us—you won’t have the desire to eat or even think about food for a long time after eating hemp seeds! Your body will be fueled and nourished, energy will be high, and your brain firing on all cylinders due to the high amounts of omega 3s.
When trying to lose weight, the most critical macronutrients to focus on are proteins, healthy fats, and fiber. These nutrients will ensure you are full of energy, feeling great, and not hungry for a long time. The last thing you want when trying to lose weight is to be thinking about food all day or eating bland foods that taste awful. That's why our super chocolate is the perfect snack! It combines the powers of antioxidant rich, Dark Chocolate, with nature’s most nutrient dense superfood - Hemp. Not to mention, our Toasted Super Seeds are perfect for adding the power of Hemp Seeds to all your favorite meals.
Sources:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5956054/
- https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/losing-weight/fiber-up-slim-down
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/fiber-can-help-you-lose-weight
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25926512
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17513402
- https://healthfully.com/307403-gla-weight-loss.html
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17168669
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29621669
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21159785