YOU COULD SAY that hemp is where soy was 15 years age, an offbeat product with an exotic, even illicit reputation and an overlooked nutritional reservoir. Hemp is rich in protein (a higher concentration than in beef, fish or poultry), and hempseed oil contains lots of omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids, including gamma linoleic acid, the same substance people pay big money for in supplement form. GLA helps lower LDL, the bad cholesterol.
Like soy, hemp is a staple in Asian diets, having been cultivated as a food for 5,000 years. And should you find its link to marijuana troubling, take heart: Hemp is legal under
U.S. federal law and is used in the production of many foods and products, although it is illegal for US. farmers to grow without a permit. To reap its benefits, sprinkle toasted hempseed on cereal, salad, soups and pasta.