Hemp Heart Side Effects
Over the last few weeks, I must have been asked about hemp heart side effects (or really any hemp based product) about 10 times. I’ve been asked if they make you high. I’ve been asked if they make you jittery. I’ve been asked if they make you fat (since of course majiuana makes you get the munchies). Alright the last question, should be fairly obvious since hemp is not marijuana, but seriously you’d be surprised.
Hemp hearts are shelled hemp seeds and are now available in most natural food grocery stores as well as several online stores. They are the perfect addition to salads, yogurt, smoothies or even toast and give a nice nutty flavor to the foods you add them to. They can also be eaten straight out of the bag
Hemp hearts are extremely high in nutrition and contain high levels of protein and important healthy fats. Studies have shown that they can be used to aid in healing diseases related to immune deficiency due to the high protein levels. They are also one of the most easily digested foods nature has to offer us. Alright, we know how wonderful hemp is, but what about side effects? Surely there are some right?
I’ve spent the last few days looking for case studies, complaints or stories about the side effects of eating hemp as part of your diet. I found a whopping 2 concerns to consider before eating hemp. Although, I’m not sure these are any more of a side effect as kkwhat you would get if you drank coffee. However, since it was asked, here are the two I could come up with!
Digestive Considerations
Hemp hearts contain quite a bit of fat and oil and even though most of it is polyunsaturated fat, it can as with any other high fat food make the digestive system a bit sensitive, leading to some mild diarrhea or abdominal cramping. All this means…you wouldn’t drink a bottle of vegetable oil would you? Of ourse not. So don’t drink hemp oil by the gallon or swallow an entire bag of hemp hearts in one sitting. Just some common sense right? I eat 4-6 tablespoons at least every single day and have never personally experienced this…but to be fully transparent, I did read of a few who did, so I’m putting it out there.
Anti-Clotting or Cardiac Issues
This seemed to be the only true side effect I could find and only happens with a certain condititon. Because hemp hearts are rich in healthy fats, they can help reduce swelling and slow blood clotting. Normally, this isn’t an issue, however, if you take blood thinners or having cardiac related health concerns, adding hemp hearts to your diet can increase your risk of bleeding. If you are taking any blood thinners including aspirin or other prescribed medications, you should avoid eating hemp hearts until you talk with your doctor.
Generally speaking, hemp hearts are a safe and healthy food to add to your diet in most cases and in moderation, but you should always consult with your doctor first if you have any health concerns or questions.
Now that you know about the practically non-existant side effects of hemp hearts, give this hemp heart parfait recipe a try and see for yourself how awesome hemp hearts are for your health and your tastebuds!
About The Author
Misty Spears
Misty is a freelance writer and entrepreneur who loves to share information about industrial hemp to help spread awareness of its health benefits as well as review products so you can find out what's good and what's bad before spending money on them. She enjoys trying out new health conscious recipes and participates in online groups and networking to help drive support for industrial hemp.
Thanks for sharing, I have never heard of side effects associated with hemp but this is good to know. If you are not used to eating it, then it would make sense you would get some kind of “side effect”.
I actually had none, but then again, I didn’t try to eat a whole bag at once. LOL I think using some basic common sense and not eating a large amount you’d be ok. I’d definitely start with the hemp hearts though…I didn’t try the hemp oil until after I was already a big eater of hemp, but I would imagine that would be the one to run right through my body if I were to do it back when I just started.
I use hemp hearts every day on my salad. They are delicious On the other hand hemp oil does taste like oil and it’s not very pleasant. Also will give you diarrhea lol.
The parfait looks absolutely delicious! If I come across some hemp hearts, I would give it a try. But I don’t think I would go out and look for it.
I have never heard of hemp hearts. Very interesting information.
Great that you cover all the bases and people who eat them know what the possible side effects could be. It doesn’t sound like there is much to worry about with these.
Not much at all. If anything, I would say there are plenty of advantages over side-effects. I’ve never actually met anyone who’s even experienced these…but hey there is a first time for everything!
Thanks for the heads up. With the amount of beans and seeds I eat in my diet, I doubt I’ll see any side effects – I promise not to drink a whole bottle of oil or anything daft!
hahaha well thank goodness Jan!
The blood thinning problem sounds like a blessing to me! I have a long family history of heart disease and I’m not on any medication so that would actually be a positive I think. I want to do as much as I can to never have to take eight pills a day like my dad.
I feel you David! In the last several years I have developed a few health issues…that’s actually one of the things that prompted me to start using hemp in my diet. I hope you are enjoying good health these days!
I just started using Hemp fiber powder it’ look like and taste like sand. I mix it in smoothies. When I clean the blender, I noticed that my sink get clogged right away. I have a small screen on my sink. My big question is: does the hemp powder dissolve in our kidney?
Thanks..
Hi Annie…Can you share what brand of hemp fiber you are giving a try? The two I am most familiar with is the one by Manitoba and another by Nutiva. Both of those dissolved really well in my smoothies. I never had a weird texture or clotting. It could be the brand you are using or perhaps maybe using too much or not enough liquid. The one I like most is the vanilla flavored one by Nutiva, which you can get from some health food stores but also on Amazon. http://amzn.to/1VREmwz It dissolves well and gives it a sweet vanilla taste to it.
Not sure if the side effect was from the hemp hearts or not but I drank a smoothie with collagen, hemp hearts, cocao butter and coconut oil and got the biggest boost of energy I’ve ever had in my life. I got really jittery and could not sit still, so I cleaned my whole house. I took about 3 hrs to calm down enough to sit. It was a definite ride!!
Sounds like you got a nice big jolt from all those super foods! That’s exactly why these days I drink a smoothie every morning instead of coffee. It gives me that same boost of energy that my coffee I used to and is so much better for me. My favorite is a mix of hemp hearts, a small bit of vanilla hemp protein powder and cacao powder. Add some bananas and it’s an amazing and tasty energy drink!