Hemp milk

Carton of hemp milk

Hemp milk, or hemp seed milk, is a plant milk made from hemp seeds that are soaked and ground in water, yielding a beany-nutty cream-flavored substance. There are various options available for sale including organic, non-GMO, and conventional: unsweetened, original, vanilla, and chocolate flavored.

Preparation

Production of hemp milk requires hemp seeds, water, and a blender. Many recipes call for ground vanilla or vanilla extract to add more flavor, and a type of sweetener. Once all ingredients are blended together some people pour the product over a cheesecloth and strainer to get a smoother and more refined milky texture. The straining process is optional. Finally, the milk must be refrigerated and used within seven days, because of the absence of preservatives.

Nutrition

Hemp seeds contain no, or only trace amounts, of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive substance found in the related varieties of the Cannabis plant.[1] Hemp seeds contain a beneficial three-to-one ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids. Other nutrients include magnesium, phytosterols, ascorbic acid, beta-carotene, calcium, fiber, iron, potassium, phosphorus, riboflavin, niacin, and thiamin. Hemp milk also contains ten essential amino acids, making it a good source of protein for vegans since hemp protein does not contain phytate enzyme inhibitors found in some soy protein that may interfere with the absorption of essential minerals. Hemp protein also may be more digestible than soy protein because unlike soy, it does not contain oligosaccharides, complex sugars that can cause flatulence if not properly broken down during digestion. The unsweetened variety is the only version that has no added sugar. Most of the vanilla, chocolate, or original flavored varieties have added sugars in the forms of evaporated cane juice, fructose, sucrose, brown rice syrup, raw sugar, and other syrup types. Most commercial hemp milk products also contain added sodium.

Ecological Impact

Using hemp milk instead of cow milk is ecologically advantageous. This and other types of plant based milk alternatives[2] are thought to reduce water and energy consumption foot prints in industrialized nations.[3] The agricultural industry has an estimated global water footprint of about 2,422 billion cubic meters and 19 percent of it is directly related to dairy cattle [4] It takes about 683 gallons of water to create 8.6 pounds of milk and the American consumer ingests about 630 pounds of dairy yearly.[5] These are substantial numbers that have a direct impact on the environment. Another major problem related to dairy is Greenhouse Gas Emission (GHGE). A report conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations found that in 2007 the dairy sector contributed approximately 4 percent of the total GHGE globally.[6] The numbers are much higher now due to the rapid advancement in industrialized farming technologies.

References

  1. ↑ "High on Hemp Milk?" drweil.com, retrieved on March 20, 2011.
  2. ↑ http://www.todaysdietitian.com/pdf/webinars/PlantBasedDairyAlternativesGuide.pdf
  3. ↑ http://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijnfs.20140305.11.pdf
  4. ↑ http://waterfootprint.org/media/downloads/Hoekstra-2012-Water-Meat-Dairy.pdf
  5. ↑ http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2011/12/31/144478009/the-average-american-ate-literally-a-ton-this-year
  6. ↑ http://www.fao.org/docrep/012/k7930e/k7930e00.pdf
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