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Herb library · Herb · Cannabis sativa

Hemp seed

The seeds of the hemp plant, eaten shelled as hemp hearts, pressed into a green oil or ground into protein powder. The FDA has no questions about hulled hemp seed, hemp protein and hemp seed oil as food. Two small trials found hemp protein lowered blood pressure against a milk protein and hemp seed oil eased dry, itchy skin in eczema.

Traditional use

Hemp is grown for fiber, food and oil, and the seed (huo ma ren) is used in Chinese medicine, usually in formulas for constipation. Today the seeds, protein powder and oil are sold as foods for their protein and their omega-3 and omega-6 fats.

What studies show

  • Limited

    Blood pressure: in a 2024 double-blind crossover trial of 35 adults with mild high blood pressure, 6 weeks of 50 g a day of hemp seed protein lowered 24-hour blood pressure compared with the same amount of casein (a milk protein); a version with added hemp peptides lowered it more (about 7 mmHg systolic).

  • Limited

    Eczema: in a 20-week single-blind crossover study, people with atopic dermatitis who took hemp seed oil by mouth reported less skin dryness and itch and used less skin medication than with olive oil. It is a small, older study.

Be careful of

Cautions

  • NoteHemp seeds do not naturally contain THC, but they can pick up traces from the rest of the plant during harvest. When 30 commercial hemp seed oils were tested in 2024, all contained some cannabinoids and 3 were over the EU's THC limit for hemp seed oil. Heating one oil to 200 °C for an hour raised its THC by 22%.
  • NoteIf you are drug tested, ask your testing program about hemp foods before eating them.
  • Ask a clinicianTalk with a clinician or pharmacist before using this if you take prescription medicines, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are giving it to a child.

Sources

  1. FDA Responds to Three GRAS Notices for Hemp Seed-Derived Ingredients for Use in Human Food (FDA) (opens in a new tab) · FDA · read September 25, 2026
  2. Hemp seed protein and its hydrolysate compared with casein protein consumption in adults with hypertension: a double-blind crossover study (Am J Clin Nutr, 2024) — PubMed record (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
  3. Efficacy of dietary hempseed oil in patients with atopic dermatitis (J Dermatolog Treat, 2005) — PubMed record (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
  4. Quantification of sixteen cannabinoids in hemp seed edible oils and the influence of thermal processing on cannabinoid contents and profiles (Food Addit Contam Part A, 2024) — PubMed record (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
  5. Herbal formula MaZiRenWan (Hemp Seed Pill) for constipation: A systematic review with meta-analysis (Phytomedicine, 2021) — PubMed record (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026

Reviewed September 25, 2026.