Hemp Seed: Benefits, Uses & Dosage

If your digestion runs dry, with hard stools that are difficult to pass, or your skin feels rough and tight, Hemp Seed is a herb worth knowing. Its seeds come from a famous and often misunderstood plant, yet in Ayurveda they are valued for something quite ordinary: gentle, oily nourishment that softens and soothes.

Hemp seed's botanical name is Cannabis indica. In Sanskrit the plant is called (Vijaya), meaning "victorious", because it was said to be victorious over so many diseases, and also (Siddhi). The seed itself is known as (Bhanga Beej).

The seeds act as a demulcent laxative, which means they coat and lubricate the gut while helping the bowels move. They also carry a notable balance of essential fatty acids: omega-3 (about 21%), omega-6 (about 63%) and omega-9 (about 13%), along with a volatile oil, calcium and iron. That profile points to traditional uses as an anti-inflammatory, a restorative for the nervous system and a tonic for the heart.

In Ayurvedic terms, hemp seed is sweet in taste (Madhura Rasa), cooling in potency (Sheeta Virya), and sweet after digestion (Madhura Vipaka). Its qualities (Guna) are heavy and unctuous, or oily. It is said to reach all tissues (Dhatu) and to act on the digestive, nervous and reproductive channels (Srotas).

Hemp seed's benefits follow directly from its qualities. It is sweet, heavy, oily and cooling, which makes it a natural counterweight to dryness, roughness and heat in the body.

Digestion and Dry Constipation

This is the classic use. Hemp seed treats constipation of the Vata type, meaning the kind marked by dryness, wind and hard-to-pass stool. Vata is the dosha, or functional energy, made of air and space, and it tends to dry things out.

Several of hemp seed's traditional actions support this. It is a demulcent (Snigdha), it redirects the flow of Vata downward (Anulomana), and it relieves Vata-type constipation (Vibandhahara). The whole seeds are considered best for this dry type of constipation.

Ulcers and Inflamed Membranes

The same soothing, oily quality may also benefit ulcers and inflamed mucous membranes. Its cooling potency and demulcent action are the reasoning here: it coats irritated tissue and calms heat.

Skin

Used as an oil, hemp seed can reduce inflammation in eczema, psoriasis and acne. Its emollient, unctuous nature makes it a good match for dry skin, where Vata's dry, rough qualities are the problem.

Heart and Circulation

As an oil, hemp seed is traditionally described as reducing LDL cholesterol, fatty deposits and blood coagulation. Its modern description includes an anticholesterolaemic action, which fits its role as a cardiac tonic.

Nervous System and Rejuvenation

Hemp seed is listed as a rejuvenative (Rasayana), a category of herbs meant to restore and sustain the tissues over time. Its use as a nervous restorative is linked to its fatty acid balance, and it is indicated where Pitta and Vata in excess cause insomnia, low libido and sluggishness.

The Bhavaprakasha also describes hemp as (Vyavayi), meaning it spreads rapidly throughout the system before being digested.

Hemp seed is used in three main ways: as ground seed, as a decoction, and as an oil. The whole or ground seed is the preferred form for dry constipation, while the oil is the form described for skin and heart support.

Classical Combinations

Two pairings are recorded. For Vata-type constipation, hemp seed is combined with psyllium and triphala. For stubborn constipation caused by high Pitta, the hot and sharp dosha, it is combined with rhubarb root.

Start at the low end of the dose range. Hemp seed is heavy, so your digestion needs to be able to handle it.

Hemp seed is a gentle, food-like herb, and no drug-herb interactions are known. There are still a few points to keep in mind.

Contraindications

• Ama: do not use hemp seed excessively when (Ama) is present. Ama is the Ayurvedic term for undigested residue that builds up when digestion is weak, often felt as a coated tongue, heaviness and sluggishness.
• Phlegm: do not use it excessively when there is a lot of phlegm or mucus.

Both cautions make sense given its nature. Hemp seed is heavy and oily, so it can add to the heaviness and stickiness that ama and phlegm already bring.

The Seed Versus the Rest of the Plant

This page is about the seed. The flowering buds and resin of the plant are illegal in most countries of the world, and traditional preparations made from boiled leaves are a different matter entirely. Check the rules where you live, and buy seed or seed oil sold as a food product.

Pregnancy, Nursing and Medical Conditions

Our classical sources give no specific guidance on hemp seed in pregnancy or nursing. If you are pregnant, nursing, or managing a medical condition, talk to a qualified practitioner before using it therapeutically.

Hemp seed is usually compared with the herbs it is combined with for constipation, and with the other parts of its own plant. The table sticks to what classical sources record.

Classical sources say very little about how hemp seed should be adjusted for different groups of people. What follows is drawn from its known qualities and cautions, and it is not a substitute for individual advice.

Pregnancy & Nursing

Our sources give no specific guidance on hemp seed during pregnancy or nursing. Treat it with caution beyond ordinary food amounts, and consult a qualified practitioner before any therapeutic use.

Children

No classical dose for children is recorded in our sources. Do not give therapeutic doses to a child without guidance from a qualified practitioner.

Elderly

Dryness and Vata-type constipation are common concerns later in life, and that pattern is exactly where hemp seed is traditionally used. Because it is heavy, start with a small amount and make sure digestion is strong, since it should not be used excessively when ama, or undigested residue, is present.

Athletes

Our sources do not describe a specific use for athletes. Hemp seed's role as a rejuvenative (Rasayana) that reaches all tissues, and its nourishing fatty acid content, may interest active people, but there is no classical sports dose.