5HT: 5 Healthyish Things, including pregnancy data and hemp hearts

Let’s get into weirdly one of the most frequently DMed topics from readers: Hemp hearts.

So, hemp hearts are the soft, nutty inner centers of hemp seeds (also called shelled hemp seeds). They’re rich in protein, healthy fats (like omega-3s), and minerals (like zinc and magnesium) but low in fiber. Like chia seeds, you can sprinkle them on yogurt, blend them into smoothies, or I guess eat them like a bird if you’re feeling flighty? 🐥 

Fun fact: Hemp hearts come from the hemp plant. Yes, that hemp plant (cannabis sativa) 🌿. But unlike marijuana, they’re non-psychoactive and contain no THC. 

They’re also fully legal in the U.S., thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill, which removed hemp (cannabis with no more than 0.3% THC) from the list of controlled substances. Buuut with the 2024 Farm Bill, there’s talk of redefining hemp and closing the “loophole” in the 2018 bill—potentially changing rules for CBD and hemp-derived cannabinoids. For now, though, hemp hearts are legal and widely available.

And despite having no intoxicating properties, I’ve heard (and seen on Reddit) people still hesitate to eat them because of the cannabis connection. While hemp hearts won’t make you high, it’s worth knowing hemp is a bio-accumulator, meaning it’s great at absorbing nutrients—and toxins—from the soil. Good for soil health 👍. Bad if you get hemp from contaminated or under-regulated regions 👎, which could carry heavy metals or other residues. 

So, if you’re buying hemp hearts, look for organic, third-party-tested brands to ensure purity and quality. The ones I’d recommend (and plan to add to my smoothie) are:

Also, yes, they even sell them at our favorite bulk bawse Costco 🫶.

Honestly? In this economy? Not a bad idea, Nate. 😂

It also reminds me of what I’m helping build at Counsel Health, an AI tool built by doctors that offers medical advice in seconds. ICYMI when I shared it last month, I managed to get 5HT readers access to try Counsel Health in its early iteration. Join the waitlist here!

We already know medical research has long overlooked the female body, and pregnancy care is one of the most neglected areas.

Pregnant people are often told to stop doing hot yoga, ditch coffee, avoid sushi, quit alcohol, and get off SSRIs...yet most clinical trials exclude them for liability reasons. So, where the heck do recommendations like these come from? 

It turns out it’s often from outdated studies (or ones on non-pregnant populations), limited observational data, and expert consensus—or community forums, influencer posts, and friends and family stepping in with advice, for better or worse 😅. Needless to say, gaps persist. 

Zenith Health is trying to change that by launching a digital evidence platform called Pregnancy Evidence Project to fill in long-standing voids in maternal health knowledge. (Disclaimer: I’m a new advisor to Zenith Health.) The platform invites pregnant and postpartum individuals to contribute survey responses and health record data to build a stronger evidence base. I invite you to do so, too!

They also launched “Ask Pearl” (short for Pregnancy Evidence And Real-world Learnings), a free tool that’ll provide evidence-based answers to common pregnancy questions, pulling from peer-reviewed research, clinical guidelines, and user-contributed data.

With so many missing gaps in pregnancy care, the idea that you can contribute your personal experience and get value back is huge. Zenith Health wants this to become “the most ambitious and comprehensive maternal health research project ever assembled,” and I really hope they succeed. 🤞

Okay, we’ve talked about coffee and mushroom coffee, but if neither is your thing, there’s always tea 🍵. 

Tea is generally gentler 🫂—less of a spike in norepinephrine and cortisol (so it doesn’t jack up your alertness and stress hormones), lower caffeine content (so it’s easier on your system), and less stimulating (so it’s less likely to mess with your sleep vs. coffee).

Black tea (the higher-caffeine option) is packed with antioxidants and may help improve gut health and reduce blood pressure. Meanwhile, green tea has less caffeine and has been shown to improve cognition, aid weight management, reduce anxiety, and could help protect against Alzheimer’s disease.

So if tea is your thing, cool, cool. Science approves 👍. Personally, it’s not for me. (Annnd whenever I think of tea, I think of Ted Lasso 🤣.)

Tbh, I’ve been feeling pretty good lately. I’ve been getting more insights into my health, acting on them, and seeing the benefits. 😌

InsideTracker, a health-tracking company I first wrote about here, has been a huge part of that. After getting my blood drawn (a weirdly awesome experience) and getting my results, I had the opportunity to hop on the phone with Renée Deehan, PhD, SVP of Science and Artificial Intelligence at InsideTracker, to talk through it. She validated my workout mix (win) but also flagged that my six hours of sleep is probably affecting some of my red + yellow markers.

Buuut because InsideTracker also pulls data from other devices, she saw my Oura scores and noted that my hour (on average) of both Deep and REM is solid, all things considered. Between my call with Renée and the personalized recommendations within InsideTracker, here are a few of the steps I’ve taken so far: 

I love that InsideTracker doesn’t just hand you results and say, “Good luck 👋.” Even as someone pretty health literate, I know most people see lab results and end up more confused 🫠. But between finding connections in your blood and fitness tracker data and their detailed recommendations, InsideTracker makes managing your health more doable.

Sure, my chat with Renée was a special perk, but I can always turn to InsideTracker’s AI tool, Terra™, when I have follow-up questions. Last week, I asked Terra how to improve my cortisol levels, and it gave me four tips—including this: “incorporating whey protein into your diet may help manage chronic stress by reducing cortisol levels and increasing serotonin, which can enhance your mood.” Nifty.

5HT readers also get an exclusive offer—but it’s going away soon. 

👋 Who are you again? I’m Derek Flanzraich—founder of two venture-backed startups in Greatist (👍) and Ness (👎). I’ve worked with brands like GoodRx, Parsley, Midi, Ro, NOCD, and Peloton. I now run Healthyish Content, a premium health content & SEO agency (among other things).

Every Thursday, I share 5 health things I feel strongly about so you can live healthyish. (Disclaimer: I’m more your friend with health benefits. None of this is medical advice.) 

And oh, you also feel strongly about some health things? Hit reply—I’d love to hear it.