Let's talk about Hemp!

With a multitude of health benefits and a rich nutritional profile, hemp seeds are an up and coming superfood, and rightly so. People are increasingly understanding the nutritional content of this environmentally friendly plant and reaping the health benefits. Hemp has been around for many years; not only a food but for medicinal purposes also. Hemp seeds have increasingly gained popularity due to being a powerhouse of protein, fibre, and healthful fatty acids, including omega-3s and omega-6s, with antioxidant effects.

Industrial hemp, which is known as “hemp” is one of the varieties of the cannabis (Cannabis sativa L. to be precise) plant. There can be some confusion around hemp and the way that it works but it is important to remember that while marijuana and hemp both come from the same species (cannabis) that are two very distinct and different plants. Most importantly is understanding the core difference that marijuana contains a vast amount of tetrahydrocannabinol ("THC") the compound that people associate with the psychoactive properties of the plant, while Hemp, on the other hand, is naturally very low in THC (less than 0.3%).

Hemp on paper, is a highly nutritional superfood - below are 6 benefits of incorporating this wonderful superfood into your diet.

1. Highly nutritious

Technically a nut, hemp seeds have an abundance of healthy fats and essential fatty acids, being 30% fat. They are also a large source of protein (great as a plant based protein option) with high amounts of vitamin E, calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium, iron, and more.

Great source of plant based protein

The protein found in hemp is considered to be a complete protein source, which can be difficult to find when adopting a plant based diet. What this means is that it provides all the essential amino acids, which we would more commonly find in animal products. Your body cannot produce essential amino acids and must obtain them from your diet. About 25% of the calories in hemp seeds come from protein. Hemp is also very digestible as a protein.

2. Reduce inflammation

The amount of omega-3s found in hemp seeds along with the seeds' optimal omega-3 to omega-6 ratio can assist with inflammation. The high source of gamma linolenic acid (GLA), a polyunsaturated fatty acid, have also been known to have anti-inflammatory effects.

3. Can alleviate skin disorders

Being abundant in healthy fats, hemp seeds can help the way your immune system reacts. With an optimal ratio of 3:1 of omega-6 to omega-3, this has been shown to assist skin diseases and relieve eczema and the symptoms that can be present with skin disorders.

4. Could reduce risk of heart disease risk

Hemp seeds are a brilliant source of arginine and gamma-linolenic acid, with these being linked to a reduction in the risk of heart disease. This is due to the Nitric oxide found in hemp that dilates and relax your blood vessels so relax, leading to lowered blood pressure.

5. Could aid digestion

Given that hemp seeds contain high amounts of fiber — both soluble and insoluble — this has been shown to improve and aid digestive health. Fiber in itself is a great source of nutrients feeding the good type of digestive bacteria in our gut. This can help to maintain and regulate blood sugar and cholesterol levels. However the hemp seeds do need to be whole as de-hulled or shelled hemp seeds contain very little fibre

So how do I incorporate Hemp into my diet?

Our hemp protein powder is simply hemp seeds ground into a powder - so it's perfect for smoothies. One serving of our hemp protein powder contains 60% RDI of Iron, 91% RDI for Magnesium, 14.6g of protein and very high in Omega 3 (5430mg) + 6 (16260mg) - truly a superfood!

If you're having salads, or baking - our hemp seeds go great as a topping or in a filling. The taste is a mild, nutty flavour similar to pinenuts.

Try this Blueberry, Hemp & Almond Smoothie