What are Hemp Seeds?

Learn all about hemp seeds, where they come from and why you need them in your diet.

Before we get into all the goodness of hemp, let’s dive into what hemp is and where hemp seeds come from. Hemp is an industrial crop of Cannabis sativa grown for high-quality fibres, other biomass materials and highly nutritious seeds. Hemp seeds are mainly used for human and animal consumption as they’re packed with an abundance of nutrition that’s amazing for your body. 

Introduce hemp seeds into your diet in a variety of ways such as eating them raw, roasted, or cooked. Hemp seeds are versatile, if you don’t want to consume them as they come they can be cold-pressed to produce hemp seed oil. Or, be used as a dairy alternative to make hemp milk and hemp cheese. Hemp seeds have a variety of benefits (other than tasting delicious) that help keep your body healthy.

Did you know industrial hemp has been legal to cultivate in the UK since 1993? Yes, that’s right, it wasn’t always legal but it’s still typically grown at a smaller scale than mainstream arable crops. In places like China, Canada, America and Europe, hemp is cultivated at a much wider scale. The international market is booming with hemp products, hemp is often imported into the UK but that’s beginning to change.

With the rise of hemp farms in the UK, locally grown hemp products are readily available at the click of a button. In this article, you’ll learn all about hemp seeds, hemp hearts and how they’re giving a much-needed boost to the environment as well as our bodies.

What are hemp hearts?

If you know about hemp seeds, you’ve probably come across hemp hearts too. Hemp hearts are dehulled hemp seeds. 

To get hemp hearts, you crack open the protective shell of the hemp seed. Hemp hearts are full of essential fatty acids, containing Omega 3 and 6, in the perfect ratio for our bodies. On top of this, hemp hearts are high in protein and are perfect for cooking with.

How hemp seeds benefit your body and beyond

Hemp seeds have a lot of nutrition packed inside of them, simply add hemp to your diet to reap all the benefits. They’re gluten-free, vegan-friendly and keto friendly so they’re suitable for most dietary needs.

Hemp seed benefits to shout about: 

Healthier heart

Hemp seeds are rich in healthy fats like omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These essential fats are known for reducing cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure. Adding hemp products to your diet may reduce your risk of heart problems in the future.(1)

Rich in Vitamins

Hemp seeds are packed with lots of vitamin E and minerals like iron, calcium, potassium, sulphur, magnesium and more! These help you maintain healthy skin, and eyes and strengthen your immune system. (2)

Energy increases

Hemp seeds include healthy fats that provide a great source of energy as they pack a lot of iron(3). Fun fact, hemp provides more energy than carbohydrates. Hemp seeds are easy to add to your lunch to give you an extra boost in energy.

Stable blood sugar

Hemp seeds don’t trigger an insulin response as they contain high-quality lead protein, they’re safe to eat and great for keeping your blood sugar stable throughout the day.(2)

Hemp is great for the planet

The hemp plant doesn’t need pesticides to grow and this is important for keeping wildlife safe. Additionally, hemp plants help soil restoration and most importantly hemp is one of the fastest growing crops in the world and can request 4x the amount of co2, this equates to 15 tonnes of carbon per hectare. Hemp is great for our planet. 

There are lots of easy ways you can add hemp seeds to your diet. Spruce up your morning smoothie or add a little excitement to your homemade loaf of bread, there is a wide range of recipes you can get creative with when cooking with hemp. 

So, where can you get your hands on such amazing products?

Looking for locally grown hemp seeds in the UK? 

Hemp North was created with the mission to make growing industrial hemp viable on conventional farms and introduce British-grown hemp seed products to the local marketplace. Our hemp farms are located in Northumberland, where our long summer days are perfect for growing healthy hemp crops. Since 2021, we’ve taken pride in growing, dehulling and packaging all our own hemp products.

We’ve had a magnificent year on the farm, and pack our hemp hearts fresh to order and ship out across the UK. If you’re looking to make a wholesale enquiry or just looking to spruce up your cooking we’ve got all the hemp you need. 

Reap all the goodness of hemp seeds and purchase some UK hemp products via our website.

External articles referenced in this post:

1 The cardiac and haemostatic effects of dietary hempseed

2 Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular Disease: Are There Benefits?

3 Review on iron and its importance for human health