The Nutrient Profile of Hemp Plants

Hemp plants are a variety of cannabis plants known to have less than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol compound. This compound is found in the Marijuana variety of cannabis plants. What this means is that hemp plants do not cause increased psychoactivity when used. Well, many people are still confused between hemp and marijuana.

The discovery of THC and it's low concentrations in hemp plant has led to numerous research into how useful the hemp plant can be. Most of this research is based on traditional uses of hemp plants which include industrial use for fibre production, medicine application and now as a source of nutrients.

Cannaroo dives deep into the basis of hemp nutrition. We shall be covering the history of hemp nutrition and also the nutrient profile of the hemp plant.

Let's get started.

What we know about hemp nutrition from the past

This is a short history of how our ancestors used the hemp plant as food.

Hemp plants have been around for some time now. The recent ever rising popularity is due to interests sparked by the discovery of phytocannabinoids THC and CBD. There is substantial evidence that hemp is one of the first agricultural plants. Yes, ancient people planted the plant as we do with modern crops.

While some companies are still producing edible hemp seeds, our ancestors ate them raw.

Hemp food products in the modern world

Technology and advanced research have led to the creation of more hemp foods. Value addition to this food is making the industry bloom even more. This is an improvement from the ancient raw eating of hemp seeds.

What are some of the modern food products made from hemp?

In the modern world, hemp seeds can be used to create a number of food products. Here are the most common ones.

Hemp seed oil- derived by cold pressing hemp seeds. The hemp seed oil can be used as an additive in your kitchen
Hemp milk- to get hemp milk, soak the hemp seed in water and grind them while in the water. Hemp milk is free from gluten, lactose and soy. It's the best option for those who are advised against the same due to various medical conditions.
Hemp cheese and butter- hemp milk has similar properties as animal milk. Therefore it can be used to create cheese and butter just like animal milk. Taking hemp cheese and butter gives you essential oils for your body.
Hemp protein powder- plant proteins are simply the best. It is not new to see bodybuilders and vegans choosing hemp plant proteins over animal proteins. Hemp protein powder has a nutty tasting fine powder obtained from crushing the hemp seeds. It can be added to smoothies and shakes to improve their protein profile.