As hemp food becomes a more popular choice for selecting healthy, local, and sustainable food, it’s important for consumers to understand our history with hemp as a food source. Because believe it or not, our relationship with hemp food dates pretty far back.
What is Hemp?
Hemp refers to a variety of Cannabis that contains 0.3% or less THC. Most enthusiasts know hemp as the plant that doesn’t get you high. It has many uses such as CBD, food, rope, clothing, housing materials, paper, and more. It’s been at the crux of many innovations and inventions, along with moving humankind forward in history.
Hemp History
In fact, humans have been cultivating hemp for its food and medicinal components for centuries. Evidence of hemp utilization by humans can be traced to as early as 4000 B.C. when ancestral hemp plants were used by the Chinese. As the Chinese continued to cross-breed ancient varieties to fit their material needs, they ultimately discovered hemp could be used for much more than just a source of fiber, but for food, medicine, industry, and more. Over thousands of years, hemp became a reliable and sustainable source of food for many different civilizations.
Nutrition
With today’s advanced technology, we are able to determine the nutritional content of any given plant or source of food. And when you analyze the nutritional value that hemp provides, it is pretty amazing to see the superiority of this plant when compared to others.
In just 3 tablespoons of hemp seed hearts there are 10 grams of protein. Hemp is also an excellent source of zinc, fiber, vitamin D, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and more. What’s even more amazing is that hemp contains all nine essential amino acids that we need to properly function. Add on top the ideal omega-3 to omega-6 ratio, and you literally have the building blocks for a nutritious, healthy, and well-rounded diet.
Hemp & Humans
The idea of coevolution of humans and hemp is a known concept among evolutionary biologists. Although current research suggests humans have been cultivating hemp for tens of thousands of years, certain aspects of our biology suggests that this plant has been evolving across the planet for tens of millions of years.
As the plant evolved and responded to the harsh environments of earth, the plant began to produce a wide range of cannabinoids and terpenes, which are the chemicals known for keeping the endocannabinoid system in balance. The endocannabinoid system is the most complex and widespread signaling system in the human body and is the regulator of our mood, appetite, sleep, memory, and more. In fact, it’s not just humans who have evolved to develop an endocannabinoid system, but all vertebrate species.
In addition to the endocannabinoid system, hemp’s amazing nutritional benefits paint the full picture as to how humans have evolved with this plant over the centuries. Hemp has, and always will be part of the human diet. It fuels us with the basic components to build a healthy mind, body, and immune system.
| With the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill it is once again legal to grow hemp in America. Hemp is now being used for medicinal components through CBD Oils, and its grain components for Hemp Foods. |
Healthy Hemp Food
As you can see, humans have a long history with the hemp plant. Although hemp food may seem like a new phenomenon, it is not. Humans have been eating hemp for centuries as an excellent source of protein, nutrients, and all-natural energy.
If you’re interested in trying hemp food, Minny Grown has a wide variety of handcrafted products to choose from. Many customers choose our all-natural Hemp Butter to start, but our Hemp Hearts and Hemp Seed Oil are quickly becoming a staple in the kitchen.
