Superfood hemp seeds – Little helpers for a healthy diet

Hemp seeds are a real superfood. They are high in nutrition and provide you with great benefits for a healthy diet and life.

In this article, we will take a closer look at the various benefits of hemp seeds.

What are hemp seeds?

Hemp seeds belong to the Cannabis Sativa family, an annual herbaceous flowering plant indigenous to Eastern Asia. It has been cultivated throughout history and already the ancient Egyptians and Chinese knew about the valuable ingredients.

The seeds grow from the female hemp plant and are small and soft and come in their whole form, with the outer shell intact. Other than hulled seeds, known as hemp hearts, where the outer shell is removed.

What are the benefits?

Hemp seeds are called superfood because of their rich nutritional value. And they offer a range of health benefits.

Nutritional benefits

Hemp seeds are a rich source of nutrients, such as iron, potassium, magnesium, B-vitamins, vitamin E, and zinc. They also contain high levels of omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids and plant-based protein.

Health benefits

These vitamins and minerals can have many positive effects on your health. They can strengthen your immune system, promote the elimination of toxins and support healing processes in the body.

Amino acids trigger the new construction and repair of cells and reduce susceptibility to disease. We need them to build muscles, bones, skin, hair, and nails. There are nine essential amino acids that the body cannot produce itself- instead, they have to be ingested through food. Hemp seeds have all essential amino acids, making it a complete protein.

The proportion of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 fatty acids in hemp seeds is the optimal 3:1 ratio, which is considered excellent for human health. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids strengthen heart health, aid digestion, provide energy, boost immune activity, and help maintain the normal brain function, vision, and a healthy blood pressure. These fatty acids also have an anti-inflammatory effect.

Additionally, hemp seeds contain potassium and magnesium that are very good for the heart.

Vitamin E and zinc have an antioxidant effect and protect against the harmful effects of free radicals.

Typical quantity per 100 g product

Energy	2459 kJ / 575 kcal
Fat	43,9 g
Carbohydrates	23,3 g
Moisture	6,5-8 %
Protein	30 g
Salt	0 g

How are hemp seeds grown and harvested?

We at the Nordic Hemp Cooperation grow our hemp seeds ourselves in Estonia. Thanks to the pure Nordic climate, Estonia is an ideal place for the hemp plant to grow. Once the seeds are harvested, they are sorted and then dried. After drying, they get cleaned optically with an optical sorter. The optical sorter cleans out everything that is left. It can recognize objects by colour, size, and shape. Our sorter compares objects to user-defined accept/reject criteria to identify and remove defective pieces and foreign materials from the raw materials. As a result, we can provide the best purity seeds up to 99.9%.

That little extra for snacks and meals

Hemp seeds are available as whole seeds, hemp hearts, or as oil, milk, or protein powder, and many other options. Have a look at our products page to see our selection.

The nutty flavour makes them an excellent substitute for meat and dairy products in terms of protein, fatty acids, and other nutritional benefits. They are often compared with sunflower seeds but with a much softer texture.

You can either enjoy them as a snack or add them to your meals without overwhelming the taste of the final dish. 

Because of the crunchiness, whole hemp seeds are the perfect addition to your cereals, yoghurt, granola or salad. Hulled hemp hearts instead are softer and can be added to smoothies, baked goods and dressings. Hemp oil is excellent for making sauces, dips, and salad dressings and can be a great substitute for olive oil.

As the seeds contain neither gluten nor lactose, they are a safe treat and good alternative for allergy sufferers. And since they are a complete source of protein, hemp seeds are an excellent choice for vegetarians and vegans.

How about trying out a new recipe?

With a healthy dose of amino acids and a power package of proteins, you can go really creative with hemp seeds and use them to spice up dishes and classic recipes. On our recipes blog, you’ll find tasty ways to upgrade your meals with our hemp seeds.

Our tip: Try the super delicious muffins or spicy falafels.

Can you safely consume hemp seeds?

A question that often occurs in connection with hemp products is if you can get high.

Both hemp and cannabis contain CBD and THC. The main difference between hemp and cannabis is the level of psychotropic substances (THC). THC, or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, is the compound that gets you high. CBD cannabidiol, is non-intoxicating and found in the Cannabis sativa (C. sativa) plant. It is an extract from the female plant that is a popular dietary supplement.

Cannabis contains more THC than CBD. Hemp contains more CBD than THC. According to EU guidelines, hemp may contain 0.3% THC.In our hemp seeds, the narcotic tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has almost completely been bred out. All our products have low THC levels that are below the standard. So, you can add them to your diet without hesitation.

Estonia offers perfect conditions for high-quality hemp seeds

Estonia has a lot of arable land. And agriculture has always played an important part of the country’s history.

The Nordic climate, the clean air and unspoilt soil in Estonia are the perfect environment to grow hemp. In fact, Estonia is the third biggest hemp producer in Europe, and more than half of the country’s harvest is being produced by our members and partners. That’s in total hectares more than 6000 ha per year.

Our cooperation, the Nordic Hemp Cooperation was founded in 2017 by the 5 biggest hemp farmers in Estonia.

In 2018, we built a state-of-the-art hemp production facility capable of sorting, de-hulling and oil pressing. It is the biggest de-hulling factory in Europe with zero-waste production. We grow 4,000+ hectares of edible hemp each year.

One of our key strengths is the supply of raw materials. All the raw materials we use in our production have been processed by ourselves. That means that our production cycle begins in the second the sowing seeds hit the soil.

From soil and harvest to processing, storage, and transport, we strive to provide only the finest, purest, and most ethically sourced hemp on earth.

Plus, all our products have low THC levels.

To continuously process high-quality hemp products, we continue to ramp up our supply of hemp year by year. Our goal is to become the biggest hemp producer in Europe in the upcoming years. If you are interested in our products or want to become a partner, contact us!