You might be allergic to gluten, or you want to try out the newest but expensive health fad swamping the gullible-minded these days. Either way, you want to avoid gluten at all cost. However finding gluten-free food can be challenging as most of the common food people eat – bread, pasta, cereal, and almost anything with food additives – contain gluten. You would also still have to consume protein-containing food for your body. Rye and wheat are out of the question, but seeds of other plants such as sunflower, watermelon, and hemp can be good alternatives.
What is hemp seed?
Because of the stigma attached to its name, most people won’t think that hemp or its seeds are healthy, let alone edible. However, hemp is just a biological cousin of its more psychoactive and infamous counterpart, marijuana (Cannabis sativa). Hemp nor its seeds don’t contain as much as addictive substances as does marijuana. Thus, hemp seed is legal in the UK and the EU. Hemp is also unrelated to plants that contain gluten such as wheat and peanuts. You don’t have to worry about the law and the gluten when you buy hemp seed as a snack or staple food.
What is the nutritional value of hemp seed?
Hemp seed can be dried, grounded, and eaten just like peanuts. Oil can be extracted from hemp seed as well. The good thing about hemp seed is it does not contain gluten. Also, it contains dietary fibre and protein that your body needs. Thus, hemp seed is safe to eat, even for those who are on a gluten-free diet.
The protein albumin, which is found in eggs, is also found in hemp seed. Albumin is essential to cell functioning, and people need to have an adequate amount of it in their bodies. Vegetarians and vegans can get albumin without eggs by eating hemp seed.
Hemp seed also contains omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, which is good for the heart. Because of its array of health benefits, it’s unsurprising that the Chinese have been using hemp seed as food and medicine for thousands of years. Since hemp, and especially hemp seed, contains negligible amounts of THC unlike cannabis, you don’t have to worry about getting an addiction.
How to ensure that your hemp seed is gluten-free
While hemp seed by itself does not contain gluten, you have to be strict when it comes to ascertaining gluten-free hemp seed. For one, the source hemp should grow in a plantation that’s exclusive to it and far from gluten-containing grain plants such as wheat and peanuts. The tools that are used to plant, harvest, and process hemp seed should also be used only for hemp and nothing else. The packaging process must be done in a facility that contains no gluten to ensure zero cross-contamination. When buying hemp seed, ask the vendor where the hemp came from and where it was processed. Even a few milligrams of gluten could upset an allergic person, which is why you have to be strict in determining the hemp seed’s source.
If you’re looking to buy hemp seeds, Coffee Shop Seeds is your best option. Get in touch with us today to see how we can help.
