Reaping the benefits of a hempseed diet

There was some good news for Scottish farmers looking to widen their cropping plans in the future.

Dr Madalina Neacsu, Research Fellow at the Rowett Institute.

A study published this week found consumers could reap significant nutritional benefits from incorporating a crop which was once widely grown across the nation into their diets.

The research, carried out at the University of Aberdeen’s Rowett Institute, found adding hempseed to the daily diet could help modulate gut hormone levels in the blood and promote a feeling of fullness after eating. It also found the seed to be a rich source of protein, dietary fibre, healthy fats and micronutrient minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and zinc.

And the study, which focused on the nutritional aspects of the hemp has led to a new collaboration with one of the UK’s largest food producers to further explore the crop’s nutritional and ecological properties.

The project looked at the impact on the feeling of fullness and gut hormone levels in humans after eating hemp and other high protein crops in comparison to meat.

Hemp and buckwheat flours, when baked into bread, were found to be valuable sources of dietary amino acids with participants recording higher feelings of fullness after eating, a factor which could help regulate food intake.

While the plant is related to cannabis, it has little in the way of narcotic potential – however a Government licence is still required to cultivate the crop.

History shows that hemp was once a traditional part of Scotland’s farming industry, being suited to both the climate and the growing conditions in the main arable areas. The Rowett said that on top of its nutritional properties, hemp also offered environmental advantages due to its capacity for carbon sequestration.

The research has also prompted further projects on hemp, including one which is co-funded by Good Hemp UK, which will seek to further explore understanding of the nutritional attributes of hempseed protein and fibre and their role in diversify human dietary choices.

Dr Madalina Neacsu, Research Fellow at the Rowett Institute, said the study would also help meet sustainable development goals: “Hemp is ideally placed to provide dietary protein diversification, as well as to boost daily fibre recommendations.”

“It has wide and versatile uses and is a symbol of the new agricultural revolution. With this new collaboration we are seeking to understand how re-establishing its growth in Scotland could offer a more sustainable alternative to importing protein-rich crops like soya bean.”

David Shaw from Good Hemp added: “We have always known that hemp has amazing nutritional and environmental credentials but it has been incredibly motivating working with the Rowett Institute so far and we can't wait for this project to dive deeper into the benefits of hemp.

“These new findings have made us even more excited about the potential that hemp can deliver to both people and planet, as the world strives to find sustainable sources of nutrition at this critical point in history.”