Everything old is new again Peter Allen sang in his 1985 Pop hit featured in the hit movie "All That Jazz", and for those in the know hemp is hot and back with a bang.
Hemp has been around for thousands of years, and in fact, was first spun into usable fibre 10,000 years ago. It’s a versatile plant with a variety of commercial applications including paper, textiles, clothing, biodegradable plastics, paint, insulation, biofuel, food and animal feed.
You may be familiar with its naughty little cousin more commonly know as marijuana, however lets not judge this incredible plant by its family ties, else we could all be in trouble. It is in the same family as the Cannabis plant and does contain the psychoactive ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the stuff that gets you high, but it is in such small amounts and offset by cannabidiol (CBD) that it is rendered negligible.
Last year in November 2017, the Australian government ruled that prohibition was over and hemp was back on the menu, meaning its has popped up on plates around the country in a variety of ways.
From breads to coffee, smoothies and pizzas, you’d be forgiven for thinking this is more a munchie checklist than a mild mannered additional food boost. But hemp certainly has the bragging rights to earn the title superfood.
Packed with protein, hemp seeds are a rich source of dietary fibre. Hemp seeds are also a great source of vitamin E and minerals such as phosphorus, potassium, sodium, magnesium, sulfur, calcium, iron and zinc.
They are also rich in healthy fats. They have a 3:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3, which may benefit skin diseases too.
It’s a great time for science to back what humans have known for millennia especially in the fake news wash up, and the results so far are very positive.
For those in the know hemp is not new, but it is meeting a whole new generation of fans, and its high time it did.
