Do hemp seeds need to be ground for good omega-3 yields?

[Huginn]

My herbalist mentioned that I need more fat in my diet, to which I agree (kind of dry skin). She mentioned that hemp seeds need to be ground for the omega-3 to be (much better) available. I haven't heard that anywhere else. Not so sure I can find them ground anywhere either and grounding them myself would be a hassle. Anyone got thoughts on that?

[pluto]

What are teeth for or your blender but no you don't need to as long as you chew properly.

[Huginn]

Hm...yea. Maybe she has a lot of patients who can't chew properly. Thanks.

[Michael569]

Hemps seeds are an excellent source of Omega 3 but the ones with best Omega 3:Omega 6 ratio are Flaxseeds/Lineseeds and Chia Seeds following. Many companies sell ground Lineseeds on Amazon and they are not expensive at all. I bough a 2kg package for 8£ in UK. 

To answer your question, yes it is needed to crack them to properly absorb. They have an incredibly hard shell and it is not something that a hydrochloric acid could do, it is not as strong as people assume it to be. Remember "stomach has no teeth."

As @pluto mentioned above, if you have a good blender that does it however some cheaper brands like mine only toss the seeds around and do not crack them. Alternatively coffee grinders do the trick or you can just buy them already ground  

Chewing also helps ofcourse but considering their size and amount, you are very likely to miss some of them  

 

Edited March 9, 2018 by Michael569
missing word

[Huginn]

@Michael569 Huh, if those seeds are cheaper (which I saw they are) and have a better ratio, it seems like a no brainer to focus on getting those instead.

I bought hemp seeds without the shell. So maybe that's enough even if I miss chewing some of them? Could look for ground ones next time.

Thanks.

[Michael569]

2 hours ago, Huginn said:

I bought hemp seeds without the shell. So maybe that's enough even if I miss chewing some of them? Could look for ground ones next time.

Hemp seeds are still great. You'll get all the Omega 3 you need even from nuts but there is a high Omega 6 content as well....just something to be mindful of. As long as you avoid processed oils and keep it low on animal fat, you'll be fine

[Huginn]

Yea. I'm staying away from all animals and all oils (except a little bit of coconut oil maybe).

[pluto]

13 hours ago, Huginn said:

@Michael569 Huh, if those seeds are cheaper (which I saw they are) and have a better ratio, it seems like a no brainer to focus on getting those instead.

I bought hemp seeds without the shell. So maybe that's enough even if I miss chewing some of them? Could look for ground ones next time.

Thanks.

No don't buy ground, hulled/shelled are the best, you throw them in salads or smoothies and they chew very nicely. Pre-ground nuts/seeds lose their quality and nutrient density much quicker than in their whole form. Even if you miss a few the body and stomach does the rest not to worry

Edited March 10, 2018 by pluto

[Huginn]

@pluto  Makes sense.

By the way, I don't really feel that much craving for fatty foods like seeds from day to day. I was recommended 6 table spoons of hemp seeds (if I chose those) a day. It feels like way over the top to me. I really feel like just primarily listening to the body and experimenting and eat what it seems to want instead of just taking professional advice. I'm frigging living this body, not them.

[pluto]

1 hour ago, Huginn said:

@pluto  Makes sense.

By the way, I don't really feel that much craving for fatty foods like seeds from day to day. I was recommended 6 table spoons of hemp seeds (if I chose those) a day. It feels like way over the top to me. I really feel like just primarily listening to the body and experimenting and eat what it seems to want instead of just taking professional advice. I'm frigging living this body, not them.

Seems like way too much 1-2 tablespoons a day is enough to get your omega 3 and 6s and yeah listening to your body is the best thing to do, nature knows best your bodies intelligence is far beyond the average mind of a doctor or nutritionist.

As for getting general fats, you can have some avocado, coconut flesh/meat, olives if you don't like nuts/seeds that much.

Just experiment see how you feel do 1 week more or less and the 2nd week vice/versa and 3rd week something new and see where you feel best

Edited March 10, 2018 by pluto

[Huginn]

@pluto  Will do! Thanks.