Hemp protein is healthy, says science. And that’s underselling it; hemp is versatile, safe, eco-friendly, and quite honestly, the future of food, protein-powders included.
Hemp is gaining attention worldwide. The plant owes this popularity to its sustainable nature. The plant is great for the environment, as it is a low-input and high-yield crop.
Hemp is the answer to our problems. Like many others, have you also been trying to be more environmentally conscious but finding it hard to locate alternatives? The answer is hemp. It’s plant-based, replenishes the soil and is pesticide-free.
The best part is, it not only does the job but does it better.
An easy way to make a sustainable switch is by opting for hemp protein. The carbon footprint of protein from meat is very high. Even your most sustainable meat choice is worse for the planet than hemp-based protein. Switching to hemp protein powder to meet your protein intake will make a huge impact on your carbon footprint.
Apart from that, hemp is also a great source of protein. You get healthy fatty acids, omega-3, and all the required amino acids.
But you might be hesitant to take my word. After all, without evidence from science, these are but empty claims.
I have provided you with the highlights from the top 10 research papers in the field. You can make up your own mind.
- Hemp protein powder is the solution to the PFAS in our food
This research tells us that hemp protein powder is highly effective in removing PFAS from actual contaminated groundwater.
Should we care about this particular use of hemp? Definitely, yes. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of man-made chemicals. They are present everywhere. Our packaged foods, household products, and even our drinking water.
This is a major concern because these chemicals can accumulate and stay in our bodies for long periods of time. This can lead to adverse effects on our health.
Our food is a major source of these harmful chemicals. That is because contaminated soil and water is being used to grow this food.
This research provides us with a solution. Compared to soy, lupin, whey, pea, and egg proteins, hemp protein powder yields the best result.
Read the full paper at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0045653519307933
- Prepare a batch of sunflower halva with hemp protein powder
This weekend, cook sunflower halva to meet your daily protein intake.
First things first. What is halva? Sunflower halva is very popular in Eastern European countries. You make it with roasted and milled oleaginous seeds called tahini which are then mixed with cooked sugar.
The research showed that 0.66% of hemp protein powder when added to cooked halva gives 12.19% protein. When no hemp powder is added, protein content is 11.60%.
If we use 0.88% of hemp powder, the protein content increases to 12.58%.
Your finished product will not only have more protein but hemp also improves its quality. Hemp protein powder improves the fatty acid profile of the halva.
Read the full paper at: https://core.ac.uk/display/267063709
- Hemp protein powder gives you all the essential amino acids
Industrial hemp is gaining popularity worldwide and there’s a good reason for this. The plant is immensely beneficial to the planet and humans.
In all the other marvelous uses of hemp, hemp protein powder especially stands out. This paper tells us why.
Hemp is an excellent source of protein as it provides all the required amino acids. The hydrolyzed peptides exhibit various health benefits, such as antioxidant activity, antihypertensive activity, hypoglycaemic activity, etc.
Apart from all these nutritional benefits that await you, hemp protein also has a unique and pleasant aromatic profile.
Read the full paper at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0924224421002144
- With hemp protein powder you don’t have to worry about your body not digesting the protein
Protein digestibility is a genuine concern. Protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS) is a method of evaluating the quality of a protein based on both the amino acid requirements.
Some amino acids may not be digested in your body for synthesis. The protein will be passed out of your body or absorbed by bacteria, making your consumption useless.
Hence, you need to make sure that you consume protein sources with good digestibility. Good digestibility also means that the protein source has essential amino acids for the body. Hemp, on these parameters, scores well.
Hemp proteins have a PDCAAS equal to or greater than certain grains, nuts, and some pulses. Hemp protein has excellent digestibility ensuring that your body absorbs the protein.
Read the full paper at: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf102636b
- Hemp protein powder will prevent oxidative stress and diseases like cancer
WHO suggests we consume proteins with sufficient amounts of amino acids. Hemp protein is a rich source of polyunsaturated fatty acids and meets the WHO’s suggested requirement.
But there’s more to hemp protein.
Oxidative stress can happen in our bodies due to an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants. This can damage body tissues.
What we need to understand is that oxidative stress is natural and happens with aging, but we can reduce it. If oxidative stress persists for a long time, it can lead to chronic conditions like cancer.
We can use hemp seed meal in the form of protein powder to produce peptide ingredients in our body. This can free radicals that may cause oxidative stress-related diseases.
Read the full paper at: https://aocs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1007/s11746-010-1686-7
- Hemp protein is dependent on environmental conditions, so make sure you buy the best
Hemp seeds can be used to make protein powder.
- The HPI (hemp seed isotope) has minimum protein solubility (PS) at pH 4.0. As pH increases, PS also increases.
- HPI-formed emulsions have smaller oil droplet sizes (except at pH 3.0).
- Hemp seed protein products are dependent on structural conformations as well as protein concentration and pH.
We can use this data to manipulate the environmental condition to reach optimal pH level to make food processing even more efficient. This will allow us to extract hemp protein as a suitable food ingredient.
Read the full paper at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1750-3841.12537
- Hemp protein after a meal can positively influence your glucose and insulin levels
Hemp has the potential to impact postprandial glycemic control.
Let me put this in clearer terms. It can positively influence your insulin and glucose responses after your meal.
In this set-up, a fixed calorie meal was provided to the participants. After 60 mins, blood glucose and insulin incremental area under the curve (iAUC) was calculated pre-meal (0–60 min) and post-meal (60–200 min).
If you consume hemp protein, it lowers blood glucose and insulin over 60 minutes.
If you consume a 40g dose of hemp protein, it can lead to higher blood glucose and insulin responses following a meal consumed 60 min later.
Overall, you should definitely include hemp protein in fruit shakes to improve glycemic control.
Read the full paper at: https://faseb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1096/fasebj.31.1_supplement.966.28
- You can add hemp protein to your meat products too to gain more minerals and fiber.
Hemp is an excellent source of plant-based protein but that does not mean it has to be restricted to plants only. We can use hemp ingredients to improve a meat product’s nutritional value.
Adding hemp to meat preparations will provide you with valuable sources of nutrients such as n3 fatty acids, proteins and minerals.
Your meat will gain more fiber and hardness. Minerals like magnesium, manganese, iron and copper will also be higher in the products with hemp.
The next time you prepare meat, try to scoop in some protein powder in the preparation to make it even more satisfying.
Read the full paper at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0023643819300957
9. Hemp protein can improve your body’s metabolism
Hemp protein powder is mainly composed of globulin and albumin. These two chemicals are important for our body as they have exceptionally high levels of arginine and glutamic acid.
These acids help our body function better and also improve metabolism.
Several antioxidative bioactive peptides have also been isolated from hemp seed protein.
Hemp protein powder provides you with the nine essential amino acids required by humans. The amino acid profile of hemp protein is similar to that of an egg white.
This is your nudge to a plant-based diet, if protein has been the reason holding you back.
Read the full paper at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1541-4337.12517
10. Hemp protein powder is your way to achieve a healthy heart
About 28 grams (2 tablespoons) of hemp seeds contains 9.2 grams protein. These seeds can be used to make your plant-based protein.
Hemp protein powder will provide your body with the much-needed omega-3s, essential amino acids, magnesium and iron.
Combine your hemp protein powder with your favourite milk (I, personally, prefer oat milk) and make a protein shake to drink before or after your workout.
The plant-based protein also helps you cut down on meat as a source of protein. This can pave your way to a healthy heart.
Read the full paper at: https://core.ac.uk/display/267063709
Sources:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0045653519307933
https://core.ac.uk/display/267063709
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0924224421002144
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf102636b
https://aocs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1007/s11746-010-1686-7
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1750-3841.12537
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0023643819300957
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1541-4337.12517
https://www.thepharmajournal.com/archives/?year=2021&vol=10&issue=1&ArticleId=5624
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