Posts Tagged ‘vegetarian protein’

Hemp Protein and Fatty Acids in Hemp Seed

Posted in Nutrition on May 25th, 2010 by Jim – Comments Off

One of the main problems that vegetarians often encounter is not being able to get enough protein. This is because plants, although having some protein, does not have it in adequate amounts. In order to counteract this problem, vegetarians need to eat a variety of different plants in order to get the complete protein that they need. But wouldn’t it be nice if you did not have to do this, and instead could eat one thing that would provide the most beneficial protein possible? There is a solution, and it is known as hemp seed.

To understand why hemp protein is a high quality protein you need to know a little bit about amino acids. These are the molecular chains that comprise proteins, and when you eat any kind of protein, it is then broken down by your body into its component acids. There are many amino acids that are used by the body, but some of them need to be gotten from outside sources, as they cannot be synthesized. Hemp protein, interestingly enough, has all the essential amino acids stored right in the seeds. Not only are they all there, but about a third of hemp seed is pure protein, so there is a lot of it there.

Another thing to know about hemp seed is all the essential fatty acids in them. As if protein was not good enough, there is also a ton of important EFAs. Ironically enough, you need fatty acids so they can be converted by the body into endocannabinoids, the purpose of which is to maintain balance in your internal systems. There are many diseases which are believed to be caused by endocannabionid deficiency, so by strengthening your body with hemp protein as well as the essential fatty acids, you can truly become a much stronger person.