When
you hear the word "hemp," generally
the last thing that comes to mind is protein
and bodybuilding. Without going into detail
on the other "psychoactive" strains
of hemp, it's time you learned more about what
hemp can do for you from a nutritional point
of view. I know I was very surprised to learn
how complete a food hemp is!
I
personally tested a hemp protein supplement
for a period of 2 months, using NO other supplemental
protein source. It was tough to give up the
whey that had I been using for many years but,
to give hemp a fair trial, I needed to be sure
that the results wouldn't be affected by other
supplemental protein sources.
So
for 2 months, it was just hemp protein...
Now,
hemp is one of the most versatile plants in
the world - it can be used for anything from
making clothes to fuel and even autoparts (all
Mercedes/Chrysler models use hemp-composite
side panels because they're more dent-resistant).
For our purposes, we will focus entirely on
its nutritional/protein content.
Hemp
protein, while being a plant source, is actually
a surprisingly complete protein. Hemp protein
contains all 20 known amino acids including
the 10 essential amino acids (8 in adults -
2 more are considered essential in children
and seniors) our bodies cannot produce. Proteins
are considered complete when they contain all
10 essential amino acids in a sufficient quantity
and ratio to meet the body's needs.
Hemp
also has an extremely good essential fatty acid
profile - it contains the fatty acids in perfect
balance to each other (Omega 3 and 6 Essential
Fatty Acids (EFAs), in the near perfect ratio
of 1:3 respectively).
One
of the other major benefits of hemp protein
supplementation is the very high insoluble fiber
content of the powder. Fiber helps keep your
blood sugar stable (ideal for fat loss), not
to mention helping to keep you "regular."
On the ingredient label, you'll see just how
much fiber is in hemp...ALL the carb content
is fiber, making it an excellent protein for
low-carb diets.
So
what does all this mean for you? Here are the
main benefits of hemp protein supplementation
that I discovered in my 2 month trial:
1.
First and foremost - no loss of muscle mass
or decline in muscle growth
One
of the main things I worried about when switching
to a plant-based protein would be loss of muscle
mass. Could a plant protein really provide a
complete protein and in substantial enough quantities
to keep muscle AND help support muscle growth?
The answer is "absolutely!" In using
the hemp protein, muscle building was just as
good, if not better, than with whey protein
or protein blends. No problems at all there.
2.
Excellent protein quality and usability
A
better quality protein is more bioavailble in
terms of digestibility and ability to be used
in the body. When you're training with weights,
you want a protein that is going to be well-absorbed
and easily utilized by the body. Hemp fits the
bill here. Being a "whole-food" supplement
means it already contains many of the enzymes
necessary for optimal digestion.
3.
No protein-bloating
If
you've ever taken a big protein shake (like
whey or milk protein), you're most likely familiar
with that "expanding" feeling that
happens soon after. This does NOT happen with
hemp protein. Whatever the reason, be it no
milk-based ingredients or that it's a plant
protein, taking hemp didn't cause any bloating
at all.
4.
No protein breath
Those
who take milk-based proteins like whey or casein
can definitely understand this one. Your mouth
tastes and smells like rotten milk soon after
you drink it. Hemp protein, however, doesn't
leave a sour aftertaste. I know my wife was
very appreciative of this fact and insisted
I get more hemp protein based solely on that!
5.
No unnecessary ingredients
The
hemp protein product that I used in my test
had only one single ingredient: hemp meal -
no artificial sweeteners, flavors or anything
not found in the hemp plant itself. To be honest,
adding any other nutrients in would be totally
unnecessary due to the nutritional completeness
of the hemp. So if you're concerned about getting
artificial sweeteners in your protein powder
(especially when on lower-carb diets), hemp
is an excellent way to go.
6.
High Fiber = Cleaner Insides
One
of the least talked-about aspects of health
is intestinal health. But it's EXTREMELY important
to mention because a cleaner intestinal tract
makes for improved nutrient absorption. The
better you absorb nutrients from the foods you
eat, the healthier overall you will be. Plus,
the better your nutrient absorption, the more
efficient your body will be both in fat loss
and muscle building. The high amounts of insoluble
fiber found in hemp protein really help keep
your digestive tract moving along and functioning
well.
These are the major benefits of hemp supplementation
that I experienced during my 2 month test. What
about downsides? There are a few, but in my
experience, they were relatively minor compared
to the major benefits of the hemp.
1.
Taste
Because
there are no other ingredients, what you see
is what you get. It's a plant-based protein
and if you take it straight, it's going to taste
like a plant. If you're used to oversweetened
protein powders, it's going to come as a bit
of a shock to you.
To
me, however, this natural taste was actually
a very positive thing (I was getting a bit sick
of those oversweet protein drinks). I quite
enjoyed the nutty flavor of the hemp and would
drink it straight with water. I also tried mixing
it with orange juice and it tasted quite good.
Bottom line: don't come in expecting a strawberry
shortcake flavor when you drink it but if you
like natural flavor, you'll love this.
2.
Cost
Hemp
protein is not a "bargain-basement, 10
pounds for 20 bucks" type of protein powder.
It is relatively expensive because it must be
processed carefully to maintain its high nutritional
content (especially the Essential Fatty Acids).
Being extremely fresh and containing no preservatives,
it's also extremely oxidative, meaning it'll
go bad much faster than regular protein. This
is why it's generally sold only in 1 or 2 lb
containers. Personally, I used 1 lb containers,
each of which lasted me about 8 to 10 days (and
I was taking it fairly frequently throughout
the day).
But
here's the upside...you don't need to use as
much of it to get the benefits! Rather than
slugging down 40 to 60 gram+ whey protein shakes,
I found myself taking only 10 to 30 grams of
hemp at a time (the higher dose was post-workout).
The body processes it very efficiently and I
found I did just fine on the relatively lower
dose in terms of muscle maintenance and muscle
building.
Overall,
as far as cost goes, to me it was well worth
the price.
3.
Tidiness
This
was a very minor drawback that I found - because
the containers are small (1 lb) and the scoop
has a long handle in order to reach the bottom,
I found every time I pulled the scoop out of
the container, I spilled a little powder on
the counter. But if that's the worst thing that
happens to you in a day, count your blessings.
Like I said, it's a VERY minor thing.
Conclusion:
When
I first decided to give the hemp protein a try,
I wasn't quite sure what to expect. The information
I read on it was very positive but I had always
used whey or egg-based protein supplements.
Would hemp do the job?
Hemp
passed the test with flying colors. If you're
looking for a high-quality protein that has
the potential to really improve your health,
I HIGHLY recommend hemp protein as an excellent
addition to your supplement regimen.
As
far as where to get hemp protein to try for
yourself, I like Nutiva as a brand:
http://www.nutiva.com/
They
actually have a new product out that contains
50% protein (the normal hemp has a smaller amount
of protein per weight). Very good stuff.
Let
me put it this way...it's not often that I include
a new supplement in my core supplement regimen
and I'm CONSTANTLY testing new supplements to
see how well they work. In the past 6 months,
I've tried 11 new supplements. The ONLY one
to make the cut is hemp protein.
Once
again, if you're interested in trying out hemp
protein, have a look at the following page to
learn more:
http://www.nutiva.com/
