Hemp Protein – Plant-Based Power for a Strong Immune System

This is essentially the complete toolkit with all 20 amino acids from which our body can produce the entire range of proteins. Among these are, besides those amino acids that our organism can produce itself, particularly the eight essential ones that are of special importance, meaning those that we must obtain through our diet. Because without proteins, nothing works; they are needed in every single cell and have various tasks. We would have neither muscles nor a heart, no brain, no skin, and no hair, because all of this is largely made up of proteins. Additionally, proteins transport metabolic products, accelerate chemical reactions, and fight against pathogens that want to make us sick.

Why hemp seeds are little superfoods for our health

Hemp protein is optimal and completely usable for us because it is very similar to our body’s protein. Furthermore, it contains no trypsin inhibitors. Trypsin is an enzyme that helps us digest plant proteins in the small intestine. In some foods, there are certain protein substances that act as trypsin inhibitors. This means they inhibit trypsin and thus prevent our body from fully absorbing and utilizing the proteins contained in them. Soybeans, for example, contain more different proteins compared to hemp, but they also contain trypsin inhibitors. Therefore, soy protein is not fully available to the body, in contrast to hemp protein. The proteins in hemp are not only highly bioavailable, but they are also easy to digest and are well tolerated even in cases of intolerance or allergy to other protein sources.

Complete amino acid spectrum for optimal protein supply

Farmers have known for a long time how high-quality hemp seeds are as food and therefore did not only feed them to birds and other animals. Hemp porridge and hemp butter made from crushed hemp seeds were also naturally part of their own diet. The noble aristocracy, on the other hand, disparagingly referred to hemp as "peasant food." A huge mistake that one could possibly feel in one’s own body. Because what Prof. Dr. Roland Theimer from the Bergische University Wuppertal wrote about the hemp consumption of the rural population in the Middle Ages is noteworthy. According to him, the "hemp eaters" were less susceptible to the infectious diseases that were common at the time, such as the plague. With hemp, they ensured a strong immune system. Because the optimal supply of amino acids and trace elements, combined with the high-quality composition of the hemp oil also contained in hemp seeds, enabled the body even back then to form new cells and vital antibodies, known as immunoglobulins. John McCabe is even convinced in his book "Hemp – What the world needs now" that no other food plant contains such a quantity of immune-boosting globulins as hemp does.

Immune-boosting effect of hemp proteins on cells and antibodies

Immunoglobulins or antibodies are so-called glycoproteins that fend off unwanted intruders in our body. Once "programmed" to a specific pathogen, they can recognize it, bind to it, and thus combat it specifically. Thanks to their Y-shape, they have two binding sites for antigens, which are part of the typical surface structures of pathogens. The immunoglobulin docks onto these and grabs the intruder. This binding activates certain leukocytes, which are white blood cells that "eat" the unwanted guest and thus neutralize it. And here is where hemp comes into play. Because its protein consists of 60 to 80 percent edestin and 20 to 40 percent albumin. Both belong to the group of globulins found in the blood and perform various tasks in this function, such as acting as substance transporters and energy suppliers, or they are present as immunoglobulins at the front line of our immune defense troops. Edestin belongs to the "bio-active" proteins. In contrast to fiber or structural proteins, they can act in the body as immunoglobulins, hormones, hemoglobin, or enzymes, among other things. Albumin is the most common protein in human blood and serves as an important transport protein for water-insoluble substances such as fatty acids, hormones, vitamins, and minerals. Without the help of albumin, these would "stick" with the blood. However, transport is possible due to their temporary binding to the protein. Additionally, albumin regulates the distribution of fluids inside and outside blood vessels and body cells by binding water and maintaining pressure in them. By binding and releasing hydrogen ions, it also stabilizes the pH level in the blood.

Conclusion: Hemp protein – the local superfood for health and defense

By the way: High-quality hemp seed oil is also particularly valuable for our body. Because it supports our immune system thanks to its above-average high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Our body uses these, unlike saturated fatty acids, not for energy production or for the formation of fat deposits. It ensures, among other things, a functional immune system by influencing its inflammatory response and providing enough macrophages, the "eating cells" among white blood cells. The vitamin E and B vitamins contained in hemp seed oil also promote our defense. They strengthen T-lymphocytes, a subgroup of leukocytes, help identify pathogens, and protect our body from free radicals that can weaken our resistance through oxidative stress. Let us return to being "hemp eaters," because hemp has it all!

Sources:
Prof. Dr. Roland R. Theimer: “Hemp seeds: Quality and ingredients,” study from the Bergische University Wuppertal (www.hanf-natur.com)
Simonsohn, Barbara: “Hemp oil & hemp seeds”; Schirner Verlag, 2018.
McCabe, John: “Hemp – What the world needs now”; Carmania Books Santa Monica California, 2010
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