Hemp Protein

Last Updated: September 28 2022

Hemp is a food product derived from the same plant of which Marijuana originates from, but without intoxicating components; the protein fragment appears to be a popular meal replacement supplement but is not yet linked to unique properties (relative to other Protein supplements).

Hemp Protein is most often used for

Summary

Hemp protein is a industrial byproduct from hempseed where the seeds (balanced macronutrient profile) have their oil extracted into Hempseed oil, and the remainding seedmeal that is high in protein relative to the seeds is then processed into Hemp protein supplements.

Hemp that is currently on the market is a strain low in THC (the intoxicant and psychoactive agent in Marijuana) and does not confer intoxicating properties. It is usually not a pure protein supplement, as it has up to 10% fatty acids by weight (pretty balanced between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and generally high in polyunsaturated fatty acids) and confers a higher inherent fiber content relative to other Protein supplements. The protein portion of hemp is not a complete protein source, due to being low in Lysine (the rate limiting essential amino acid); it is also relatively low in leucine, but is relatively high in both L-Tyrosine and Arginine.

There is a cannabinoid content in Hemp, although they are cannabinoids that do not interact with the two classical cannabinoid receptors in the human body and are unlikely to have the same neural properties attributed to marijuana. These may confer some health properties unique to hemp products (either hempseed protein or Marijuana) but in the context of using hemp protein as a meal replacement they are not studied.

Currently, hemp protein appears to be a viable meal replacement option and has the benefit of having a higher fiber content but is not yet linked to unique health benefits (or harms) to establish its importance over other dietary sources of protein.

What else is Hemp Protein known as?
Note that Hemp Protein is also known as:
  • Hemp
  • Cannabis sativa
  • Hempseed meal
Hemp Protein should not be confused with:
  • Marijuana (same plant
  • but this refers to variants with a high psychoactive content)
Dosage information

Like any protein supplement, hemp protein supplements are dosed in relation to dietary protein goals and how much dietary protein is consumed via other sources. Protein goals vary from person to person, but a general guide is:

  • If you are an athlete or highly active person currently attempting to lose body fat while preserving lean muscle mass, a daily intake of 1.5-2.2g/kg bodyweight (0.68-1g/lb bodyweight) would be a good target

  • If you are an athlete or highly active person, or you are attempting to lose body fat while preserving lean mass, then a daily intake of 1.0-1.5g/kg bodyweight (0.45-0.68g/lb bodyweight) would be a good target

  • If you are sedentary and not looking to change body composition, a daily target of 0.8g/kg bodyweight (0.36g/lb bodyweight) and upwards would be a good target

Supplementation of hemp protein should be in the dose that is required to meet these ranges after dietary protein has been accounted for. If dietary protein has adequately reached these ranges, then protein supplementation is not required.

Obese individuals (body fat over 20/30% for males and females or a BMI greater than 30 without significant levels of muscle mass) should not follow the above recommendations exactly as the state of obesity would overshoot requirements. In these instances, calculate your targets based upon what your weight would be assuming an overweight BMI.

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References
1.^Rodriguez-Leyva D, Pierce GNThe cardiac and haemostatic effects of dietary hempseedNutr Metab (Lond).(2010 Apr 21)
3.^Ross SA, Mehmedic Z, Murphy TP, Elsohly MAGC-MS analysis of the total delta9-THC content of both drug- and fiber-type cannabis seedsJ Anal Toxicol.(2000 Nov-Dec)
4.^Holler JM, Bosy TZ, Dunkley CS, Levine B, Past MR, Jacobs ADelta9-tetrahydrocannabinol content of commercially available hemp productsJ Anal Toxicol.(2008 Jul-Aug)
8.^Takeda S, Okajima S, Miyoshi H, Yoshida K, Okamoto Y, Okada T, Amamoto T, Watanabe K, Omiecinski CJ, Aramaki HCannabidiolic acid, a major cannabinoid in fiber-type cannabis, is an inhibitor of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell migrationToxicol Lett.(2012 Nov 15)
11.^Silversides FG, Lefrançois MRThe effect of feeding hemp seed meal to laying hensBr Poult Sci.(2005 Apr)
14.^Bisogno T, Hanus L, De Petrocellis L, Tchilibon S, Ponde DE, Brandi I, Moriello AS, Davis JB, Mechoulam R, Di Marzo VMolecular targets for cannabidiol and its synthetic analogues: effect on vanilloid VR1 receptors and on the cellular uptake and enzymatic hydrolysis of anandamideBr J Pharmacol.(2001 Oct)
15.^Thomas A, Baillie GL, Phillips AM, Razdan RK, Ross RA, Pertwee RGCannabidiol displays unexpectedly high potency as an antagonist of CB1 and CB2 receptor agonists in vitroBr J Pharmacol.(2007 Mar)
16.^Saberivand A, Karimi I, Becker LA, Moghaddam A, Azizi-Mahmoodjigh S, Yousefi M, Zavareh SThe effects of Cannabis sativa L. seed (hempseed) in the ovariectomized rat model of menopauseMethods Find Exp Clin Pharmacol.(2010 Sep)
17.^Prociuk MA, Edel AL, Richard MN, Gavel NT, Ander BP, Dupasquier CM, Pierce GNCholesterol-induced stimulation of platelet aggregation is prevented by a hempseed-enriched dietCan J Physiol Pharmacol.(2008 Apr)
18.^Richard MN, Ganguly R, Steigerwald SN, Al-Khalifa A, Pierce GNDietary hempseed reduces platelet aggregationJ Thromb Haemost.(2007 Feb)
20.^Schwab US, Callaway JC, Erkkilä AT, Gynther J, Uusitupa MI, Järvinen TEffects of hempseed and flaxseed oils on the profile of serum lipids, serum total and lipoprotein lipid concentrations and haemostatic factorsEur J Nutr.(2006 Dec)
21.^Kaul N, Kreml R, Austria JA, Richard MN, Edel AL, Dibrov E, Hirono S, Zettler ME, Pierce GNA comparison of fish oil, flaxseed oil and hempseed oil supplementation on selected parameters of cardiovascular health in healthy volunteersJ Am Coll Nutr.(2008 Feb)
22.^Takeda S, Misawa K, Yamamoto I, Watanabe KCannabidiolic acid as a selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitory component in cannabisDrug Metab Dispos.(2008 Sep)
23.^Callaway J, Schwab U, Harvima I, Halonen P, Mykkänen O, Hyvönen P, Järvinen TEfficacy of dietary hempseed oil in patients with atopic dermatitisJ Dermatolog Treat.(2005 Apr)