Agricultural Dietary Hemp Foods: A Look at How Amino Acids Function in the Body

Information about agricultural dietary hemp is available almost everywhere.  Scientific studies, internet bloggers, raw food recipes and bodybuilding fact sheets tell us hemp foods provide all of the essential amino acids and some non essential ones. Hemp provides the perfect ratio of essential fatty acids. But what do these things really do for the body? I found myself working and failing to remember basic biology class from high school and decided to do a refresher course on proteins and other nutrients on a cellular level.

 

Proteins do millions of things for the body; anything from carrying cells to areas affected by diseased cells to rebuilding and restoring with new cells. Proteins in food are broken down into amino acids in the stomach which are carried into the body and distributed according to need.  The Body needs millions of proteins to carry out basic functions and in fact amino acids make up three fourths of body solids. 

 

After obsessively watching video after video of random letter and number combinations used to describe proteins, I started to understand that proteins are not as important as the Amino Acids themselves. In fact, Proteins are a nothing more than a transporter used to take in amino acids so they can be broken down by the digestive process and reassembled where they are needed in the body.  Here is the first video from the Raw Foods movement I found interesting: 

According to the Raw Foods Muscle Building movement, it’s not about protein. In fact, protein is nothing more than a middle man of sorts. The body works harder to break down proteins while amino acids in their raw natural state are all ready to go to work wherever they are needed in the body. 

Amino Acids by definition are described as are molecules containing an amine group, a carboxylic acid group and a side-chain that varies between different amino acids. The key elements of an amino acid are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. They are particularly important in biochemistry, where the term usually refers to alpha-amino acids by Wiki. Wiki for Amino Acids

When I read this for the first time, the whole article seemed as if it were written in another language. To make sense of it all, I had to look at the function of each acid. Muscles are made from Amino Acids and heal faster when given a steady daily supply.  Amino acids work in many ways in basic and advanced brain function. There are Globulins serving as transporters carrying antibodies into the body to fight invading cells. Antibodies gather up bad elements and isolate them so they can be removed or destroyed. Hormones are used to communicate from one gland to the next.  Enzymes are important in the digestive process.

Amino acids function in so many ways in the body, life would not be possible without them.  Essential amino acids are not able to be created by the body and have to be obtained from an outside plant source.  I found this video of a human representation of how proteins work in the body directed in 1971 by Robert Alan Weiss for the Department of Chemistry of Stanford University and it helped me understand a bit of the process. 

How do Agricultural Dietary Hemp products help? This Hemp Oil Profile presentation given by Mary Beth Augustine, RD, CDN, an Integrative Medicine Nutritionist presented to 2002 Cannabis Therapeutics Conference, hosted by Patients Out of Time helped me understand the role of the nutrients, fatty acids and amino acids found in hemp foods in my body. 

I found it interesting that all amino acids and essential fatty acids transferred to the human body through meat come from the animal eating plants or sea weed in the wild. This backs up the proteins as a middleman theory. The protein is nothing more than a transmitter. MaryBeth also compares soy nutrients versus hemp nutrients citing hemp as a more complete source of nutrients in optimal ratio for ease of use in the body. 

 

In addition to providing all of the amino acids necessary to life, hemp foods also provide an adequate daily supply of calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, Copper and Manganese. Hemp contains antioxidants and chlorophyll. Omega 3’s and 6’s which attract oxygen, absorb sunlight, reduce lactic acid and play a crucial role in brain functioning, skin and hair growth and eye development. 

Agricultural dietary hemp products are easy to include in daily meals. Hemp flour can replace conventional flour for breads, pastas and pastries. Hemp oil can be used on salads and in any recipe calling for oil as an ingredient. Hemp protein powder makes a wonderful addition to fruit smoothies. 

Agricultural Dietary Hemp Foods do so much for the body. Why is the United States government so dedicated to continuing the senseless prohibition of its use? Consumer demand is the most powerful way to effect legislation.  Get involved today by contacting your local State and Federal representatives to let them know you support Industrial Hemp and would like for American farmers to be able to grow and produce this beneficial plant. VoteHemp's What I Can Do Page