HEMP: THE NEW SOY

Seeds Of Hemp Plant Promoted As Good Source Of Protein

Fashion runways aren't the only places you can spot trends--you can also
find them strolling down supermarket aisles.

The latest one offered up by the food industry is hemp. Fans say hemp is
poised to become the new soy and if Vitamin Shop customer Joanie Anderson
is any indication, they might be right.

"I used to use soy in my morning shake but I read on the Internet that it
might interfere with my thyroid medication so I switched to hemp," says
Anderson.

Hemp has been around for years -- as far back as 8000 BC. But most
consumers associate it with textiles -- not with food. Not any more: hemp's
latest incarnation as the base for many nutritious food products is
creating renewed interest in the plant and changing its controversial
image. Hemp is showing up in a dizzying array of products; waffles, energy
bars, veggie burgers, pizza, bread, salad dressings and ice cream, to name
a few.

Once maligned and even banned due to an incorrect association with its
distant, mind-altering cousin marijuana, hemp has shed its illicit
cachet--in Canada at least. "Many U.S. grocery chains still shy away from
buying products that contain hemp," says David Neuman, vice-president of
sales and marketing for Richmond-based Nature's Path Foods. "Within Canada,
this is much less of an issue. Most consumers in both the health and
mainstream channels understand the benefits of hemp. Our HempPlus Granola
is our No. 1-selling granola in Canada."

There is, in fact, no scientific cause for concern about hemp. The
industrial hemp grown in Canada is sown from specially bred cannabis seeds
regulated by Health Canada that contain undetectable levels of THC--the
psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.

"You couldn't get high if you smoked an acre of it," laughs Richard
Plotnikoff, director of the Canadian Hemp Corp. Based in Sidney,
Plotnikoff's company produces hemp oil, hemp nuts (hulled hemp seeds) and
OmegaHemp energy bars. In addition, CHC educates prospective farmers about
the cultivation of hemp and guides them through the regulation process with
Health Canada.

Like Neuman, Plotnikoff is impressed by the hemp-friendly attitude in
Canada, and particularly Victoria. "Hemp is becoming so mainstream here
we've got 90-year-old grandmothers buying our OmegaHemp bars."

Plotnikoff adds that sales are stronger at the Victoria Health Show than at
other shows, demonstrating that the residents are particularly health
conscious.

Janet Bol, manager of Planet Organic, says, "People like the nutty, crunchy
flavour of hemp nuts (shelled seeds). Customers put them on salads, in
yogurt, on their cereal and they enjoy the slightly nutty, rich flavour of
the oil too. It makes great salad dressing."

Perhaps the item creating the biggest buzz within the hemp industry and
among consumers is hemp protein powder. With mad cow disease, Avian Bird
Flu, PCBs in fish and genetically altered soy all making headlines, it's
not surprising that people are looking for safe, healthy protein alternatives.

Proponents say they'll find just what they're looking for in hemp. The
edible portion of hemp -- the shelled seed -- is an excellent source of
protein. Its overall protein content of 34.6 grams/ 100 grams is comparable
to that of soybeans and better than that found in nuts, other seeds and
dairy products.

As David Neuman points out, "this is a high-quality protein containing all
nine essential amino acids in sufficient quantity and ratio to meet the
body's needs -- somewhat unusual for a plant protein."

In addition, hemp protein is free of "antinutrients" like the trypsin in
soy, which inhibits proper protein absorption and causes gas and bloating.

Another important aspect of hemp protein, according to North
Vancouver-based Ironman triathlete Brendan Brazier, is that it is raw and
rich in chlorophyll.

"Chlorophyll has an alkalizing effect on the body--a body that is more
alkaline will have a stronger immune system and be able to deal with stress
better," he says. "Also, when the body's pH is balanced, muscle tissue is
more easily gained and retained and fat is more easily shed."

While the 29-year-old professional athlete may not be a nutritional
scientist, his track record as an endurance athlete and his lean, muscular
frame certainly lend credibility to his words. He is also hoping they will
lend credibility to his new product. Brazier is the formulator of Vega--a
new vegan meal-replacement featuring hemp protein.

So how exactly is this hemp protein powder made?

Charles Holmes, who with his father Ken founded Living Harvest Conscious
Nutrition -- the makers of the first hemp protein powder-- says the whole
seeds are pressed to extract the oil, "then the cake that is left over is
ground with a special vacuum friction mill and screened of the fibre from
the shell."

A serving of the protein powder yields 14 grams of protein -- that's
comparable to two medium eggs or two three-ounce slices of cheese. Living
Harvest's protein powder has helped the New Westminster-based company
become one of the largest and fastest growing companies in the hemp food
business. Founded in 2002 , the company achieved an 89-per-cent growth rate
in 2004.

Hemp seeds are also full of Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids. Hemp contains
56 per cent Omega 6, 19 per cent Omega 3 and seven to nine per cent Omega
9. These fats are considered essential because your body can't make them --
they must be supplied by the foods you eat.

Typically, North American diets are too rich in Omega 6 EFA's and too low
in Omega 3s, thanks to our intake of processed foods laden with safflower,
corn and soybean oils.

This "fatty imbalance" is implicated in a wide range of common illnesses
ranging from cardiovascular disease and arthritis to skin disorders.

Health agencies around the globe and clinical research suggest we would all
be a lot healthier if the ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 were no more than
four to one.

In his book Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill, biochemist Udo Erasmus, a
world-renowned expert on EFAs, says, "hemp food and hemp oil are at the
head of the good fat line since they contain 80 per cent EFAs in an optimal
three-to-one balance no other food source has."

In addition, hemp seeds are also rich in Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA), an EFA
metabolite that has been shown to be beneficial for rheumatoid arthritis,
allergies and ADHD.

Flax, the current best-seller among nutritional oils, contains 14 per cent
Omega 6, 58 per cent Omega 3, 10 per cent Omega 9 and no GLA.

Other nutrients of significance in hemp include: B vitamins, calcium,
magnesium, potassium carotene, vitamin D and the vitamin E complex.

And then there's hemp's effect on the environment -- or rather the lack
thereof. Hemp requires substantially less water than other plants and
virtually no pesticides or fungicides. In fact, it's a good companion plant
for vegetables as it repels pests naturally.

It may turn out to be big business, too. While there is no longer any
restriction on selling hemp food in the U.S., it is still illegal to grow
hemp there. That means Canadians farmers are the principal suppliers of
hemp seed and hemp seed products to the U.S.

Most of the hemp grown in Canada comes from the Prairies, but Plotnikoff
has had farmers from the Comox Valley express interest in growing the hard
plant.