• Legal hemp products provide high levels of nutritious protein.hemp image by Dmitri MIkitenko from Fotolia.com
  
  If you have seen hemp protein products available in health food stores, you might be wondering if they are safe and legal for consumption. Hemp protein is one of the many products made from the cannabis plant that is legal within the US and is available to consumers as a whole food. Hempseeds contain 25 percent edible protein, with all eight essential amino acids and a host of other vitamins and minerals. While this makes hempseed protein an impressive health food, there are still some drawbacks consumers should be aware of.
  
  

Digestibility

• Hempseed contains an impressive quantity of essential amino acids required for human health, growth and healing. However, different types of hempseed products may be digested and absorbed to varying degrees. In a study on hempseed published in the "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry" in 2010, researchers found protein from whole hempseed and hempseed meal was approximately 50 percent digestible. The best source of hempseed protein was determined to be unhulled hempseed, which rose the digestibility to 66 percent. While this is impressive for any seed/nut product, other forms of protein such as whey offer better available sources of nutrition.
  
  

Arginine Content

• Protein from hempseed contains significantly high levels of the amino acid arginine. While arginine plays a role in wound healing, hormone production and immune function, it may also be contraindicated in some conditions. According to Henry Osiecki, author of "The Physician's Handbook of Clinical Nutrition," high levels of arginine in the diet facilitates herpes infections, as this amino acid is required by the virus to replicate viral proteins. People with recurring, chronic or acute herpes infections should reframe from consuming hempseed products daily.
  
  

THC Levels

• Hemp products are legal in the US and they must go through processing to have any THC content removed. Hempseed has a very low THC content before processing and following the removal, any level of THC still remaining should not affect human health or drug testing. However, readers are urged to purchase hemp products intended for ingestion with caution, especially when shopping over the internet or importing from other countries. In addition to interfering with drug testing, THC may suppress bone marrow growth and immune function when ingested for long periods.
  
  

Auto-Immune Conditions

• Hempseed protein is comprised of up to 65 percent globulin edistin, which is required by the human body for making serum globulin, albumin and immune system chemicals such as antibodies and gamma globulin. While this nutrition is beneficial for the majority of the population, victims of autoimmune conditions may find hempseed products are too stimulating on the immune system. There has been no research yet on hempseed products and autoimmune conditions, however it is known that the combination of essential fatty acids and amino acids in hempseed increases white blood cells in animals and humans. Readers suffering from autoimmune conditions or who are taking immuno-supressive drugs should use hempseed protein with caution.