Germinated hemp food ingredients

Most of our foods are made from dormant seeds. These propagating units are made not to feed us, but to save transfer of genetic information for the next generations.

Plants have built up several protection systems to prevent their propagating units. This protection can be physical or chemical: toxins, enzyme inhibitors, tannins, phytic acids, etc.

A large amount of the nutritional material produced by the agriculture is lost because of the improper understanding and processing of the foods.

Nutrients in seeds are stored in form of giant molecules in a highly condensed form - like a ZIP file in the computer.

The basic goal of our digestion is to break down these molecules in order to make them utilizable for our organism and to break down the severalanti-nutritive materials present.

The process of germination is a magical way the nature uses to reveal and offer us incredible amounts of nutrients from a seed that carefully protects its nutrients.

During this process, the anti-nutrients decompose and active enzymes turn the sprouted seed into a vitamin, mineral and anti-oxidant mega-bomb. The amount of nutrients may increase few-fold while the seed is germinating.

The essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals become better available for and are better absorbed by the human body.

Moreover, the functionality of these new raw food ingredients is achieved not by artificially adding one or another beneficial component, but through the most natural way the nature knows – through germination.

The technology to produce these foods is equally unique and ensures the preservation of a maximum amount of nutrients in an available and easily digestible form. Moreover, the product is extremely stable despite the absence of preservatives.

The product line consists of cold-dried germinated hemp seeds, cold-pressed germinated hemp seed oil, germinated hemp protein powder.

The technology to produce these foods is equally unique and ensures the preservation of a maximum amount of nutrients in an available and easily digestible form.

Changes in Carbohydrates

Simple sugars are the imminent source of energy for the seed development during germination process. While ordinary hemp seed contains about 2.00% of sugars, germinated hemp seed contains less than 0.50% of sugars.

Changes in Protein

Big bundles of globular protein are broken down into oligopeptides or individual amino acids. Germinated hemp seed is also rich in active enzymes that assist quality digesting of proteins. Total protein content remains unchanged when compared to ordinary hemp seed.

Changes in Fats

The most dramatic changes in germinating hemp seed occur on the fat side. Most of the “food fat“ comes in a form of triglyceride (TAG) which is formed by one glycerol molecule and three molecules of fatty acids. Fatty acids are a family of molecules classified as lipid macronutrients. One of their roles within human and animal metabolism is energy production in the form of synthesis of Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP). Alpha-Linolenic fatty acid also acts as a agent for DHA synthesis.

During germination the TAGs are hydrolysed and broken into di-glycerides (DAG) or mono-glycerides (MAG) and free fatty acids (FFAs). But since FFAs are immediately used-up as energy source needed for seed growth, the overall Acid Number of the oil from germinated hemp seed is not considerably higher compared to oil from ordinary seeds. The typical Acidity is less 2.00%.

While TAGs represent material suitable to build fat supplies, DAGs are channelled into the liver where they serve as a direct energy source. Thereby, they also assist metabolism and intensify burning. And it is likely to be one of the reasons why they help reducing weight. This effect has been confirmed by several studies.

Up to 15% of fat in germinating hemp seed can be converted into DAGs. Conventional cooking oils are mostly TAG fats, with a small amount of DAG fats. TAGs are hydrophobic while DAGs are hydrophilic – they bond water chemically. This difference is very important from the perspective of fat transfer in the body and industrial applications. 70% of the DAG fats in sprouted oil are in the (1,3) form.

Moreover, the product is extremely stable despite the absence of preservatives. The anti-oxidant capacity can be demonstrated on increased level of tocopherols in our cold-pressed hemp seed oil when compared to hemp oil from ordinary hemp seeds: • Gamma-tocopherol +18% • Alpha-tocopherol (Vitamin E) +131% • Total tocopherol +29%

The high proportion of the Vitamin E form present in the oil enhances the Omega-3 fatty acid effects and adds to the significant anti-oxidant and strong anti-inflammatory effects of the oil.