Why Aloe and Hemp Seed Are Important to NEW EDEN

A look inside two important sources of nutrition in NEW EDEN

One of the questions we receive is, “Why is aloe vera part of NEW EDEN?”

The answer goes back more than four decades, to a period of research that changed how we looked at aloe—not simply as a traditional plant, but as a source of interesting nutritional compounds.

The Beginning of the Aloe Story

My personal interest in aloe vera leaf gel began in the mid-1980s during a period of intense medical concern surrounding the AIDS epidemic.

At the time, I became aware of individuals who reported significant improvements in their health after consuming an aloe-based beverage produced by a small company in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Those reports raised an important scientific question:

 What was actually present in the aloe leaf gel that might explain these observations?

That question led to extensive research involving Carrington Laboratories and scientists from multiple institutions. I joined the project as a physician to help interpret the basic scientific findings and consider what they might mean from a nutritional and biological perspective.

One compound that received considerable attention was acetylated mannose (Acemannan), a complex polysaccharide naturally found in the inner gel of the aloe vera leaf. The biological importance of mannose-containing carbohydrates in cellular processes had been documented in scientific literature, including work by S. and R. Kornfeld cited in the Annual Review of Biochemistry in 1985.

Why is Acemannan interesting?

Acemannan is not regarded as a vitamin or mineral. It is a naturally occurring carbohydrate-based molecule that has been studied for its interactions with cells and biological systems.

Research has explored its role in areas such as cellular communication, immune-system activity, and tissue-related processes.

That research is one reason Aloe remains an important part of the nutritional philosophy behind NEW EDEN.

But there is an important distinction based on restrictions found in the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA).

NEW EDEN is a nutritional supplement. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. The labeling section states that only an FDA-approved pharmaceutical drug can treat, heal, mitigate a disease or syndrome, or correct an abnormal health condition. This is not true, but it is the law.

All we do in the dietary supplement field is improve the body’s nutrient inventory.  The microcosm of cellular synthesis is too small for human intervention.

Our goal is to provide nutrients and naturally occurring compounds that can become part of the body’s normal nutritional environment.

Why More Comprehensive Nutrition?

The human body is remarkably complex.

Every cell depends on thousands of biochemical reactions occurring continuously. Nutrients provide raw materials and cofactors that help those processes take place.

Our food supply provides many of these nutrients, but modern diets do not always provide the same diversity of plant foods and naturally occurring compounds that were once routinely available.

That leads to an important question:

 What happens when we make the nutritional foundation more comprehensive?

This is the philosophy behind NEW EDEN.

Rather than focusing on one isolated nutrient, NEW EDEN brings together a broad range of plant-derived nutritional ingredients low, missing, or avoided by choice in the modern diet.

The goal is simple:

Provide the body with a broader nutritional foundation to support normal cellular function and overall wellness.

 Why Hemp Seed Was Added to NEW EDEN?

More recently, in 2021, we added hemp seed powder to NEW EDEN.

Why hemp seed? The answer begins with something fascinating about the plant kingdom.

 A Seed Is Nature’s Unique Nutritional Package

A seed represents the beginning of a new generation of a plant. Inside that small package is an embryo and a carefully organized supply of nutrients intended to support the young plant as it begins to grow.

Seeds contain a combination of:

• Protein
• Essential fatty acids
• Carbohydrates
• Fiber prebiotic.
• Minerals
• Other naturally occurring plant compounds

Hemp seeds are particularly interesting nutritionally because they provide plant-based protein and essential fatty acids, along with minerals and other nutrients. When hemp seed is ground into a powder, these nutrients become a convenient way to add the nutritional value of the whole seed to the diet.

Hemp Seed Is Not the Same as Cannabis. We tested the urine of truck drivers and pilots who took NEW EDEN. All were negative for THC.

This is an important distinction. Hemp seed does not contain the same intoxicating properties associated with marijuana. Hemp seed is used as a food ingredient and has a long history as a nutritional food.  Our interest in hemp seeds is nutritional—not pharmacological.

Why Did We Choose Hemp Seed?

There are many nutritious seeds in the plant kingdom.

So why hemp?

My interest in hemp seed developed through conversations with people involved in the emerging U.S. hemp industry. For many years, hemp production and the use of hemp-derived food ingredients in the United States were heavily restricted.

As those laws changed, hemp once again became available as a food ingredient.

I have long been interested in the nutritional value of seeds and the role they can play in a diverse diet. Hemp seed offered an especially interesting combination of plant protein, fatty acids, minerals, and other naturally occurring nutrients. That made it a logical addition to the broader nutritional philosophy of NEW EDEN.

One Ingredient Does Not Tell the Whole Story

 Nutrition often leads us to search for one magic ingredient.

But human nutrition doesn’t work that simply. Key ingredients in Hemp are Vitamin D, Omega-3, Protein, Fiber, Aloe inner leaf powder.

The body requires many different nutrients, and those nutrients participate in an enormous network of biochemical processes.

That is why NEW EDEN was never designed around a single “miracle” ingredient.

Instead, we continue to look for ways to provide more comprehensive nutritional support by combining a variety of plant-derived ingredients.

Nutrition Is About Supporting the Body

 Your DNA contains instructions for building and maintaining your body. But those instructions don’t operate in isolation.

Cells need nutrients, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, carbohydrates, and other compounds to sustain the biochemical processes essential to life.

This is the principle behind NEW EDEN: to provide a broader nutritional foundation and the building materials the body needs each day.

It also drives our continued study of plants, seeds, and naturally occurring nutritional compounds, with much still to discover.

From Aloe to Hemp

 Our journey began with a question about aloe more than 40 years ago. That question eventually led us to Acemannan, plant-derived compounds, and the broader concept of comprehensive nutrition.

Today, that philosophy continues with ingredients such as hemp seed powder.

NEW EDEN isn’t about chasing the latest health trend.

It is about asking a very basic question:

 What nutrients can we provide to help make the daily diet more nutritionally complete?

That question continues to guide our work.