Sprouting is basically a process where seeds and legumes are germinated and eventually eaten raw. When seeds are soaked in water for a certain period of time and allowed to germinate they germinate, causing their outer layers to tear open and allowing a young shoot to blossom. You can sprout almost any legume,grain, seed, or nut. Everything from chickpeas to broccoli; to millet to radish ;to red clover to mung beans. There are a few exceptions—not because they won't grow a sprout, but because the effort required to get it “right” isn't really worth it or because they aren't good for you.
Commonly sprouted beans or legumes include adzuki beans, chickpeas, green peas, lentils, mung beans, and soy beans. Many people find that the initial soaking step alone renders the beans more digestible.
Mung beans and lentils are the easiest and fastest to sprout. Alfalfa, chickpeas, and adzuki beans are also good for beginners, but need a little more time. Contaminated seeds are usually the source of sprout-related illness outbreaks, so getting clean seeds is essential.
When it comes to sprouting, there are various ways to do so and also many ingredients that can be sprouted such as black beans, buckwheat, moong beans, lentils, soy beans, millet, barley, quinoa, and chickpeas. They all taste good provided you get the technique right.
Are raw beans toxic? Some uncooked beans, such as kidney, lima, and broad beans, need to be cooked before consuming to remove toxins. We recommend simply not sprouting these beans. Sprouted grains, legumes and beans are believed to be very nutritious and healthy. Grains are soaked in water so as to soften their outer membranes allowing them to sprout.First, place the seeds in a bowl or jar. Then, fill with water: use around 2-3 times the amount of water to seeds. Keep them in a dark place at room temperature for 8-12 hours. Once you've soaked your seeds and started the germination process, the next stage is to rinse and drain them until they start sprouting. Sprouting tends to increase nutrient levels in the grain, legume, vegetable, nut or seed being sprouted. Sprouts also contain lower levels of antinutrients, making it easier for your body to absorb all the nutrients they contain.
Most sprouts are safe to eat. However, in some groups of people, foodborne illness can lead to serious complications. People who eat sprouts should evaluate their risk from foodborne pathogens.
Sprouts are rich in a number of important nutrients. While the specific ratio of nutrients varies depending on the type of sprout, they generally contain high levels of folate, magnesium, phosphorus, and vitamin K. In fact, they have higher amounts of these nutrients than fully-grown versions of the same plants.If you want to boost your immunity and keep several diseases at bay, soak your legumes and eat the super-healthy breakfast of sprouts. The process of soaking increases the antioxidants levels too that increases your immunity. "Antioxidants boost immunity.
The benefits of eating sprouts:Brief account:
•It is easily digestible.
•Sprouting increases the vitamins and mineral content.
•Doubles the Vitamin A content.
•B complex vitamin increases 5-10 times more.
•Level of Vitamin C increases.
•The bioavailability of nutrients increases.
•Proteins are easily digestible.
•Cooking time is reduced.
The best time to eat sprouts is right before dinner or early in the morning.
Benifits of Sprouts:
(1) Sprouts helps in digestion of food.Sprouts contain an unusually high content of active digestive enzymes. These enzymes further help in boosting your metabolic processes and improve biochemical reactions within the body, specifically when it comes to digestion. Enzymes in sprouts help break down the food effectively and enhance the absorption of nutrients by the digestive tract. Sprouts also have a lot of dietary fiber which regulates digestion. Basically, fibre bulks up the stool, making it easier to pass through the digestive tract.
(2) Boosts blood circulation:
Sprouts help in boosting your blood circulation by maintaining your red blood cell(RBC) count with significant amounts of iron and copper. This further helps in supplying oxygen to various organs and cells to optimize their performance. Sprouts tends to repair capillaries to get strong and thick hair too. A healthy blood supply is a good stimulant for hair growth. It helps generate new blood vessels and increases circulation to the scalp and follicles.
(3) Helps in weight loss:
Sprouts are one the best foods to help lose weight. They are high in nutrients but have negligible calories which means that you can consume sprouts without worrying about the weighing scale. Furthermore, sprouts contain a high amount of fiber that makes you feel full for a longer period of time. It also inhibits the release of ghrelin, a hunger hormone that indicates to eat more.
(4) Builds your immune system:
Sprouts have a high vitamin C content that makes it a powerful stimulant for the white blood cells(WBC) in the body to fight off infections and diseases and thus, building your immunity system. It also has abundant vitamin A. Vitamin A has a number of antioxidant properties that make a great source of immune system strength. Make sure you sprout well to reap the maximum benefit of the
vitamin A.
(5) Helps to improve vision:
Due to the presence of vitamin A, sprouts also help in improving your vision and eye sight. They also have antioxidant agents to protect the cells of the eyes from free radicals.So load up on more sprouts to ensure seeing a bright world out there.
(6) Heart friendly:
Boosting good cholesterol (HDL) levels and reduce the amount of harmful cholesterol in your blood vessels and arteries. Omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties that help in reducing the excessive stress on your cardiovascular system. The presence of potassium helps reduce blood pressure levels, further reducing the risk of any cardiovascular problem.
(7) Sprouts helps to reduce gastric acidity: Sprouts are alkalizing to the body.They help regulate and maintain the pH levels of your body by reducing the level of acids. It is known that many illnesses including stomach cancer are associated with excess acidity in the body. Include sprouts in your salads to ensure less acidity from citrus fruits.
(8) May prevent premature ageing:
Sprouts are said to have abundance of highly active antioxidants that helps prevent premature ageing. It is known to prevent the DNA damage that is also a cause of ageing. Moreover, the antioxidants present in the sprouts help combat cell damaging free radicals that can cause premature ageing. So eat more sprouts and include them in your daily diet. Sprouts also helps in healthy growth of hair due to presence of vitamin A.
Nutritionist Sheela Sehrawat from the Diet Clinic in New Delhi, explains, "Sprouting increases the nutritive value of the ingredients and provides better digestion. The young sprouts have 10 to 100 times glucoraphanin which is an enzyme that protects the body from cancer causing agents. Further, it provides antioxidants and increases the activity of chlorophyll which helps in detoxifying your body by boosting the oxygen levels in the body."
(9)These nutritional power houses are also known to enhance sexual functions, specifically in men. Sprouts build stamina and improve the sperm quality.
(10) Promotes hair growth: Sprouts contain a enough vitamin C, which is considered to promote hair growth. It destroys all the free radicals in the body which makes the hair brittle. It also prevents a variety of hair disorders like alopecia, hirsutism and ensures healthy hair.
Brussels sprouts and other dark leafy greens, like kale, broccoli, and spinach provide iron and Vitamin C. Certain greens – including arugula, kale, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts also contain high levels of sulfur, a mineral that promotes hair growth.
The side effects of sprouts:
Diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps are common symptoms that occur 12 to 72 hours after infection(food borne infection) While there are approved plant treatments to reduce contamination, there is no way to guarantee all harmful bacteria are destroyed in raw sprouts. Unfortunately, you can't smell or see if a food is harboring harmful bacteria.
Information compiled by:
Dr. Bhairavsinh Raol
