| Sprouts: The Perfect Food |
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| Joseph Feigelson | |||
| Wednesday, 21 May 2008 | |||
  Although the use of sprouts as a food source for man is as old as mans’ use of seeds, it is only in recent times that science has begun to unravel the chemistry of a sprouting seed, and its potential significance in both human and animal nutrition. Although a dry seed is characterised by a remarkably low metabolic rate, just moistening of the seed can trigger tremendous and complex changes which consist of three main types: the breakdown of certain materials in the seed (i.e., breakdown of complex fats, starch conversion into simple sugars, breakdown of protein into amino acids), the transport of materials from one part of the seed to another, and the synthesis of new materials from the breakdown products formed. The only substances normally taken up by the germinating seeds are water and oxygen. (Research by Embry and Wang [Analysis of Some Chinese Foods, China Medical Journal 35: 247-257. 1921] revealed the total protein content of Mung bean seed rose 48%, from 25% in dry seed to 37% in dry sprout, with similar increases in soybean.) Sprouts are known for their high enzyme activity never to be surpassed at later stages of maturity. The importance of enzymes in ones diet has been emphasized by a number of researchers. According to Tom Spies, M.D. (reported by Garfield G. Duncan in Diseases of Metabolism), "the respiration and growth of cells involve the synthesis of complex substances from simpler chemical compounds, By means of substances called enzymes, the cells are able to perform these functions without increased temperature and pressure. Enzymes are catalysts produced by living cells from combinations of organic substances, including the vitamins. These enzymes retain activity even when separated from the living cell." The nutritional effect of enzymes in animal experimentation was recounted by Brown Landone in his article "Make Cells Grow Younger" (quoted in Nautilus Mag., 1947, pg. 232) - "More than twenty years ago, experiments were made on old decrepit rats. Their age corresponded to that of a man of ninety years. They were fed with "immature food", that is, food which had not finished growth, sprouting new stems, young leaves. The results were amazing. The old decrepit rats were transformed, and their bodies began to grow younger. Twenty years later the factor recognised to produce this effect was anxinon (enzymes). According to medical experts and nutritional researchers, sprouts come as close to being a "perfect food" as anything available. As an example, a sprouted Mung Bean has a carbohydrate content of a melon, vitamin A of a lemon, thiamin of an avocado, riboflavin of a dry apple, niacin of a banana, and ascorbic acid of a loganberry. Because sprouts are predigested food, they have a higher biological efficiency value then whole seeds, raw or cooked. Less food is required, yet more nutrients reach the blood and cells. The sprouting process under the action of light creates chlorophyll. Chlorophyll has been shown to be effective in overcoming protein deficiency anaemia. Nutritious, all year around Sprouts are the most reliable year-round source of vitamin C, carotenoid A, and many B vitamins (such as folacin), all of which are usually in short supply in our diet. Sprouting seeds, grains, and legumes greatly increases their content of those vitamins. For example, the vitamin A content (per calorie) of sprouted Mung beans is two-and-a-half times higher than the dry bean, and some beans have more than eight times more vitamin A after being sprouted. Dry seeds, grains, and legumes, while rich in protein and complex carbohydrates, contain no vitamin C. But after sprouting, they contain around 20 milligrams per 3.5 ounces, a tremendous increase. Also, if grown in decent soil or taken from your own garden, seeds, grains, and legumes will be high in organic minerals - so your sprouts will be an excellent source of minerals as well as vitamins. The great advantage in getting vitamins from sprouts you grow yourself is that you get a consistently high vitamin content without losses. In the dead of winter, when you can't grow anything or get fresh produce anywhere, sprouts will provide a consistently reliable source of fresh, high-nutrient vegetables rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, and B vitamins. This will keep your immune system strong and your health in top condition when almost everyone else is getting sick. Why do you think so many people come down with colds and flu in the winter more than any other time? Because they're not getting the vegetables and fruits that would keep their immune systems strong. Sill growing after harvest Have you ever heard of a vegetable that continues to gain vitamins after you harvest it? Sprouts do! Sprouts are living foods. Even after you harvest your sprouts and refrigerate them, they will continue to grow slowly, and their vitamin content will actually increase. Contrast that with store-bought fruits and vegetables, which start losing their vitamins as soon as they're picked and often have to be shipped a thousand miles or more in the winter.
Disclaimer: Harmonious Living is written for and read by a community of individuals with strong and independent opinions. While the publishers of Harmonious Living are dedicated to providing a forum in which views can be openly expressed, those views do not necessarily reflect those of the publishers.
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