Sprouts : Nutrients and Nuances
A. Effects of eating raw sprouts, as told by a nutrition neophyte
Enthused by an article, forwarded to me by one of my ('naturopath') friends, I have been eating raw sprouts for last 3 months. These are the effects of my experiment -
1. My wife's sleep quality has improved. She does not have to wake up early in the morning to prepare an elaborate breakfast for me. I wake up, rinse the sprouts and eat them. The whole procedure hardly takes more than 5 minutes.
2. I have lost 3 kg during last 3 months. The very sight of the sprouts is enough to kill my appetite. The earlier breakfasts of aloo-paratha, puri-sabzi, idli-sambhar-chutney...are a thing of the past!😞
3. My guests have stopped visiting me. I would serve them sprouts - the wonder foods, full of excellent nutrients.
B. What do the experts say?
1. The process of germination causes release of enzymes in the seed which help in improved digestion of carbohydrates and protein by us.
2. The phytates present in plants bind with minerals, viz., iron, zinc, magnesium, etc. and thereby prevent them from being absorbed by humans. The process of germination breaks down the phytates and releases these minerals which can be absorbed by us.
3. Sprouts improve the vitamin and fibre contents in the plant.
C. Precautions
1. Sprouts require humid and warm environment to grow. The same environment is also ideal for the growth of pathogens (an organism that causes disease) such as salmonella. E. coli, etc.
2. Seeds of the sprouts can be contaminated during their growth through contaminated water, animal manure, dirty containers or dirty hands. No amount of rinsing them can free them of their contamination. Therefore, if you buy sprouts from market, it is advisable to cook them before consumption.
3. Never consume sprouts if they are smelly, sticky, sickly in appearance or bitter in taste.
4. Consume them as early as possible.
5. Raw sprouts should never be consumed by very young, very old, sick persons or pregnant women.
6. While sprouting at home, use clean water, sanitized container and clean hands. Rinse them frequently (2-3 times a day) and store them in fridge below 5° Celsius.
7. Daily consumption of sprouts is not advisable. We must include a variety of food items for our balanced nutritional requirement.
Medical disclaimer - The blog content is provided for general educational purpose only. It does not substitute professional medical advice. Reader is advised to consult his doctor before starting any fitness program to avoid any health risks.
Shyam Chaturvedi
Adding Alfa alfa sprouts to your regular green moong sprouts is a good idea as recommended by Jindal Naturopathy
ReplyDeleteVery motivating....
ReplyDeleteLittle bit of tadka,
Perhaps wd add to taste and minimise
Contamination
Very useful for everyone by adopting/following the same as indicated above...
ReplyDeleteInteresting way of sharing info. Very useful information about sprouts-washing twice and keeping it in fridge. Full knowledge with tadka!
ReplyDeleteWhat is the impact of mild cooking in nutritional values of sprouts. Is it good to semi cook to avoid consumption of contaminated sprouts.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting elaboration on nutritional values and benefits of sprouts. Precautions advised in last para is worth remembering. Few experts recommend boiling the sprouts for taste and breaking the peptide bond of protein for better consumption.
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ReplyDelete