sprouts

[Guest guest]

I look at it this way. The most nutritionally compact foods are

seeds. I am not discussing the vegetarian aspect but just the

nutrition. The seeds have hall the nutrition needed to support

life. These include seeds and nuts and all kinds of eggs.They get a

small growth spurt and it will usually include chlorophyll. What

more do we need? Below is an article.

 

Gb

 

 

This Winter And This Millennium, Don't Forget The Sprouts*

The National Cancer institute and the National Institute of Health

both recommend eating 5 fresh fruits and vegetables every day. A

great way to help reach that goal is to include sprouts.

 

Sprouts are the only form of agriculture that can be locally grown

and available in all four seasons. These " baby " vegetables are grown

from seed to salad in only week. That makes them great Y2K food. In

fact, one pound of alfalfa seed will yield 10-14 pounds of fresh

mini-salad greens. Whether you are on top of a mountain or in a

bunker with artificial light, you can still grow this fast, organic

food.

 

Yes, it is fast food, but you won't be sacrificing any nutrition.

Alfalfa sprouts have more chlorophyll than spinach, kale, cabbage or

parsley. Alfalfa, sunflower, clover and radish sprouts are all 4%

Protein. Compare that to spinach - 3%, Romaine lettuce -1.5% and

Iceberg lettuce- 0.8%, and milk -3.3%. These foods all have about

90% water. But meat and eggs are the protein foods for Americans.

Meat is 19% and eggs are 13% protein (and 11% fat). But Soybean

sprouts have 28% protein, and lentil and pea sprouts are 26%.

Soybeans sprouts have twice the protein of eggs and only 1/10 fat

the fat.

 

Grain and nut sprouts, such as wheat and sunflower, are rich in

fats. While fats in flour and wheat germ have a reputation for going

rancid quickly (stores should refrigerate them), fats in sprouts

last for weeks. The valuable wheat germ oil in wheat sprouts is

broken down into its essential fatty acid fractions over 50% of

which is the valuable Omega 6. While sunflower oil is our finest

source of omega 6, germination of the sunflower sprout micellizes

the fatty acids into an easily digestible, water soluble form saving

our body the trouble of breaking it down and simultaneously

protecting us against the perils of rancidity. This is a great bonus

for a sprout that is already popular for its crispness and nutty

flavor.

 

Radish sprouts have 29 times more Vitamin C than milk (29mg vs 1mg)

and 4 times the Vitamin A (391 IU vs 126). These spicy sprouts have

10 times more calcium than a potato (51mg vs 5mg) and contain more

vitamin C than pineapple. If you examine what is happening during

germination, it looks like a vitamin factory. While mature radishes

contain 10 IU/100g of provitamin, the radish sprouts contain 391 IU,

39 times more! No wonder, sprout lovers say you can feel the

vitamins!

 

Phytochemical Factory

 

Alfalfa, radish, broccoli, clover and soybean contain concentrated

amounts of phytochemicals (plant compounds) that can protect us

against disease. Canavanine, an amino acid analog present in

alfalfa, demonstrates resistence to pancreatic, colon and leukemia

cancers. Plant estrogens in these sprouts function similarly to

human estrogen but without the side effects. They increase bone

formation and density and prevent bone breakdown (osteoporosis).

They are helpful in controlling hot flashes, menopause, PMS and

fibrocystic breasts tumors.

 

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine researchers found

substantial amounts of glucosinolates and isothiocyanates in

broccoli sprouts which are very potent inducers of phase 2 enzymes

that protect cells from going malignant. The sprouts contain 10-100

times higher levels of these enzymes than do the corresponding

mature plants.

 

Alfalfa sprouts are one of our finest food sources of saponins.

Saponins lower the bad cholesterol and fat but not the good HDL

fats. Animal studies prove their benefit in arteriosclerosis and

cardiovascular disease. Saponins also stimulate the immune system by

increasing the activity of natural killer cells such as T-

lymphocytes and interferon. The saponin content of alfalfa sprouts

multiplies 450% over that of the unsprouted seed. Sprouts also

contain an abundance of highly active antioxidants that prevent DNA

destruction and protect us from the ongoing effects of aging. It

wouldn't be inconceivable to find a fountain of youth here, after

all, sprouts represent the miracle of birth.

 

This article was written by Steve Meyerowitz, Sproutman®

 

 

 

, " francavillafontana "

<francavillafontana wrote:

>

> I use a lot sprouts in my vegetarian diet.

> I try to convince as many friend I can to use sprouts.

> But last week a friend of mine (biologist, geek!)asked me which

> compelling scientific evidence I have to suggest the use of sprouts

> instead of any other kind of vegetables.

> I was speechless!

> Can anyone help me to pin point some very good scientific articles

to

> give to my geek friend?

>

[Guest guest]

very interesting. Thanks GB! AmyF

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I have no sprout experience. Thank you this article.

I've always wanted to try growinf sprouts but it looks so complicated.

 

Rain

 

 

, " greatyoga " <greatyoga

wrote:

>

>

> I look at it this way. The most nutritionally compact foods are

> seeds. I am not discussing the vegetarian aspect but just the

> nutrition. The seeds have hall the nutrition needed to support

> life. These include seeds and nuts and all kinds of eggs.They get a

> small growth spurt and it will usually include chlorophyll. What

> more do we need? Below is an article.

>

> Gb

[Guest guest]

I forgot. I have learned you can sprout most any beans. I get organic at a natural food store. The black beans sprouted beautifully, pintos okay, and back eyed peas pretty good.

~Deanna