04/25/2023
Are sprouts the holy grail of good health?
They just might be! They are certainly a powerhouse of nutrients that is hard to beat in any other food.
What are sprouts? Sprouts are the young greens, just recently germinated from a seed--usually only a couple of inches in length.
There are a variety of different types--including bean, broccoli, beet, lentil, soybean, and pea sprouts.
The nutritional content will be different for each type, but they’re all rich in many vitamins, minerals, and essential amino acids--yes amino acids (protein--the building block of all our cells)!
Sprouts are high in vitamin K, many B vitamins like niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, folate, and pantothenic acid, as well as vitamin C and vitamin A. And they also contain minerals like zinc, calcium, manganese, and copper.
Consuming sprouts regularly has been show to:
Prevent certain cancers
Reduce insulin resistance
Improve gut health
Increase metabolism and promote weight loss
Improve heart health
Improve immunity
Contribute to prevention of glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration
Prevent cold sores
Decrease allergic symptoms, including asthma
You have heard that broccoli is a cancer fighting food. An interesting statistic is that broccoli sprouts are 50 times more powerful in fighting cancer than the adult broccoli!
Also...did you know that a handful of soybean sprouts has 20 GM of complete protein? That is amazing!
How can you incorporate sprouts into your diet? You can throw them into smoothies, top an omelet with them, put them on sandwiches, and incorporate them into your salads.
I would invite you to include more sprouts in your diet. I know I'm going to! I might even try sprouting some at home!
Do you eat sprouts?
