Enhance The Value of Protein, Vitamins and Minerals by Sprouting Seeds and Grains

Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

Overview

Have you heard about sprouting? Sprouting is nothing but germination. It is a simple practice followed by many ancient people to enhance nutritional value of legumes, oil seeds and even grains. You will find sprouting as a food processing in Chine and you must taste the Chinese sprout of ‘Mung Beans Sprouting Any sprouted seed or grain would gain vast improvement in its freshness and mineral and vitamin values than its raw (non-sprouted) seeds or grains.

Sprouting Procedure

1. How to sprout the seed or grain? For sprouting you do not have to light the stove and the process does not require any boiling, oil frying or dry roasting. The process is simple and natural.
2. Take care to collect the right seed or grain. You may gain knowledge about the taste, freshness, shelf-life and nutritional value of sprout.
3. If the seeds or grains were grown using chemicals or fertilizers or pesticides then there may be delayed or partial sprouting take place.
4. Once the seed or grain to be sprouted is decided, simply you wash the item thoroughly.
5. Soak the seed or grain in the utensil. The seed or grain should fill one fourth of the utensil and the remaining three fourth should be left empty. Use normal cold water (60-70°). Add water till the seed or grain immersed fully in water. Cover the utensil with a white muslin cloth.
6. How much time the seeds or grains require sprouting? This should be learned by experience. Some may germinate within five to six hours and some other may take six to eight hours and some larger size seeds may consume even ten hours.
7. Over soaking may lead to rotting or fermenting. Take care not to over soak.
8. The environment should be airy with adequate natural sun light to provide normal room temperature. Poor environment will lead to poor germination.
9. Just open and drain the water. The seeds or grains might have absorbed water and grown fatty and pulpy.
10. Rinse it with fresh water. The quantity is increased and expanded six to eight times.
11. Continue to sprinkling water and cover seeds or grain with muslin cloth and allow remaining one or two days till the seeds or grains completely germinated.

Benefits

How the sprouted seed or grain is advantageous than the normal raw seed or grain? The most visible transformation is its freshness and easy digestibility. What the carbohydrates or starch stored in the raw seed or grain is converted into simple sugars like glucose and sucrose by the active participation of the enzyme ‘amylase’ and its reaction with atmospheric nitrogen. Similarly protein available in the raw seed or grain is converted into amino acids and amides. Due to this process there is considerable decrease in carbohydrate and there is increased presence of easy to digest protein. Besides this the fats and oils are transformed into simplified fatty acids by the active participation another enzyme ‘lipase.’
The most significant added value is the increased protein (30%).There is an increased presence of sodium (690%) and the same will be your digestion. There is also an increased presence of vitamins such as vitamin A (285%), vitamin B1 (thiamine) (208%), Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin) (515%) and vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and minerals such as potassium (80%), phosphorus (56%) and iron (40%).

Sprouting of Soya Bean seeds

Sprouting of soya bean seeds provide well yield (2:1). The germination will takes three to six days. Soya bean will provides poor to moderate germination. Sometimes the sprouts may taste sour. The most significant added value of soya bean is the increased protein (30%) and amino acids. There is increased presence of vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C and vitamin E. There is also an increased presence of minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium and phosphorus.

Reference

1. Sprout People. Soy Bean http://WNW.sproutpeople.com/seed/soy.html 
2. Sprouts for Optimum Nutrition http://WNW.sproutnet.com/Press/sprouts_for_optimum_nutrition.htm 
3. The History of Sprouts and Their Nutritional Value http://WNW.isga-sprouts.org/history.htm 
4. Wikipedia. Sprouting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprouting