FITNESS
good health
 Little food factories
Sprouting of grains, seeds, pulses make these more beneficial and healthy, as it increases bioavailability of proteins, Vitamins B, C and E, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium
Ishi Khosla

The delicate flavour and crunchy texture of nutritious moong bean sprouts makes them an excellent addition to soups, salads, stir fries, etc.
The delicate flavour and crunchy texture of nutritious moong bean sprouts makes them an excellent addition to soups, salads, stir fries, etc.

Sprouts can be used in sandwiches as fillings
Sprouts can be used in sandwiches as fillings

Sprouts can be eaten raw, especially in salads or lightly cooked by sautéing or steaming
Sprouts can be eaten raw, especially in salads or lightly cooked by sautéing or steaming

Sprouted soybeans should always be cooked before use
Sprouted soybeans should always be cooked before use

NO prescription for health seems complete without a mention of sprouts. Originally, part of Chinese cuisine as bean sprouts, what makes these so popular with nutrition experts, is worth exploring. Perhaps the most exciting is the multiplication of nutrients by the germination process itself. Sprouts, in fact can be called little food factories, for in them are manufactured vitamins and enzymes which were not there to begin with. These food factories also are equipped with digestive powers as they develop enzymes which breakdown proteins into simpler forms of amino acids, fats into fatty acids and carbohydrates into sugars and starches, which can be digested by the body even without cooking. Thus, sprouting benefits digestibility, too, and provides partially digested food. Now that is truly incredible!

Grains, seeds, pulses and cereals are largely devoid of Vitamin C. Sprouting increases Vitamin C by nearly 60 per cent and generates Vitamin C up to an amount that one serve is enough to meet the recommended adult's daily needs of 40 mg. One cup moong sprouts, for instance, provide an impressive 70 mg of vitamin C, (100 gm orange provides 40 mg vitamin C). The Vitamin B content of the grains also increases phenomenally almost by 20-30 per cent particularly B1, folic acid and biotin. Vitamin B6 and folic acid are useful in prevention of heart disease. Sprouting also increases bioavailability of proteins, Vitamin E, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium.

The remarkable part goes beyond this. Grains and pulses are known to contain certain interfering factors for the absorption of minerals like iron and calcium, (deficiencies of which are very common). Well-known inhibitors include phytates, trypsin inhibitors and tannins, which bind themselves to iron and calcium and make them unavailable. Sprouting destroys most of these interfering substances and allows easy availability of these minerals for the use by the body. Iron absorption is further enhanced by the presence of high levels of Vitamin C produced during sprouting.

Interestingly, the process of sprouting beans is also known to breakdown certain carbohydrates which cause flatulence (gas), in sensitive individuals, thereby relieving them of this common side-effect of eating beans and pulses.

The partial digestion of nutrients allows the consumption of sprouts as raw foods and without the need for cooking and or with minimum cooking. Cooking destroys most of the delicate B vitamins, antioxidants and enzymes in food. Sprouts can be eaten raw or lightly cooked by saut`E9ing or steaming.

Almost any whole bean, pulse, seeds or grains can be sprouted. The most common sprouts remain moong bean, blackgram (kala chana), chickpeas (safed chana), alfa alfa, sunflower seeds and fenugreek (methi). However, soybean, sesame seeds (til), millets etc. are all good for sprouting. Sprouted beans, lentils, and peas tend to have a denser, more fibrous texture than sprouts grown from seeds, which tend to be more delicate.

Delicate flavour, crunchy texture of these fairly large and nutritious moong bean sprouts makes them an excellent addition to soups, salads, stir fries and many Chinese and Asian dishes. At times, some people find them little indigestible and may prefer to blanch them briefly in boiling water before using them.

Alfalfa sprouts have special benefits as they contain compounds called saponins. Saponins have been found to lower bad cholesterol, thus protecting against cardiovascular disease. They have a mild, nutty flavour that is perfect in salads and sandwiches. They are best eaten raw as they retain their crunchy texture and are not suitable for cooking as they are delicate.

Sprouted soybeans should always be cooked before use, but all other sprouts may be eaten raw.

Sprouts can be thrown into salads, sandwiches and fillings or stir fried with seasonal vegetables like carrots, red and yellow peppers, mushrooms, celery, onions etc. Sprouted grains make an excellent addition to breads, giving them a pleasant crunchy texture. Grain sprouts can be kneaded into the dough after the first rising, before shaping the loaf or placing the loaf in the tin. Use a mixture of different types of sprouts for a variety of taste and texture.

Sprouts are a perfect way to start the day and make nutritious snacks too. Almost anyone can enjoy sprouts but being low in calories and high on nutrition, they are specially good for weight watchers. However, they should be avoided by those recovering from acute illness or gastrointestinal infections.

Now, supermarkets and health food stores sell a variety of sprouts, but it's easy to grow them at home. All we need is a jar, a square muslin cloth and a rubber band or a sprouter. Make sure they are prepared hygienically as they can be a source of bacterial infection!

— The writer is a Clinical Nutritionist & Founder, theweightmonitor.com, Founder, WholeFoodsIndia and Founder President Celiac Society for Delhi

tips to to make Sprouts

1. Use whole pulses. Chickpeas take longer to sprout than small beans, but they are all easy to grow and will be ready to be eaten in about three days.

2. Wash three tablespoon pulses or grains thoroughly in cold water and place them in a large jar.

3. Fill the jar with lukewarm water, cover the top with a piece of muslin cloth and secure with a rubber band. Leave in a warm place overnight.

4. The next day, remove the water through the muslin cloth and refill the jar. Shake gently, turn the jar upside down and drain and leave it on its side in a warm place, away from direct sunlight.

5. Rinse the pulses in fresh water thrice a day until sprouts have grown. Regular rinsing and draining prevents them from getting rancid. Rinse alfa-alfa, soybean and chickpea sprouts four times a day.

6. Remove, rinse and discard un-germinated beans.

7. After two days, place the jar in sunlight to increase chlorophyll and the magnesium and fibre content.

8. Store sprouts in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for two to three days.

9. Rinse well in cold water and pat dry before use.

Using a sprouter

1. Sprouters are usually made of clear plastic, resembling a square box with three tiers. Rinse the pulses and put them in the two lower tiers. Fit the lid and place the sprouter in a warm place away from direct sunlight.

2. Rinse daily with fresh water poured through the perforated top tier. Tip the excess water out of the base.

3. Pale green shoots will appear within 3-6 days. Continue the daily rinsing until they are ready. Rinse well in cold water and pat dry before use.

Health Capsules

Weekend lie-in can prevent diabetes

Those who stay asleep up till late on the weekend, can have better health, suggests an Australian study. The study found sleeping longer at the weekend can help those who work hard during the working week. Insulin in the body worked better after a weekend of lie-ins, especially for those lacking in sleep, Daily Mail reported. Having insulin that keeps blood sugar levels under control is known to cut the odds of developing diabetes. Specifically, getting up late on a weekend seems to cut the odds of type 2 diabetes. It is known to be linked to lack of sleep, as well as obesity, and can cause strokes, heart attacks, blindness, kidney disease and nerve and circulatory damage, which can lead to amputations.

Plastic bottle drink raise cancer risk

A US study has suggested expectant women drinking from plastic bottles could be increasing their unborn child's chances of developing cancer later in life. Researchers at the University of Illinois, who conducted their study on mice, showed how exposure to Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical commonly found in plastic water bottles and soup cans, in the womb could increase prostate cancer risk, Daily Express reported. Studies of expectant mothers in the US showed that more than 95 per cent of them had BPA in their urine, which means they recently ingested these compounds. The research was presented at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in San Francisco.

Faster-growing babies & higher IQ

Weight gain and increased head size in the first month of a baby's life is linked to a higher IQ at early school age, a new study has revealed. Researchers from University of Adelaide Public Health analysed data from more than 13,800 children who were born full-term. The study found that babies who put on 40 per cent of their birth weight in the first four weeks had an IQ 1.5 points higher by the time they were six years of age, compared with babies who only put on 15per cent of their birth weight. According to lead author, Dr Lisa Smithers, head circumference is an indicator of brain volume, so a greater increase in head circumference in a newborn baby suggests more rapid brain growth. The study was published in the journal Pediatrics.

Parenting influences kids' health

Kids, whose moms encourage them to exercise and eat well, and model those healthy behaviours themselves, are more likely to be active and healthy eaters, according to a new study. according to researchers at Duke Medicine, home environment and parenting can influence a child's health by shaping dietary and physical behaviours, such as providing access to fruits and vegetables or encouraging kids to play outside. The researchers studied data from 190 kids, age two to five, whose mothers were overweight or obese. They concluded that to promote healthy behaviour in children, a healthy home environment and parental role modelling are important. Their study was published online in the International Journal of Obesity.

Childhood obesity rising

The marketing of unhealthy foods to children has proven 'disastrously effective', driving obesity by using cheap social media channels to promote fat,salt and sugar-laden foods, said officials of the World Health Organisation's (WHO). The UN health agency called for tighter controls on such marketing, saying tougher regulations were crucial to winning the fight against childhood .obesity. "Children are surrounded by adverts urging them to consume high-fat, high-sugar, high-salt foods, even when they are in places where they should be protected, such as schools and sports facilities," said Zsuzsanna Jakab, director of the WHO's regional unit for Europe. The promotion of foods high in saturated and trans-fats, sugars and salt has for years been recognised as a significant risk factor for obesity in children and for diet-related chronic diseases such as heart disease and some cancers later in life. The WHO report said the food industry increasingly uses cheap new marketing channels such as social media and smart phone apps to target children. Television remains the dominant form of advertising and a large majority of children and adolescents watch TV on average for more than two hours a day, it said. Data from the WHO's Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative show that, on average, one child in every three aged 6 to 9 years is overweight or obese. Leading categories of advertised foods are soft drinks, sweetened breakfast cereals, biscuits, sweets, snacks, ready meals and fast food outlets, the WHO report said. While all 53 member states of its European region have signed up to restrictions on the marketing of unhealthy foods to children, most rely on general advertising regulations that do not specifically address the promotion of high-fat, salt or sugar products. More comprehensive approaches - via either legislation, self-regulation or co-regulation - have only been adopted in Denmark, France, Norway, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

Pollution levels and pregnant women

Women exposed to high levels of air pollution while pregnant were up to twice as likely to have a child with autism as women who lived in areas with low pollution, according to a new study from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH). The researchers examined data from Nurses' Health Study II, a long-term study based at Brigham and Women's Hospital involving 116,430 nurses that began in 1989. Among that group, the authors studied 325 women who had a child with autism and 22,000 women who had a child without the disorder. The results showed that women who lived in the 20 per cent of locations with the highest levels of diesel particulates or mercury in the air were twice as likely to have a child with autism as those who lived in the 20 percent of areas with the lowest levels. Other types of air pollution-lead, manganese, methylene chloride, and combined metal exposure-were associated with higher autism risk as well. Most pollutants were associated with autism more strongly in boys than girls. The study appeared online in Environmental Health Perspectives.

— Agencies





HOME