Sprouting the grains you eat is a healthy treat for your body

Sprouts have been a buzzword for healthy eating for a long time now.

But somehow they have been synonymous with sprouted lentils - moong dal, chana, lobia et al. I too have written about them extensively, but again usually about the lentils only.

And even though other sprouts - grains and vegetables - have been around for a while, they haven't really become mainstream yet. It's now time to change that I feel!

Well, incorporating more sprouts in our diet is actually part of the renewed interest in natural and the "getting back to basics" wave that is thankfully finding lots of takers now.

And I am hoping 2017 will be the year when more and more people discover the joys and benefits of not just lentil sprouts but others too.

It's a fact that sprouting increases the nutritional value by leaps and bounds as the process boosts vitamins, minerals and antioxidants; there is an increase the concentration of key nutrients like B vitamins, vitamin C, and folate.

In addition, these nutrients become more bio-accessible (more easily assimilated and absorbed by the body) too.

This is extremely helpful in the case of iron in particular, a mineral that is difficult to absorb from vegetarian sources usually.

In fact, a study done at the Central Food Technological Research Institute in Mysore, India, measured the changes caused by sprouting finger millet (ragi), wheat and barley.

They found that sprouting millets increased the bio-accessibility of iron (> 300 per cent) and manganese (17 per cent), and calcium ("marginally").

The food also becomes of lower GI (Glycemic Index) and better digestible due to the enzyme activity that peaks during sprouting, and the starchy carbs in the seed on sprouting get converted into energy, so the resulting sprouted food has a higher ratio of protein and fibre to carbs.

Proteins also become more digestible when the food is sprouted. And the biggest benefit is that sprouting helps decrease the presence of anti-nutrients (like physics acid, enzyme inhibitors, lectins, saponins et al), the naturally occurring compounds that are found in plant seeds that interfere with our ability to digest vitamins and minerals within the plants.

But what is also true is that all these mentioned benefits hold true for all sprouts - grains, beans, nuts, vegetables, seeds, and not just the lentils.

In fact, one big benefit of sprouting that I feel works even more for grains is that studies have found that there are widespread changes in gluten concentrations of the grains when they are sprouted.

And looking at the amount of grains we consume today (a big chunk of our diet is made of these), it is a good idea to naturally reduce gluten consumption this way. 

I'd like to share some documented benefits:

Sprouted wheat is higher in dietary fibre, free (available) amino acids and antioxidant activity than unsprouted wheat. 

A 2007 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, reported that sprouting wheat can increase folate (a very important B vitamin) levels three to fourfold.

Brown rice is as it is a reliable healthy option, but by sprouting it, one can score even more health benefits.

Sprouting boosts its dietary fibre content, and research shows it helps fight diabetes better too, as a correlation between sprouted brown rice and improved fasting blood glucose levels has been found.

It also helps reduce the risk for heart disease and helps bust depression and fatigue.

A study in Mexico has shown that sprouting amaranth maximises its antioxidant activity. Germinated millets too show higher phenolic content as well as superior antioxidant content.

Sprouted buckwheat protects against fatty liver disease, and Koran researchers have found that it also helps tame our blood pressure.Decreased blood pressure is linked to sprouted barley.

So which grains should you sprout?

You can sprout any kind of whole grains - the truly important thing is that the grain should be a whole grain, with the germ and bran intact; no, you can't sprout a refined grain.

Sprouted grains can be eaten raw, lightly cooked, ground into flour or made into a bread.

So throw a handful of sprouted grains like sprouted quinoa in your salad, add some sprouted rice to your stir fry or soup, or simmer sprouted buckwheat, quinoa, or millet in your milk to make a porridge.

I remember eating homemade sprouted ragi bread at a homestay in Uttarakhand long ago. I am sure it did my body a lot of good, and the taste, it still lingers.

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