He used to be synonymous with bagged frozen vegetables, but “the Little Green Sprout” has come a long way!
Sprouts are literally early growth from sprouted seeds, fledgling plants. Sprouts are incredibly nutritionally dense and provide a powerhouse of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. One cup of sprouts provides 119% of the daily, recommended intake for vitamin C. They are also rich in B vitamins and protein and contain good levels of dietary fibre.
When we eat sprouts, really we are eating a plant or vegetable, which is more alkalizing for the body. Furthermore, once you sprout a seed, the enzyme inhibitors from that seed will be neutralized making it much easier for digestion and absorption of important nutrients. A published research article (John Hopkins University, Sept 1997 medical sciences) states that broccoli sprouts have as much as 50 times the sulforaphane content than the mature vegetable – that’s a whack of antioxidants. You would have to eat about 3 pounds of regular broccoli to match that! Sulforaphane acts as a long lasting antioxidant that detoxifies free radicals in the body. These sprouts are potent inducers of Phase 2 detox enzymes in the liver (they induce glutathione levels). This makes consuming them a powerful strategy for achieving protection against cancer.
Below is a nutritional guide for some of the most popular sprouts. Some are nutty, some sweet and some quite sharp. I have my favourites and with a little experimentation you will find yours. Overall they are a tasty, crunchy addition to sandwiches, smoothies, salads and even an omelet or pizza topping.