A new food strategy has emerged! Sprouted foods hold immense potential to optimize your nutrition and support your well-being. We’ll discuss the process and the many health benefits associated with sprouted foods, and how you can incorporate them into your diet.
Sprouting is a simple process. Nuts, seeds, grains, and other foods are first soaked in water for 12 to 24 hours, then drained and rinsed over several days until the first roots or shoots appear. What makes this natural phenomenon so noteworthy is that sprouting foods enriches their nutrition and improves their digestibility. The process of germination is followed by either dehydration or heating. Dehydration is the preferred method as it better protects the nutritional qualities of the sprouted food, as we will explain.
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The Secret of Sprouted Foods: Optimize Your Nutrition is an original (HealthXWire) article.
Why sprouted foods are beneficial
Improved Nutrition and Digestion
Studies have identified certain benefits of sprouted foods, including improved digestion. Sprouting helps to break down proteins and carbohydrates into smaller molecules that are assimilated faster and more completely. Sprouted foods enable tissue and cells to absorb vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants more efficiently than unsprouted foods (Health.com).
“In the last decade, there has been an increase in the use of sprouted grains in the human diet and a parallel increase in the scientific literature dealing with their nutritional traits and phytochemical contents,” reports the medical journal MDPI. There are physiological and biochemical changes that occur during the germination process and notable “effects on final sprout composition in terms of macro-and micro-nutrients and bioactive compounds.”
Research finds that sprouting may increase the nutrient content of grains and legumes by enhancing their amino acid profiles, increasing their protein concentration, and improving the quality and availability of vitamins and minerals found within:
A study found that sprouting cowpeas resulted in up to 38 times more vitamin C and up to 12% more protein. The digestibility of the protein was improved by up to 20%. An additional study found that sprouting buckwheat raised the nutritional value and amount of antioxidants, which helped neutralize free radicals (Journal of Food Science Technology).
“Germination enhances the quality of nutrients and bioactive compounds of cereals thereby increasing the content in proteins, amino acids, sugars, and vitamins,” reports the National Library of Medicine. “Functional properties of cereals are enhanced by the generation of biofunctional substances, increases in protein solubility, in vitro protein digestibility, and lowering of the glycemic index.”
Lowering Antinutrients
The absorption of minerals and vitamins is improved in sprouted foods due to a decrease in antinutrients (compounds that reduce the absorption of certain nutrients). Sprouting foods reduces levels of phytic acid by up to 81%; protease inhibitors by 76%; and lectins by 85%, especially in legumes and grains—benefits of notable importance to vegetarians and vegans.
Simultaneously, the absorption of proteins and important minerals, including iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium, and manganese, is improved for sprouted foods.
The Cleveland Clinic confirms “Sprouts are loaded with essential vitamins, minerals, fiber and are a great source of antioxidants.”
Raw, Cooked … or Dehydrated
There are cautions about consuming uncooked sprouted foods since they can be subject to bacterial contamination. Health authorities recommend cooking sprouted foods for safety but acknowledge that the heat of cooking may remove some vitamins and minerals. In the following section, we’ll cover the process of low-heat dehydration, which dries and protects sprouted foods at the optimal moment without diminishing their nutrients, keeping them raw while retaining all their flavor.
Healthy Truth:
The leader in plant-based organic superfoods
Healthy Truth is a Massachusetts-based producer of organic plant-based foods dedicated to purity and nutritional quality. According to founder and Chief Creative Officer Bruce Nameson, “Our mission is all about clean labeling, minimal ingredients, and really telling the truth about what we put in our products.” Healthy Truth uses sprouted foods as the basis for delicious and truly healthy plant-based, organic foods, snacks, and supplements for all types of consumers, ranging from superstar athletes to health-conscious parents looking to provide more nutritious foods for their families.
- Healthy Truth has become the exclusive provider of plant-based foods and supplements to over 20 professional sports teams, including the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Rays.
- Legendary (and ageless) quarterback Tom Brady relies on Healthy Truth to formulate and supply his TB12 plant-based, science-backed protein and supplements.
- Celebrity chef Matthew Kenney, the foremost plant food entrepreneur and author in America, has selected Healthy Truth as a primary supplier of natural foods.
Nuts:
A great introduction to sprouted foods
Bruce Namenson explains, “All of our nuts and seeds are sprouted and dried with a patent-pending exclusive process.” They’re soaked in triple-filtered water to activate live enzymes, and then dehydrated at very low temperatures to protect the integrity of their vital nutrients. This improves digestibility and assimilation, with a bonus of increased flavor.
Healthy Truth’s exclusive sprouting and low-heat dehydration release the full range of nutrients and digestive aids in foods. This slower, low-heat dehydration process takes three to four days. But Bruce feels “The results are worth the effort: A light, airy, crunchy texture, plus excellence in nutrition and flavor.” He adds that even those who can’t digest nuts have no problem with Healthy Truth sprouted almonds and cashews:
Sprouted almonds are a rich source of Vitamin E, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, and calcium, plus moderate amounts of selenium, potassium, zinc, copper, and niacin. These nutrients help promote brain health and development and are considered an essential food for growing children. They also support heart health and a strong immune system.
Sprouted cashews supply pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), riboflavin, and thiamin (vitamin B-1), and essential minerals, including potassium, manganese, iron, copper, magnesium, selenium, and zinc. These cashews also contain soluble dietary fiber, protective phytochemicals, antioxidants, and heart-healthy monounsaturated oleic and palmitoleic fatty acids.
Sprouted foods from a company you can trust
Sprouting provides an extraordinary range of enhanced nutritional, digestion, and health benefits, as well as greatly improved flavor. There are many producers of sprouted foods, but it’s important to know how their ingredients are processed and how well their ingredients’ nutrients are protected.
Healthy Truth, with its exclusive soaking and dehydration methods, creates a variety of sprouted options with nothing but USDA-certified organic, gluten-free, raw, non-GMO, dairy-free, plant-based, and vegan ingredients. We recommend trying Healthy Truth sprouted foods; a source trusted and enjoyed by top athletes.
“You won’t find a cleaner product,” founder Bruce Nameson affirms. Healthy Truth organic sprouted almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, organic powder blends, snacks, and protein bars are available at select retailers and online at Healthy Truth‘s website and on Amazon.
Further Reading for Additional Knowledge
American Heart Association: “Tiny Sprouts Provide Big Nutrition”
Harvard Health: “Are Sprouted Grains More Nutritious Than Regular Whole Grains?”
Health.com: “Health Benefits of Sprouted Foods”
MDPI: “Sprouted Grains – A Comprehensive Review”
Important Note: The information contained in this article is for general informational purposes only, and should not be construed as health or medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease or health condition. Before embarking on any diet, fitness regimen, or program of nutritional supplementation, it is advisable to consult your healthcare professional in order to determine its safety and probable efficacy in terms of your individual state of health.
Regarding Nutritional Supplements Or Other Non-Prescription Health Products: If any nutritional supplements or other non-prescription health products are mentioned in the foregoing article, any claims or statements made about them have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and such nutritional supplements or other health products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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