Mediquest - January '08 Edition

SPROUTING HEALTH
T.K.SANDHYA – B.SC(NUT,FSM&DIET);M.A(CCE);(R.D)
Dietician – B.R.S HOSPITAL.  

Increasingly rates of inflation and a quest for better health seem to run parallely.so what we do? Bountiful Mother Nature has a solution up her sleeve. SPROUTS- They have proved to be the cheapest and most nutritious source of food. They can be consumed by all age groups, all classes of people.  

THE SPROUTING ORIGIN:
Sprouting is an age old practise in our culture. From times immemorial, sprouts have been a part of our meals and have enriched our nutrient intake. Though we cannot pinpoint the exact period and place of its origin, yet let us try to understand the process of sprouting.
Dicotyledons, when soaked in water in considerable amount of time, give rise to small off shoots. Sprouting , also called germination, is a process during which the seeds of pulses allow a lot of water to permeate through the dried seed coat. They swell up undergoing a number of chemical changes, which results in the appearance of a shoot.  

THE SEEDY TRUTH:
Basically, the seeds are a storehouse of different nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins. They are in dormant,dehydrated state. They require favourable conditions to grow. The presence of water,apart from other factors, like temperature, oxygen etc., is an essential factor.

SPROUTING FACTS:
Sprouting triggers off a number of interesting chemical changes. These reactions are catalysed by enzymes, which were previously dormant.

STARCH- GLUCOSE,FRUCTOSE,OTHER SIMPLE SUGARS.
PROTEINS-AMINO ACIDS.
SATURATED FATS-FATTY ACIDS .

Then there is a major breakdown or conversion of complex molecules to their corresponding constituents by the action of enzymes. The body's capacity to accumulate vitamins increases incredibly. The minerals are no longer present in a bound form and can be absorbed readily. The most notable increase is the significant 30% increase in protein availability and the tremendous increase in the vitaminC content. On sprouting, beans lose gas-producing quality and become easily digestible. The content of riboflavin, niacin, choline, biotin in pulses increases. Moreover, some of the starch is converted into sugars during this process itself. Most of the anti-nutritional and toxic factors are reduced or eliminated.

WHAT TO SPROUT:
In general, all edible grains, seeds and legumes can be sprouted. The commenest are:

LEGUMES: GREENGRAM,BENGALGRAM,PEAS,GROUNDNUT,SOYABEAN.
GRAINS: WHEAT,MAIZE,RAGI,BAJRA,BARLEY ETC.
SEEDS: RADISH,FENUGREEK,PUMPKIN,MUSKMELON ETC.

SPROUT IN HAND IS WORTH TWO IN A BOWL:
As said before, sprouting is a process which is really easy and simple. All seeds may or may not contain toxins. Therefore, it is essential to rinse and wash the seeds, which removes upto 90% of the toxins present.

HOW TO SPROUT:

•  Wash the seeds clean of dust and other foreign particles, which also removes upto 90% of the toxins present.

•  The next step is to soak the seeds under hygienic conditions for atleast 8-12 hours.

•  The water should be drained off after required amount of soaking.

•  Take a cloth and fill the soaked seeds and tie it up. Hang the soaked seeds in a clean hygienic place.

•  Periodic dampening or wetting the cloth is necessary.

•  After 36-48 hours small sprouts may be seen( depending on the type of the gram).

CARE TO BE TAKEN WHILE SPROUTING:
1.The container should be large enough to accomadate the sprouts while growing.
2.The container must be placed in a warm place.
3.The container should be well-covered giving allowance for proper ventilation.
4.Over-soaking must be avoided,as it will lead to putrefaction.

Different seeds take different time to sprout depending on the amount of water,air,heat and light,which control the process of sprouting.The sprouts must be atleast half an inch long.

SPROUTING DELICACIES
SPROUT D'LITE:
ING:
1 MEDIUM SIZE CAPSICUM
1 MEDIUM SIZE CARROT
1 MEDIUM SIZE ONION
1 MEDIUM SIZE CUCUMBER
1 TOMATO
1 CUP OF MIXED SPROUTS
1TBSP FINELY CHOPPED CORRIANDER LEAVES
SALT,PEPPER,LIME JUICE TO TASTE.

METHOD :
Wash and grate carrots,cucumber,dice capsicum and tomatoes.combine all ingredients and garnish with corriander leaves.To improve the nutritive value add onion,groundnut,pomogranate seeds.Add salt,limejuice,pepper to one's taste. Toss well and serve.

NUTRITIVE VALUE:
ENERGY: 82.6KCAL
PROTEIN: 60GRAM
CARBOHYDRATE: 72GRAM
FAT: 4.5GRAM
VITAMINC: 20mg
IRON: 5.9GRAM

SPROUTY MIX'N'MATCH :
ING :

1 TABLESPOON MOONG
1 TABLESPOON GREENGRAM WHOLE
1 TABLESPOON CHANA
1 TABLESPOON HORSEGRAM
1 TABLESPOON BENGALGRAM
1 TABLESPOON SOYABEAN, GROUNDNUTS, JEERAPOWDER TO TASTE,2 CUPS CURDS,SALT,SUGAR AND LIME TO TASTE.

METHOD:
Sprout all the legumes.Add sugar,salt,lime,jeera powder and curds.Chill and serve with sprinkling of chopped tulsi leaves.we can add pomogranate seeds and apple to improve the flavour and nutritive value.

NUTRITIVE VALUE :
ENERGY: 92.7KCAL
PROTEIN: 73GRAM
CARBOHYDRATE: 95GRAM
FAT: 3.8GRAM
VITAMINC: 25mg
IRON: 6.8mg