Aging Backwards Tuesday Tips #24: Big Nutrition in Little Sprouts

Don't be fooled by their small size - sprouts are packed with nutrients. For example, soybean sprouts retain the B-complex vitamins found in the original bean, but show a huge jump in Vitamins A and C over the unsprouted seeds. Grown locally year-round, sprouts are a good source of protein as well.

Sprouts have a long history nutritionally and medicinally. It's been reported that over 5,000 years ago, Chinese physicians recognized and prescribed sprouts for curing many disorders. Alfalfa sprouts are one of the best natural sources of Vitamin K, which helps blood to clot and broken bones to knit. They are also a good source of minerals, including calcium, copper, folate, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, silicon and zinc. (Transplant patients are cautioned not to ingest any form of alfalfa because it interferes with the transplant medications.)

In the news recently, broccoli sprouts have been shown to provide protection against breast cancer and colon cancer because of their abundance of a compound called sulforaphane glucosinalate (GS). Sprouts grown from certain types of broccoli seeds contain up to 50 times more of the compound than mature broccoli. BroccoSprouts, which are available in the fresh produce section of grocery and specialty stores, have been tested against 50 other varieties of broccoli seeds by Dr. Paul Talalay, Jed W. Fahey and their colleagues at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Their work shows that some types of broccoli seeds provide much more of the cancer-preventing compound than others and they've used these seeds to create BroccoSprouts.

Aging Backwards Sprout Tips:

1) Fresh is best. Look for fresh, crisp sprouts with moist, tender tips. Avoid mushy sprouts.

2) Eat 'em raw. Vitamin C is heat-sensitive so heating sprouts can reduce their Vitamin C content. Add raw sprouts to salads or add them, uncooked, to a hot dish just before serving.

3) Grow your own. SproutPeople is a Web site that sells everything you need to grow your own sprouts. According to their Web site, they offer "The Wildest & Coolest Sprouting Seeds & Supplies on this Planet."

4) Let them breathe. Like any small plant, sprouts need air to breathe. Without it, they'll succumb to mold and will spoil more quickly. Don't store in sealed containers.

5) Read up on the subject. To find out more about sprouting, click here to find books and resources.