Health Benefits of Sprouts
The International Sprout Grower's Association has compiled a fascinating document highlighting some of the most significant research surrounding the health benefits of sprouts. Learn about how sprouts may improve cardiovascular health, prevent heart disease and stroke, improve bone mineral density, protect DNA against free radicals, and potentially help to treat diabetes, Parkinsons disease, and arthritis. This document also details the research on the extremely high anti-cancer potential of many sprouts.
According to this study from the International Journal of Applied Science, sprouts have the highest concentration of phytonutrients per calorie of any food. Phytonutrients play an active role in the amelioration of disease.
100 grams a day of sprouts may prevent cancer. See the research from the University of Ulster.
Time Magazine discusses all sprout diet- a cover story in the Canadian and US edition of Time discusses vegetarian diets; mentions sproutarianism as one variety (see Vegans, Raws, and Pescos).
The curative ability of sprouts- an article in the Times of India discusses a the preventative and disease-fighting properties of sprouts.
Germination increases the antioxidant contents of grain- see this article from the Department of Agriculture at the University of Alberta.
There is basic information (on some sprouts) in a searchable scientific format available from the USDA here.
The International Sprout Growers Association has some good information on its site.
Currently in stock:
Daikon Radish Sprouts
“Daikon and radish were analyzed at the seed and sprouted-seed stage to identify cultivars high in the anti-cancer glucosinolate, glucoraphenin. Of the cultivars tested, ‘Cherry Belle’ and ‘Black Spanish’ maintained highest levels of glucoraphenin. Levels were highest in seed, and decreased with increasing sprout age. Decline in concentration was largely due to dilution associated with cell expansion, and partly due to other mechanisms. Differences in the latter appear to have impact on anti-cancer potential.
Analysis of mature daikon and radish tissue (roots and shoots) indicated that the principal glucosinolate in roots of all cultivars was glucodehydroerucin, which is estimated to have one tenth of the potency of glucoraphenin, the principal glucosinolate found in seeds and young sprouts. By contrast, the principal glucosinolates present in mature shoots were glucoraphanin and glucoraphenin, both potent anti-cancer agents. Shoots were estimated to have approximately 20 times the anti-cancer potential of roots.”
O'Hare Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Queensland Horticulture Institute, Gatton Research Station
RIRDC Project No DAQ-342A, June 2007
Daikon, A Promising Anti-Cancer Vegetable