Health Benefits of Sprouts

The International Sprout Grower's Association has compiled a helpful Sprouts Nutrition Facts document with basic nutritional info on some of the more popular 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, Parkinson's disease, and arthritis. This document also details the research on the extremely high anti-cancer potential of many sprouts.

According to a 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 help to prevent cancer. "Eating just over 100 grams of tasty sprouted vegetables every day for a fortnight has been shown to have clear protective effects against DNA damage in human blood cells, according to the researchers.

“DNA damage is associated with cancer risk. Sources of DNA damage include diet-related carcinogens, and bodily processes like oxidative stress – and the raw sprouts protect against this kind of damage.

“And just a portion – 113 grammes - per day of a mix of broccoli, radish, alfalfa and clover sprouts was enough in our tests to show the protective effect,” said Professor Rowland."" See the research from the University of Ulster.

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. Hint: search using "sprout".