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Antioxidants Sprouting Up
What happens to the antioxidant content of seeds, grains, and beans when you sprout them?
Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.
A group of Russian scientists recently published a database of the antioxidant content of more than a thousand foods—including, for the first time, an impressive array of before-and-after shots of what happens to seeds when you sprout them. As you can see, the antioxidant content goes up across the board.
So, sprouted lentils, for example, have twice the antioxidant content as unsprouted; chickpeas, five times more; wheat and rye, ten times more; and, amaranth started out as the piddly underdog, but went up twenty-fold.
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- Yashin YI, Nemzer BV, Ryzhnev VY, Yashin AY, Chernousova NI, Fedina PA. Creation of a databank for content of antioxidants in food products by an amperometric method. Molecules. 2010 Oct 22;15(10):7450-66.
- Yashin, Y.I.; Nemzer, B.V.; Ryzhnev, V.Y.; Yashin, A.Y.; Chernousova, N.I.; Fedina, P.A. Creation of a Databank for Content of Antioxidants in Food Products by an Amperometric Method. Molecules 2010, 15, 7450-7466.
Images thanks to Navaneeth Krishnan S via Wikimedia, and wester via flickr
Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.
A group of Russian scientists recently published a database of the antioxidant content of more than a thousand foods—including, for the first time, an impressive array of before-and-after shots of what happens to seeds when you sprout them. As you can see, the antioxidant content goes up across the board.
So, sprouted lentils, for example, have twice the antioxidant content as unsprouted; chickpeas, five times more; wheat and rye, ten times more; and, amaranth started out as the piddly underdog, but went up twenty-fold.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- Yashin YI, Nemzer BV, Ryzhnev VY, Yashin AY, Chernousova NI, Fedina PA. Creation of a databank for content of antioxidants in food products by an amperometric method. Molecules. 2010 Oct 22;15(10):7450-66.
- Yashin, Y.I.; Nemzer, B.V.; Ryzhnev, V.Y.; Yashin, A.Y.; Chernousova, N.I.; Fedina, P.A. Creation of a Databank for Content of Antioxidants in Food Products by an Amperometric Method. Molecules 2010, 15, 7450-7466.
Images thanks to Navaneeth Krishnan S via Wikimedia, and wester via flickr
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Antioxidants Sprouting Up
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Doctor's Note
I’ve been looking for this kind of study for years, and am excited to share it! Homemade sprouts are probably the most nutrition-per-unit-cost we can get for our money. See Biggest Nutrition Bang for Your Buck, where they beat out the previous champ, purple cabbage. Broccoli sprouts are probably the best; see, for example, The Best Detox and Sulforaphane: From Broccoli to Breast. However, I would recommend against alfalfa sprouts (even when home-sprouted); fecal bacteria from manure can hide in the seeds’ nooks and crannies, and cause illness (see Don’t Eat Raw Alfalfa Sprouts). Sprouted lentils are one of my favorite snacks—give them a try, and let me know what you think!
For further context, check out my associated blog post: Are Microgreens Healthier?
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