What the Irish ate before the age of potatoes was oat cakes and bread made from oat grains and lots of dairy products. Today, oats have various textures and cooking methods, including sprouting. And when you sprout any grain or seed, of utmost importance when considering adding sprouted grains to one’s diet are the numerous reports that raw sprouts have been linked to over 30 food-borne illness outbreaks in the last 15 years.
You need to be sure you’re sprouts are free from bacteria because when seeds are left a few days to sprout in water, bacteria forms in the water. Currently, one national trend is to consume more oat products and more products made from various sprouted seeds and grains whether it’s flax crackers or rice and corn cakes or oat products made from a variety of processed grains such as oats, quinoa, or amaranth.
Are sprouted grains healthier than unsprouted grains?
The UC Davis Center for Health and Nutrition Research in Davis and Sacramento has a website called “Ask the Experts,” where answers are given for commonly asked question about the health benefits of foods prepared in different ways. For example, the link, “Are sprouted grains healthier than unsprouted grains?” explains that sprouted grains such as sprouted wheat, oats and corn, have been touted as a health food, but overall the nutritional benefits appear to be very small when compared to unsprouted grains.
The US Food and Drug Administration recommends children, the elderly, pregnant women, and persons with weakened immune systems avoid eating raw sprouts, observes the UC Davis site, “Are sprouted grains healthier than unsprouted grains?” So please be careful. Know where any raw sprouts came from and whether or not they are teeming with bacteria. Or did you raise the sprouts yourself under controlled conditions? If so, are the seeds free from the type of bacteria causing food-borne illnesses? And what about the nutrient or soil you’re using for sprouting? Is it free of the type of bacteria that causes food-borne illnesses?
And did you wash the sprouts for a long enough time to clean them after sprouting?
Check the conditions about which you can control when handling whole grains. Risk and reward are weighed against one another. On the other hand, you can continue to research the health benefits of sprouted whole grains and find out what’s healthiest for you.
If you buy those powdered sprouted vegetables, be sure they don’t contain excess amounts of lead. Check out the brands and how they’re rated. See, “Health Studies on Whole Grains, “Top Nutrients in Whole Grains “,” and “How Much is Enough?.” Notice how few websites from the major grain growers discuss organic sprouted grains compared to commercial or GMO grains.
Celebrity chef Alton Brown answers these questions in the American Chemical Society’s latest Bytesize Science episode. The video is available now on the Bytesize Science website. You may wish to check out the site, “Cooking tips from Alton Brown: A new American Chemical Society video.” The video is available now here.
Other sites say the opposite, usually sites that focus on smart, functional, and naturopathic or alternative health sites
For example, sprouting wheat grass and juicing it takes out the chlorophyll and dense nutrition into a small amount of juice that people drink for energy and to have a denser form of nutrition. See, “Health Benefits of Sprouted Grains | The Whole Grains Council.” One example is the website online from the Whole Grains Council. According to that website on the health benefits of sprouted grains, the following information is offered at the website: Whole Grains 101.
That’s why you are encouraged to do your own research and check out the original studies. What you’d look for in the studies is whether the research was done in test tubes or Petri dishes in a laboratory setting, with human participants in clinical trials, with nutritionists in their offices, or with laboratory animals, and whether any research applies to humans. The main point is that the research databanks and journals are increasing all the time with new studies and new findings on the health benefits.
Just make sure if you sprout any grains that your sprouting process and the original grains are free from an excess growth of bacteria that might upset your stomach or worse. There’s a difference between sprouting in your kitchen or workroom and sprouting in a controlled research setting in a laboratory designed for research. So to start, you might read some of the studies. Also see, “U.S. Dietary Guidelines and Whole Grains.”
Health Benefits of Sprouted Grains
The body of research detailing the health benefits of sprouted whole grains is growing daily. Although it’s important to remember that no standard, uniform definition of sprouted grains was observed from one study to another, it’s intriguing to see — even with a wide range of definitions – how many different benefits seem to be associated with sprouted grains. Interestingly, there’s no mention of quinoa, millet, teff, and other grains at the site.
There’s unique news on the health benefits of sprouted buckwheat on its effects on blood pressure, at least on research with rats, where sprouted buckwheat reduced the hypertensive rats’ blood pressure. Will sprouted grains help humans? Which grains? That’s what the average consumer would like to know.
Sprouted Buckwheat Extract Decreases Blood Pressure
Korean researchers fed raw buckwheat extract and germinated buckwheat extract to hypertensive rats for five weeks then compared the results. The rats fed the germinated buckwheat had lower systolic blood pressure, while both groups exhibited significantly reduced oxidative damage in aortic endothelial cells. The scientists concluded that “these results suggest that germinated buckwheat extra has an atihypertensive effect and may protect arterial endothelial cells from oxidative stress.†Phytotherapy Research, July 2009; 23(7):993-8.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19140152
Sprouted Brown Rice Fights Diabetes
In Japan, six men and five women with impaired fasting glucose (pre-diabetes) or type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to eat either white rice or sprouted brown rice three times a day. After a two-week washout, subjects switched groups.
Researchers reported that “blood concentrations of fasting blood glucose, fructosamine, serum total cholesterol and traicylglycerol were favorably improved on the sprouted brown rice diet but not on the white rice diet,†suggesting that diets including sprouted brown rice may help control blood sugar. Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology, April 2008; 54(2):163-8.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18490847
Cardiovascular Risk Reduced by Sprouted Rice
In a Korean study, rats on a high-cholesterol diet were divided into four groups, a control group and three experimental groups which were fed (1) sprouted giant embryonic rice, (2) giant embryonic rice, or (3) conventional brown rice. (Giant embryonic rice is rice with a larger germ than normal.) Rats fed the sprouted rice saw a rise in their plasma HDL-cholesterol (“good cholesterolâ€) and other markers that led researchers to conclude that “consumption of germinated giant embryonic rice is effective in lowering atherosclerosis cardiovascular disease risk.†Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, 2007; 51(6):519-26. Epub 2007 Dec 20.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18097137
Better Health for Nursing Mothers, with Sprouted Brown Rice
Forty-one breast-feeding Japanese mothers were randomly divided into two groups, one eating white rice and the other sprouted brown rice, for two weeks. When psychological and immune tests were administered to both groups, the sprouted brown rice group was found to have decreased scores of depression, anger-hostility, and fatigue, and a significant increase in s-igA levels, indicating better immune system function. European Journal of Nutrition, October 2007; 46(7):391-6. Epublished, September 20, 2007.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17885721
Sprouted Buckwheat Protects Against Fatty Liver
Fatty liver disease, like alcohol-induced cyrrhosis, can lead to terminal liver failure, and it’s increasing, as it often goes hand in hand with type 2 diabetes. Korean researchers found that buckwheat sprouted for 48 hours developed “potent anti-fatty liver activities†that significantly reduced fatty liver in mice after 8 weeks. Scientists found that sprouting the buckwheat increased the concentration of rutin tenfold, and also increased quercitin, both of which are known for their anti-inflammatory effects. Phytomedicine, August 2007; 14(7-8):563-7. Epub 2007 Jun 29.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17601714
Nutrient Changes Noted in Sprouted Wheat
German researchers sprouted wheat kernels for up to 168 hours (1 week), analyzing them at different stages to learn the effects of germination on different nutrient levels. While different times and temperatures produced different effects, overall the sprouting process decreased gluten proteins substantially, while increasing folate. Longer germination times led to a substantial increase of total dietary fiber, with soluble fiber tripling and insoluble fiber decreasing by 50%. Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, June 13, 2007; 55(12):4678-83. Epub 2007 May 12.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17497874
Sprouting Rye Increases and Protects Folate
Sprouting rye increases its folate content by 1.7- to 3.8-fold, depending on germination temperature, according to researchers in Finland who studied the effects of different processes on this key nutrient. The scientists also found that thermal treatments – including extrusion, puffing, and toasting – resulted in significant folate losses. However, when the rye was germinated (sprouted) first and then heat-processed, losses were minimized, showing sprouting to be a useful potential tool in safeguarding nutrients during food processing. The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, December 13, 2006; 54(25):9522-8.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17147441
Sprouted Rice Reduces Common Allergens
While very few people are allergic to rice, when allergies do occur they are usually linked to specific proteins. Japanese researchers found that sprouted brown rice was much lower in two abundant allergens, when compared to non-sprouted brown rice, and that the reduction was probably caused by protease (enzyme) activity during germination. Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry, October 2005; 69(10):1877-83.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16244437
Optimum Germination Conditions for Wheat
Scientists at the University of Alberta germinated wheat under various conditions to determine how to maximize the production of antioxidants. First, they steeped the grains in water for 24 or 48 hours, then sprouted them in the dark for 9 days. Vitamins C and E and beta-carotene, which were barely detectable in the dry grains, increased steadily during the germination period. Grains steeped for 48 hours became wet, sticky, discolored and acidic-smelling after germination, leading researchers to conclude that 24 hours of steeping and 7 days of sprouting would produce the best combination of antioxidant concentrations and sensory properties. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, July 2001; 52(4):319-30.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11474896
Sprouting Sorghum Enhances Taste and Nutrition
Tanzanian researchers observed that sorghum, although a staple food in many poorer areas of the world, is not highly esteemed, because of limits in its nutritional and sensory qualities. In an effort to make this easy-to-grow grain more useful and more widely accepted, they studied three traditional processing methods: germination (sprouting), fermentation, and a germination/fermentation comination. They concluded that germination was the best approach for improving the nutritional and functional qualities of the sorghum. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, March 2001; 52(2):117-26.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11303459
Sprouted Millet is Higher in Key Nutrients
Researchers in India allowed proso millet to germinate for 1-7 days, then analysed the changes in its composition. They found that sprouting increased lysine (a key amino acid lacking in most grains) and concentrated the protein, as the grain overall lost weight. Increases in tryptophan, albumin and globulin were also observed, along with decreases in prolamins, a plant storage protein that may be difficult for some people to digest. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition, February 1994; 45(2):97-102.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8153070
Digestibility Changes in Sprouted Barley
In an experiment at the University of Alberta, barley kernels were sprouted from 2 to 5 days, then oven-dried and milled. Researchers found decreases in dry matter, gross energy (calories) and triglycerides, and increases in fiber and diglyceride content. After the sprouted barley was fed to rats, scientists said that “digestibility data showed an enhancement of digestibility of nutrients in barley… implying that sprouting improved nutritional qualify of barley.†Plant Foods for Human Nutrition, September 1989; 39(3):267-78.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2608636
Nutritional Improvement of Cereals by Sprouting
In a 1989 meta-analysis of existing studies, JK Chavan and SS Kadam found evidence that “Sprouting of grains for a limited period causes increased activities of hydrolytic enzymes, improvement in the contents of certain essential amino acids, total sugars, and B-group vitamins, and a decrease in dry matter, starch, and antinutrients. The digestibilities of storage proteins and starch are improved due to their partial hydrolysis during sprouting.†Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 1989; 28(5):401-37.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2692609
Now, if you look at the University of California, Davis site on nutrition, research locally also has revealed that what we do know, based on research, is that sprouts can be slightly higher in some vitamins, like vitamin C and carotenoids, and may have higher quality protein compared to unsprouted grains. However, the difference is so small that it is unlikely that their consumption will improve the nutritional status of an individual.
Claims on sprouted grains discussed at the UC Davis Nutrition Center website
Claims on sprouted grains, according to the UC Davis site, “Are sprouted grains healthier than unsprouted grains?” note that another claim that is often made about sprouted grains is that their high enzyme activities provide an advantage for human health. While it is true that some sprouted grains may have higher enzyme activities, the biological significance of this is questionable.
The function of the enzyme, phytase is to break down a compound called phytic acid. Since phytic acid binds with minerals and reduces their absorption in the small intestine, high phytase activity could potentially increase bioavailability of some minerals. However the difference in phytase activities is very small when compared to unsprouted grains, explains the UC Davis nutrition site, “Are sprouted grains healthier than unsprouted grains?” Another enzyme that can be elevated in sprouted grains is amylase. Amylases break down starches into sugars, which could increase digestibility.
Eating your oats
There’s a new reason to eat oats for heart health, according to a new study, the soluble fiber in oats helps lower total and LDL cholesterol, but scientists now say that the cardiovascular health benefits of oats goes beyond fiber. Eleven top scientists from around the globe presented the latest findings on the powerful compounds found in oats in a scientific session titled, Physicochemical Properties and Biological Functionality of Oats, at the 247th Annual Conference of the American Chemical Society in Dallas, TX. If you want to eat your oats, how about trying the organic varieties?
Just remember to keep eating organic and non-GMO when you eat whole grains, and keep in mind that the companies that grow or manufacture oat food products and other commercial and/or processed foods usually help fund in part or entirely, or are involved in some way with many of the studies on food products. But the good news about oats, such as whole oat groats that are not highly processed is that a type of compound found only in oats has a variety of health benefits, according to the new study.
Avenanthramide (AVE) is found only in oats
Scientists described research on the diverse health benefits of oats and emphasized the growing evidence that the type of phenolic compound avenanthramide (AVE) – found only in oats – may possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-itch and anti-cancer properties. The culmination of the studies suggests that oat AVEs may play an important role in protecting the heart. You also can check out the article, “New Reason to Eat Oats for Heart Health – ScienceNewsline.”
http://www.sciencenewsline.com/summary/2014031715150023.html
Anti-inflammatory properties of AVEs likely contribute to the atheroprotection of oats. Most of the benefits have been attributed to the relatively high fiber, vitamin, mineral and phytochemical content of whole grains. Notably, the soluble fiber beta-glucan found in oats has been recognized for its ability to lower both total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C).
When it comes to eating oats, be observant that there’s a difference in how the oats are prepared. Oat meal, oat bran, steel-cut oats, oat flakes, and whole unprocessed organic, non-GMO oat groats may have different affects on the body depending upon how highly processed the oats are before you eat them. Compare the living nutrient values in an oat flake compared to a whole oat groats kernel. Which would you want to eat for breakfast or in a whole oats pilaf?
Eating whole grains is consistently associated with a reduced risk of chronic disease, including cardiovascular disease
“While the data to support the importance of oat beta-glucan remains, these studies reveal that the heart health benefit of eating oats may go beyond fiber,” explains the session’s presiding co-officer, Dr. Shengmin Sang, according to the March 17, 2014 news release, “New reason to eat oats for heart health.” Sang is with the Center for Excellence in Post-Harvest Technologies at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. “As the scientific investigators dig deeper, we have discovered that the bioactive compounds found in oats – AVEs – may provide additional cardio-protective benefits.”
New research shows that oat AVEs may be partly responsible for the positive association between oats and heart health. Oliver Chen, Ph.D., of the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, presented mechanistic data that demonstrated that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of AVEs likely contribute to the atheroprotection of oats.
Oat AVEs and Cardiovascular Disease Prevention
Similarly, Mohsen Meydani, Ph.D., from the Vascular Biology Laboratory at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, provided evidence that oat AVEs suppress the production of inflammatory cytokines associated with fatty streak formation in the arteries. In addition, oat AVEs appear to repress the process associated with the development of atherosclerosis.
“On behalf of the Quaker Oats Center of Excellence, we are inspired by the investigations in oats agriculture, processing and health research presented at the American Chemical Society’s Scientific Sessions,” comments YiFang Chu, Ph.D., PepsiCo R&D Nutrition, according to the March 17, 2014 news release, New reason to eat oats for heart health. “Along with all of the oats fans out there, we value the significant contribution of scientific collaboration to help expand the thinking behind oats.”
Also on the program were scientists from Tufts University; Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada; PepsiCo Inc. R&D; the Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health in Zurich, Switzerland; the University of Minnesota; and Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, LA.
Their presentations reviewed their findings on the influence of the processing of oats on the glycemic response and bioactive composition, measuring the functionality of oat beta-glucan, the antioxidant potential of oat beta-glucan, the benefits of eating whole grains on chronic disease, and how oats may improve glucose control and lipid metabolism. This high-level scientific session revealed the far-reaching impact this simple grain plays in health promotion and disease prevention. You also may wish to check out the PDF format article, “Oats: Chemistry and Technology, Second Edition – AACC International.”
http://www.aaccnet.org/publications/store/Pages/27649.aspx
Making oat bran cookies
You may want to make a chewy cookie from mixing equal parts of oat bran and oat meal with three tablespoons of ground flax seeds and some raisins or chopped fruit or berries. Add some almond milk, to make a thick paste consistency, and pat the mixture on a cookie sheet. Cut in squares and sprinkle with ground nuts, brown sesame seeds, or pumpkin seeds, and bake at 350 degrees F until the ingredients are dry in the middle. You may also enjoy the article, “How to Sprout Oat Groats – Cultures for Health.”
http://www.culturesforhealth.com/how-to-sprout-oat-groats
You might start with a cup of oat bran and oat meal as your basic batter/dough. Or in an electric coffee grinder, grind your own sprouted, dehydrated lentils or quinoa grain to a course meal and add it to the dry ingredients. If you make it too wet with the almond milk, add some garbanzo bean flour or amaranth flour or quinoa flour to thicken. Another option is using oat flour made from freshly ground whole oat groats.
Then form into cookies or brownie shapes and bake. For more moisture and sweetness, add a thinly-sliced banana to the dough or a handful of blueberries. This makes a vegan cookie. The flax seed meal takes the place of eggs to hold the dough/batter together into a square shape or into round shapes, as desired.
It makes a healthy, chewy cookie or brownie. Optional, add a tablespoon or two of unsweetened cocoa powder to the dry ingredients. You don’t have to add fats or oils because the seeds have enough fat in them. In fact, you can sprinkle the cookie sheet with sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds to keep the dough from sticking, at least in most cases. Use any berries, raisins, prunes, apples, or other fruit to sweeten.
Here’s how to sprout organic whole oat groats
If the oats are organic and not toasted, treated with chemicals, or ortherwise heated, test the oat groats to see whether they can sprout in the first place.
Place 1/2 cup oat groats into a quart jar. Fill with water, cover with a cheese cloth or sprouting screen, and allow to soak overnight.
Drain all of the water off of the oat groats. Turn the jar upside down over a bowl so that any residual water can drain from the oat berries, also known as whole oat groats.
Some labels say that the groats are sproutable.
After 12 hours of draining, rinse and drain again. Repeat, rinsing and draining 2 to 3 times daily for 2 to 3 days. Look for tiny roots that look like tails to emerge from the groats.
As soon as the tiny roots come out, you now have your sprouted oats.
After draining well, the sprouts will keep in the refrigerator for several days. To turn sprouted oats into flour, they have to be dehydrated in an oven or dehydrator, or if clean enough, in the sun. Then with an electric coffee grinder, you can grind the dehydrated sprouted oats into flour or coarse meal for baking.
Source: the examiner
