International Specialty Supply
Supplying Sprout Companies Throughout the World
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International Specialty Supply Supplying Sprout Companies Throughout the World
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820 East 20th Street Cookeville, TN 38501 USA 931 526 1106
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Sprouts
are Health Food for the Centuries Detroit
Free Press March
24, 1999 BY
CAROL J.G. WARD Medicinally
and nutritionally, sprouts have a long history. It is
believed that Chinese physicians prescribed sprouts for curing many disorders
more than 5,000 years ago, according to the International Sprout Growers
Association. And in
the 1700s, Capt. James Cook had his sailors eat limes, lemons and varieties of
sprouts -- all abundant providers of vitamin C -- to help prevent scurvy on long
voyages. It is
only in the past 30 years that Westerners have become interested in sprouts,
according to the association. Sprouts
can grow from the seeds of vegetables such as radishes and broccoli, from grains
such as alfalfa and buckwheat, and from beans and other plants such as
sunflowers. ·
Availability: Some of the more commonly known sprouts such as
alfalfa and bean are available in supermarkets. Others such as broccoli sprouts
can be found at health food stores. ·
Selection and storage: Choose crisp-looking sprouts with the buds
attached, advises Sharon Tyler Herbst in "The Food Lover's Tiptionary"
(Hearst Books, $15). Avoid
dark or slimy sprouts and those with a musty smell. Mung-bean
sprouts should be refrigerated in a plastic bag for no more than three days.
More delicate sprouts such as alfalfa should be refrigerated in the ventilated
plastic container in which they're usually sold and kept for no more than two
days. Wash
sprouts just before using and blot dry with paper towels. Mung-bean
sprouts can be frozen if they are to be used in cooking. They stay good frozen
in their bag for several months. ·
Use: Sprouts vary in texture and taste. Some are spicy (radish and
onion sprouts). Some are hardy (mung bean) and are often used in Asian foods.
Others are more delicate (alfalfa) and are used in salads and sandwiches to add
texture and moistness. ·
Nutritional highlights: Sprouts in general are a good source of
protein and vitamin C, but experts say broccoli sprouts are one of the most
powerful cancer prevention weapons available. Studies
show there is up to 50 times more anticancer chemical in broccoli sprouts than
in the mature vegetable. The sprouts don't taste like broccoli. They are loaded
with a concentrated form of sulforaphane, a powerful cancer fighter, according
to researchers at Johns Hopkins University. However,
health experts advise caution when adding alfalfa sprouts to dishes, especially
those that will be eaten by young children or the elderly. Because
of the inability to control growing conditions and the absence of a procedure to
kill bacteria during processing, alfalfa sprouts can be a source of salmonella
infections |