Sprouted Grains

Brown rice is a reliable healthy option, but by sprouting it, you might get even more health benefits. In a study in Ecuador, researchers compared different levels of nutrients in six varieties of brown rice when it was raw, soaked, and sprouted. The researchers found that dietary fiber content increased (6.1-13.6%) with sprouting time and temperature in all varieties of brown rice, and that phytic acid content decreased noticeably. The effect of sprouting on other nutrients, such as peptide content and protein hydrolysis, varied across the different varieties of brown rice.
Plant Foods For Human Nutrition. 2014 Sep;69(3):261-7. (Caceres PJ et al.)

In a study in Mexico, researchers sprouted amaranth at different conditions to see which would maximize antioxidant activity. The scientists found that sprouting was able to increase antioxidant activity (300-470%), total phenolic content (829%), and flavonoid content (213%), and that the ideal time and temperature for sprouting amaranth was 30 degrees C for 78 hours. Additionally, protein and fiber content also showed increases from sprouting.
Plant Foods For Human Nutrition. 2014 Sep;69(3):196-202 (Perales-Sanchez JX et al.)

Research shows that millet, a nutritious staple crop in many developing countries, can be made even more nutritious when the grains are sprouted. In a study in India, scientists measured the phenolic composition, antioxidant activity, and inhibitory properties against alpha-glucosidase and alpha-amylase (a mechanism that helps prevent spikes in blood sugar) of raw millet, germinated (sprouted) millet, and microwaved and steamed millet. The researchers found that “germinated millets showed highest phenolic content as well as superior antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activities. These results suggest that germinated millet grains are a potential source of phenolic antioxidants and also great sources of strong natural inhibitors for α-amylase and α-glucosidase.”
Food Chemistry. 2014 Aug 13;169:455-63. (Pradeep PM et al.)

In an animal study in Malaysia, scientists compared the antioxidant activity in white rice, brown rice and sprouted brown rice. While brown rice fared better than white rice, it was the sprouted brown rice that was found to have the highest antioxidant activity. Additionally, researchers found that sprouted brown rice lowered the level of liver enzymes associated with liver toxicity (a side effect of some cholesterol lowering medications).
Food Chemistry. 2013 November 15;141(2):1306-12. (Mohd Esa N et al.)

Researchers at the University of Guelph in Canada examined the glycemic impact of different commercial breads on twelve overweight and obese men at risk for diabetes. They fed the men five kinds of bread on different occasions — sprouted grain bread, 11-grain bread, 12-grain bread, sourdough bread and white bread — then measured glucose response. Sourdough bread and sprouted grain bread outperformed the other three breads in different measures of glycemic and metabolic response.
Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism. 2012; 2012:184710. Mofidi et al.

Folate, found in foods such as spinach, is an important vitamin necessary to prevent neural tube defects (birth defects of the brain, spine, and spinal cord). In a study in Egypt, researchers found that sprouting wheat increased folate levels 3- to 4-fold depending on temperature. The scientists concluded that making pita bread with just 50% sprouted wheat flour is enough to increase the daily folate intake by 75 micrograms, or almost 20% of the adult recommended intake.
Food and Nutrition Research. 2012 April 2;56 (Hefni et al.)