Add More Sprouts to Your Diet for 3 Key Health Benefits
It’s easy to say that adding certain foods to your diet will make you healthier, but it can be harder to actually do it. We all have a mile-long list of foods we should be eating. But how can we really be expected to eat every single thing recommended for different advantages? Luckily, all you have to do is add more sprouts to your diet for a slew of health benefits — and they pair well with lots of meals!
The great thing about sprouts is that they’re not limited to one specific food. Instead, sprouts refer to a variety of foods you can add to your diet. What we call sprouts is really just the germinated seeds of beans, legumes, nuts, and grains as well as vegetables. Alfalfa is the most common sprout and likely the one you picture when you hear the word. But you’ve probably seen a bunch of other ones at the store, like radish, broccoli, and wheat grass.
Health Benefits of Sprouts
1. They’re diet-friendly.
Since sprouts are so low in calories but rich in health benefits, they’re super diet-friendly. Their low-calorie count really helps you feel full without going over your daily limits. Alfalfa, in particular, is great when it comes to managing calories; one cup of the sprout has only eight calories! Lentil sprouts count on only 82 calories per cup, too.
2. They add lots of fiber.
If you’re constantly looking for ways to add more fiber to your diet, sprouts are a great natural answer. In fact, grains that were sprouted for at least five days were found to have 133 percent more fiber than un-sprouted grains. That really ups your intake of fiber, which in turn helps you regulate your weight and have more energy throughout the day. Since fiber slows down the digestion and absorption of food, your body gets calories all day instead of right after mealtime.
3. They fight heart disease.
Sprouts are a great preventive food to reach for when it comes to heart disease. Broccoli sprout extract was found to have a positive impact on blood vessels by lessening inflammation in the cells that form their walls. These cells are called endothelial cells, which can play an important part in the development of heart disease. Sprouts help keep these cells healthy, and in turn your heart as well!
Next time you’re at the store, reach for some sprouts and take advantage of these three key benefits!
