Jean-Louis Tu:
>I read in a book that adzukis and peas contain trypsin inhibitors that
>are only partially destroyed by sprouting: this seems to contradict
>Tom Billing's article (he considers them as edible). What do sproutarians
>think about that?

>Also: do raw, unsprouted peanuts contain trypsin inhibitors?

Tom:
Yes, peanuts do contain trypsin inhibitors. This topic is discussed on
pg. 372 of "Conscious Eating", by Gabriel Cousens.

Whether one can digest them is best determined by testing. Comments on my
experience with these seeds is as follows.

peas:  cooked field peas, unspiced, are not digestible; cooked field peas,
heavily spiced, are digestible; raw sprouted peas are digestible - raw is easier
to digest (than cooked) if eaten with turmeric.

adzuki: fairly easy to digest for me, with or without spices. Warning: a type
of field pea called cowpea is often sold under the name adzuki. The cowpea has
an unpleasant taste, and is generally not digestible.

peanuts: digestible for me, but mold is so common (yellow mold, which might
be aflatoxin), that I sprout them only rarely - once every 2-3 years. The
safety of peanuts is a legitimate issue.

I encourage people to test any food, and see if it agrees with them, before
making it a staple of their diet. Field peas amd peanuts are not staples for me,
and I eat adzuki rarely (mung is cheaper and more readily available). I also
rarely eat sprouted chickpeas (or their Indian equivalent, kala channa) as
even though they digest well if eaten properly, they have side-effects (not
gas), that I find undesirable -> so I avoid them.

The following seeds are staples for me: wheat, mung, sunflower, sesame (black
and tan), almonds, and oats. Occasionally I will sprout buckwheat, fenugreek,
or millet.  I don't sprout lentils, which are a staple for many, but a problem
for me if eaten in excess. Alfalfa is sprouted rarely, as I don't like it very
much.

Your question raised an important issue. Thanks for your question!

Regards,
Tom Billings
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