>"For sprout addicts there is another way, though it's more trouble.
>"Basically, you submerge the sprouts in boiling water," says Dr.
Or you could just sprout them yourself.
From beyondveg.com:
(http://www.beyondveg.com/tu-j-l/raw-cooked/raw-cooked-1g.shtml#alfalfa)
Alfalfa sprouts contain approximately 1.5% canavanine, a substance
which, when fed to monkeys, causes a severe lupus erythematosus-like
syndrome. (In humans, lupus is an autoimmune disease.) Canavanine
is an analog for the amino acid arginine, and takes its place when
incorporated into proteins. However, alfalfa that is cooked by
autoclaving (i.e., subjected to pressure-cooking) doesn't induce
this effect [Malinow 1982, Malinow 1984].
Note here that the monkeys were fed semi-purified diets, with a
canavanine content of 1-2%, versus a typical canavanine content of
1.5% (dry weight--that is, when completely dehydrated) for alfalfa
sprouts [Malinow 1982]. Thus, although it would be very difficult
for a human to eat enough fresh alfalfa sprouts to ingest even 1%
canavanine, individuals should be aware of the potential risks,
and consume (or not consume) alfalfa sprouts accordingly. (In
particular, those rawists who juice sprouts should probably strictly
limit or avoid the consumption of alfalfa sprout juice, due to the
concentration effect that results from juicing.)
Beyondveg.com also makes this claim: "soaking/germination (sprouting)
reduces phytates [Hurrell 1997]." Hurrell R (1997) "Bioavailability
of iron." European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 51 (suppl 1),
pp. S4-S8. I haven't read this reference, so I don't know exactly to
what extent sprouting makes the food safer.
--Bruce
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