Benefits of Sprouted Grain Flour and Sprouted Grains

We are told that in order to maintain good health and well being that we must satiate our bodies with a balanced diet. One that is filled with something that we now label as “whole grains”. The push for encouraging people to eat  whole grains has come about due to the common over consumption of white flour. Whole grains are an incredibly beneficial food to us, but did you know that whole grains could become even more nutritious then once thought?

The process of sprouting nuts and seeds is well known amongst the raw food and vegan community. We will discuss in this post the many benefits of sprouted grains in comparison to their dormant form. Even though sprouted whole grains are an essential part of a healthy diet, we also must take into consideration how often we cook and bake with flour. The options that are commonly on the market are white bleached or unbleached wheat flour, whole wheat flour, corn flour, and perhaps rice flour. If you go into health food stores then you may also be able to find some more varieties. However, some companies have now started to manufacture flours ground down from sprouted grains. The consumption of sprouted whole grains and sprouted grain flour can be a very beneficial addition to your diet, and here is why…

• increases the bio availability of nutrients which lay dormant in whole grains, enhancing the nutritional density of sprouted whole-grain foods. One of the main nutrients is phenolic acid, which contains antioxidant activities.
  
• returns grain to a plant state; plants are simple sugars that digest as vegetables in the body.
  

• converts the starches found in grain into simple sugars that the body uses for energy, versus starches that can be stored as fat.

• reduces significantly the glycaemic and insulinaemic responses and increases satiety, both of which are useful in the management of type 2 diabetes and weight regulation.
  

• ignites the amylase activity, or beneficial organisms such as lactobacilli that aid in digestion; sprouted grain flour is a natural laxative.

• develops the flavor which allows 100% of the whole grain (high fiber) flour to be used without the bitter taste found in unsprouted whole grain flour.
• increases the antioxidants, Vitamin C, Vitamin B and carotene, that helps with absorption of; calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc during digestion.

• enhances the hydrolysis of phytic acid, an enzyme inhibitor, allowing for better absorption of nutrients.

• includes the whole grain including the bran, which contains most of the vitamins, minerals,fiber and photochemicals found in whole grain.

* Antioxidants inhibit the oxidation of free radicals, preventing the damage or death of human cells. There are two subcategories of phenolic acid: free radicals versus total phenols. Syringic acid is the main free radical found in grain. During the EESF sprouting process, syringic acid increases, resulting in an increase of total phenolic content and antioxidant activity.