Sprouts are essential food item given their incredible nutritional and medicinal benefits. Hence, it is wise to add sprouts to your daily diet to help manage a healthy lifestyle.

Why you should have sprouts

Sprouts are low in calorie density, one of the trademarks of a healthy food. When a food is low in calorie density, you can eat a good portion of the food for relatively few calories. They are rich in fibre and fills you without making you gain weight. So sprouts are one of the best foods to have daily if you are looking to shed some pounds.

Sprouts contain protein, thiamine, niacin, vitamin B6, C, K, potassium, pantothenic acid, iron magnesium, phosphorus, riboflavin, folate, copper, manganese and dietary fibre. This food is low in saturated fats, sodium and cholesterol.

A compound found in broccoli sprouts is also said to show significant improvement in fasting blood sugar levels.

A powerful antioxidant found in broccoli sprouts may help protect the heart from heart disease and stroke. It helps to fight inflammation and boost the natural defence system against stress that can raise the risk of heart disease.

Green germ, Bengal gram, cow pea and red gram are pulses that can be included in sprouts. All these create an appropriate balance of minerals required for blood pressure regulation.

A 2006 study showed that a compound in mung bean sprouts kills human tumour cells. A 2009 study showed that broccoli sprout extract may fight bladder, breast, lung, skin, oral and stomach cancer.

Sprouts ensure blood purification and strengthen the immune system and keeps the body healthy and strong.

A decent amount of vitamin C in sprouts destroys the free radicals in the body that makes the hair weak, brittle and thin. It also prevents a variety of hair disorders like alopecia and even male pattern. The high amounts of vitamin A can help prevent dry scalp, roots and strands leading to hair loss. Sprouts reduce the possibility of premature hair greying due to abundant antioxidants.

The antioxidants in sprouts ensure that your skin cells are protected from the threat of sun rays, thus warding off skin cancer. B vitamins in sprouts prevent the pores from getting blocked and allow your skin to absorb the necessary amount of water to avoid dehydration. Vitamin C content promotes the production of collagen that keeps your skin young and radiant.

Vision deterioration such as glaucoma and cataract can be stopped by eating sprouts regularly.

Enjoy all the health benefits in a bowl of sprouts.