Alfalfa Sprouts Health Benefits And Nutrition Facts

Alfalfa sprouts are known as the father of all foods. Lucene is the common name for the alfalfa in many countries such as the UK, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. It is a perennial flowering plant in the legume family but usually treated as the herb. Alfalfa sprouts are the immature or baby shoots of the alfalfa plants. This plant is first grown to feed the domestic animals, now it is eaten by all due to its medicinal purposes.

Origin

The alfalfa sprouts originated from South and Central Asia which later cultivated in almost all parts of the world. The Alfalfa sprouts can be grown easily indoors in the glass or the pot. Fill the jar with water and a tablespoon of seeds. Replacing the water for four to five days and placing it in the sunlight gives us healthy alfalfa sprouts.

Nutrition Facts of Alfalfa Sprouts

It is full of vitamins and minerals but has low calorie. They have a lavish amount of Vitamin K. It also contains a good amount of Vitamin C, copper, manganese, folate, thiamin, riboflavin, magnesium and fiber. It is enriched with a high amount of bioactive plant compounds such as coumarins, flavonoids, phytosterols, phytoestrogens and alkaloids.

Benefits of Alfalfa Sprouts

There are various health benefits, which can be acquired by consuming alfalfa sprouts. The low calorie alfalfa sprouts with plant compound saponins could decrease the total blood cholesterol level in case of both animals and humans. Alfalfa sprouts are traditionally used for treating many diseases including diabetes. The plant compound called phytoestrogen that is similar to phytoestrogen will help in relieving menopause symptoms like night sweats and hot flashes. The antioxidant content in the alfalfa sprouts has high potential to treat conditions caused by inflammation, oxidative damage and the damage caused by free radicals. It also prevents damage caused by free radicals. It also has the ability to minimize the cell death and DNAdamage caused by free radicals. The Vitamin K and C is crucial for maintaining healthy bones and teeth. It lessens the risk of osteoporosis and ails the kidney and bladder related problems.

The healthy alfalfa sprouts can be incorporated to sandwiches, burgers and salads to add a crunchy flavor. The sprouts are delicious when incorporated into both hot and cold dishes. you can replace them with lettuce wherever needed . Adding them in stir fries is a good choice to
improve the flavor. Alfalfa leaves are generally consumed by supplements in powdered form or in the form of the tablet.

It is better to grow alfalfa sprouts on your own, as they are extremely prone to carrying food-borne illnesses such as e-coli, listeria and salmonella, it is not consumed by many people. The people who are at high risk of food poisoning or serious illness may avoid eating the raw or lightly cooked sprouts. It is better to avoid giving the sprouts to children, pregnant women and elderly people as they have weaker immune systems. They can eat this fruit when fully cooked to have a healthier snack.