Response to the alive magazine reader who wrote expressing concerns about Simone's article “Sprouts: Living Local Food” in the May 2008 issue (page 188).
[The same reader also wrote to alive's editor, voicing the same concerns. His letter and the editor's response are published in the August 2008 issue of alive. ]
E-mail received from the alive reader (name withheld to protect privacy):
Dear Mrs Gabbay,
Please find attached a paper published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry. The paper explains the potential hazards of raw seedling consumption, mainly the presence of neurotoxins and neurotoxin precursors found in seedlings. I don't believe advocating the consumption of raw seedlings is in the public's best interests in light of this paper (2000).
Thank you for your time,
[name withheld], BSc. Chem
Simone's response to the above e-mail:
Thank you for sending me the paper Free Amino Acids Present in Commercially Available Seedlings Sold for Human Consumption: A Potential Hazard for Consumers.
As the document indicates, the aim of the study discussed in this paper was "to determine any inherent toxic amino acid in the seedlings presently available in European markets and expose eventual hazards to the consumer."
For this study, the authors purchased "fresh commercial seed sprouts" in a local supermarket. They inform that the seeds "were already germinated with unknown conditions" and "the extracts [used in the study] were made at the last day of the recommended consumption period."
My article in alive magazine does not advocate the use of such a questionable product, but provides information on how to grow fresh, high-quality sprouts under optimal conditions at home.
The Belgian study further says, "High variations were found in total free amino acids for the different kinds of seedling axes," and concludes with this paragraph:
"The industrial practices for germination of the seeds are unknown and perhaps pesticides, bactericidal products, and artificial growth promoters may have been used, so the consequences of such compounds on human health cannot be estimated. People using a very restricted diet because of philosophic convictions (vegetarians or religious fasting), chronic disease (allergic people), or a fear of contamination (for example, BSE or dioxine) may be at risk."
Again, you will note that my article does not advocate the use of unknown industrial practices, pesticides, bactericidal products, or artificial growth promoters. I also don't recommend very restricted diets for most healthy people.
However, while on this topic, it may be of interest to remember that many common foods contain potentially toxic compounds, including potatoes (alkaloids), as well as spinach and rhubarb (oxalic acid). With proper handling and preparation of the foods that contain them, these compounds present no risk to most healthy people.
Other substances are toxic to some people while being highly nutritional for others. For instance, multiple deaths are caused every year by peanuts and shellfish because some people are allergic to them, whereas others can enjoy the nutritional benefits of these foods without any risk to their health whatsoever.
Fresh, home-grown sprouts have been consumed for decades, and countless people have found that their health improved as a result.
For those who wish to include sprouts in their diet but don't want to do their own sprouting, I recommend that they purchase organic sprouts from a reputable grower and store. I do not recommend that they purchase or consume sprouts "germinated with unknown conditions" that may have included dubious growing practices, pesticides, bactericidal products, or artificial growth promoters.
For further information on the benefits of sprouts and sprouting, you may find the following sources to be of interest:
Sprout Garden : Indoor Grower's Guide to Gourmet Sprouts
By Mark M. Braunstein
Revised Edition, 1999
Book Publishing Company, Summertown , Tennessee
Sprouts: The Miracle Food
By Steve Meyerowitz
Sproutman Publications, Great Barrington , Mass. 01230 , 1999
Broccoli sprouts: An exceptionally rich source of inducers of enzymes that protect against chemical carcinogens
Jed W. Fahey, Yesheng Zhang, and Paul Talalay
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
Vol. 94, pp. 10367-10372, September 1997
Medical Sciences
Alfalfa sprouts: Their remarkable effect on cholesterol
Clinical study by Dr. Lawrence Rink, clinical professor at the Indiana School of Medicine, February 2003
http://www.ncb3.com/study.html
I hope this information is helpful.
Again, thank you for writing.
Sincerely,
Simone Gabbay