How to grow Alfalfa Sprouts

Heartsinyourfood·

Health Benefits of Alfalfa Sprouts

By Juniper Russo

Photo Credit healthy foods image by Steve Lovegrove from Fotolia.com

The sprouts, or young seedlings, of the alfalfa plant are associated with several potential health benefits. Although adult alfalfa plants are too coarse and bitter to eat, alfalfa sprouts are tender and appropriate for use in salads, sandwiches and soups. When used appropriately and in moderation, alfalfa sprouts can be a healthy component of a balanced diet. Consult your health care provider before eating alfalfa sprouts on an ongoing or excessive basis, particularly if you have a medical condition or take medication.

Dietary Fiber

According to NutritionData, a service of Self magazine, alfalfa sprouts are a good source of dietary fiber. Each 33-gram serving of alfalfa sprouts provides one gram of fiber, or three percent of an average adult's necessary intake. For this reason, alfalfa sprouts may be a suitable food for people suffering from chronic constipation, diverticulitis or other digestive upsets.

Protein

Every serving of alfalfa sprouts provides 1 gram of plant-based protein, according to NutritionData. Unlike most other vegan protein sources, such as beans and peas, alfalfa sprouts are edible and palatable without any exposure to heat. Alfalfa sprouts are a good protein source for people eating raw and vegan diets.

Micronutrients

Alfalfa sprouts are a good source of several micronutrients, or vitamins. NutritionData reports that alfalfa sprouts contain B vitamins such as niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, folate, pantothenic acid and vitamin B6. Additionally, alfalfa sprouts provide roughly 13 percent of an adult's recommended daily intake of vitamin K. Because of alfalfa's high vitamin K content, the National Institutes of Health advise patients taking blood-thinners to avoid foods and supplements made from the plant.

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Warning: Toxins, GMOs Fill Highly Popular Children’s Vitamins

by Elizabeth Renter
June 22nd, 2013 


Nearly as soon as our children are able to chew, we begin teaching them that they can depend on lab-created solutions for proper nutrition. And while there is a place for supplements, that place may not be in the fruity, chalky flavors of popular children’s multivitamins. As a matter of fact, the very vitamins that so many parents feed their children could be doing them more harm than good.
“82% of kids aren’t getting all of their veggies,” says the product page for Bayer Health Science’s Flinstone vitamins, one of the top-selling children’s vitamins on the market. “Without enough vegetables, kids may not be getting all of the nutrients they need.”

With this statement, and the massive amount of money spent on marketing children’s synthetic vitamins, parents are led to believe a tiny chewable will solve their child’s nutritional deficiencies, that somehow adding more vegetables (the simple, common sense answer) is far too difficult.

But the sad fact is, many parents aren’t looking closely at these vitamins. If they did, they’d probably be surprised. And as Anthony Gucciardi has detailed in the past, synthetic vitamins hiding in your favorite supplements come with a serious host of concerning health consequences.

According to a report by GreenMedInfo, Flinstone’s Vitamins contain a whole laundry list of unhealthy ingredients—things many parents already try to avoid. These include: aspartame, sorbitol, zinc oxide, ferrous fumarate, artificial colors, GMO corn, hydrogenated soybean oil, and cupric oxide. 



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