The benefits and harms of sprouted oats
Eating sprouted grains, especially oats, has become very fashionable in the last few years. Nutritionists, fitness trainers, and popular bloggers recommend eating sprouts. Along with green salads and fresh vegetables, such grains are considered “living food”, saturating the body with useful substances and not clogging it with toxins. When used correctly, hatched grains can improve the health of the body, but doctors recommend that people with certain diseases refrain from consuming the product.
Let us consider in detail the benefits and harms of oat sprouts, methods of sprouting and consuming them.
Composition and beneficial properties of sprouted oats
“Live” grains contain many useful microelements, which are activated during germination and bring several times more benefits to the body than regular dry grain.
Oats contain the following vitamins and nutrients::
- Group B (B1, B2, B5, B6, B9, B12);
- vitamin E;
- vitamin D;
- a nicotinic acid;
- alpha-carotene;
- beta-carotene;
- lutein
And microelements in accessible form:
- potassium;
- calcium;
- silicon;
- magnesium;
- sodium;
- phosphorus;
- iron;
- iodine;
- selenium.
100 g of “live” grain contains about 15 g of protein; it contains essential and essential amino acids, fiber and complex carbohydrates.
Benefits of sprouted oats:
- A handful of grains added to a salad or muesli in the morning activates the immune system and reduces the risk of colds, strengthens the body and gives strength.
- Thanks to a large amount of antioxidants, sprouted oat grains prolong youth, strengthen nails and hair, and prevent cancer.
- Due to the content of iodine, which is easily absorbed, oats are a must for thyroid diseases.
- After serious injuries and serious illnesses, a handful of grains in the daily diet saturates the body with vitamins and microelements, helps strengthen the immune system, strengthen muscles and normalization of the gastrointestinal tract.
Sprouted grains must be included in the diet during treatment tuberculosis, liver, kidney and gall bladder diseases. People who regularly consume sprouts are less likely to suffer from heart attacks, strokes and thrombosis. Doctors recommend eating oat sprouts for digestive problems, metabolic disorders and to improve blood count.
Thanks to blood vessel cleansing and a high concentration of amino acids, the supplement adding sprouted oat grains to the diet improves memory and reduces bad cholesterol. In elderly patients, with regular use of the product, coordination of movements improves, visual acuity increases, and teeth become stronger.
For dysbacteriosis and after treatment with antibiotics This useful supplement heals the intestinal microflora and removes free radicals.
Reference. The content of vitamins, microelements and useful components in sprouted oats is higher than in fresh greens from the garden.
How to germinate oat grains
There are many ways to germinate. The key is to choose healthy, whole grains and not to sprout too many at once., since the finished seed is not stored for too long.
How to choose the right oats for sprouting
You can buy oats for germination:
- in a pharmacy;
- in health food stores;
- in small shops for vegetarians and vegans.
In large stores, in the healthy food section, you can also find oats for sprouting, but they are usually of poorer quality - there are more husks in the pack, and the germination of the grain is less.
The grains must be dry, without many impurities, not steamed or heat treated.
How many oats to germinate at a time?
It depends on how much oats will be included in the diet daily. Doctors recommend eating 100 g per day as a maximum.. Usually 50-70 g is enough to saturate the body with all the necessary microelements.
Reference. The finished product can be stored for no more than two days. Based on this, you can calculate the portion for germination so as not to throw away spoiled grain.
How to prepare grains for germination
The main thing to do is rinse the oats thoroughly, first with warm, then cool running water.
Reference. Grains floating on the surface of the water are removed - they will not germinate.
If there is no doubt about the quality of the grain, preparation may be limited to this. If the quality is in doubt, it is necessary to disinfect the dry product with a very weak solution of potassium permanganate (a few grains per 2 liters of water), and then rinse with plenty of water.
Germination methods
All germination methods the grains are simple and do not require special skills.
Saucer and gauze
The grains are washed, laid in an even layer on damp gauze and placed in a shallow saucer. Cover the top with another layer of gauze. The seedlings should not be exposed to direct sunlight, and the room should be warm and humid.
If necessary, every few hours the top layer of fabric can be moistened with a spray bottle.
Jar and gauze
The simplest way. The grains are filled with water for 12 hours, then the water is drained, and the slightly swollen grains are placed in a large glass jar. Cover the container with damp gauze and put it in a warm place, protected from direct sunlight.
How long does it take to germinate oats? The first sprouts will appear in 10-12 hours, after another 3-4 hours the grains can be eaten - they are completely ready.
Tea strainers
The method allows you to provide yourself and your family with fresh sprouted grain without interruption.
Pour lukewarm water into several glasses, place washed grains in strainers on top. The water should not cover the grains entirely - just barely touch the bottom edge of the strainer.
The first seedlings appear within a day. The grains from the first glass can be eaten and new ones can be added immediately for germination.
Interesting things on the site:
How to store sprouted oats
The finished product can be stored at room temperature for no more than five hours. in a dry place, protected from direct sunlight. After this time, pathogenic microorganisms begin to actively multiply in the grains.
To increase shelf life The product can be stored in the refrigerator in a loosely closed container or glass jar. In the cold, sprouted grains retain their beneficial properties for 2-3 days.
Important! Before use, the grain must be washed in cool water. This will rid the finished dish of an unpleasant odor and wash away the top film in which bacteria have begun to multiply.
How to eat sprouted oats
The best way to consume it is without heat treatment., simply adding a handful of grains to slightly cooled porridge, muesli, cereal, boiled potatoes, vegetable and green salads, puree soups.
Grains can be eaten plain or sweetened with honey, seasoned with a little olive oil, salt and garlic. In any form - sweet or savory - sprouted oats are very good. To improve the health of the body, popular jelly, tincture and porridge are also prepared.
Kissel
Doctors recommend jelly made from sprouted oats for diabetes. Nutritionists advise drinking it for gentle weight loss.
To prepare a healthy drink, the sprouts are ground in a meat grinder or crushed in a blender, pour boiling water over it and boil for 2-3 minutes. The resulting mass is left to infuse for 1-1.5 hours, then drunk.
Reference. Kissel can be slightly sweetened with a drop of honey or a coffee spoon of vegetable oil can be added to it.
Tincture
The tincture is useful both for gentle cleansing of the intestines and for general strengthening of the body..
The recipe is simple:
- Place 200 g of washed sprouts in a thermos with a wide neck;
- pour 2 liters of boiling water;
- leave overnight.
Ready strain the infusion and drink in portions throughout the day 150-200 ml each.
Porridge
A glass of sprouted grain is poured into a glass of hot milk or water., bring to a boil and cook over very low heat for 3-5 minutes. Add a little honey or sugar, dried fruits, butter or pumpkin oil to the finished porridge.
Traditional medicine recipes based on sprouted oats
In addition to simple jelly and tincture in folk medicine there are many recipes made from “live” grain for cleaning blood vessels, losing weight, strengthening the body and liberation from toxins.
General strengthening tincture
There are several recipes for tinctures to strengthen the body and increase immunity. There are two most popular ones.
First recipe:
- A glass of washed sprouts is combined with a handful of dried fruits, placed in a thermos, poured 1 liter of boiling water and left for 5 to 12 hours.
- The finished infusion is filtered, a teaspoon of honey and the juice of a quarter of a lemon are added. Drink in equal portions throughout the day. The duration of treatment is a week.
Second recipe:
- A glass of washed sprouts is placed in a saucepan, poured with boiling water, and boiled for 1-2 minutes.
- Add a teaspoon of flaxseed oil to the hot mixture.
- The infusion is stirred and filtered. Drink small portions throughout the day, keeping the infusion warm (in a thermos). Admission period is 7-10 days in a row.
Recipe for weight loss
Sprouted oat grains are added to salads, ready-made soups are eaten for breakfast instead of porridge, enriched with honey and fruits. In any form, healthy grains speed up metabolism, cleanse the intestines of toxins and saturate the body with microelements.
To speed up the process of losing excess weight prepare the following mixture:
- 1 cup sprouted grains;
- 1 teaspoon flaxseed;
- 2-3 prunes.
All products are mixed, poured with half a glass of boiling water and left to steep for an hour. Eat for breakfast or instead of one of the meals.
To cleanse the intestines and liver
To cleanse the liver and intestines grind a glass of sprouts in a blender, pour half a glass of hot water and boil for 1-2 minutes. Add a teaspoon of honey, a teaspoon of any vegetable oil and a few drops of lemon juice to the slightly cooled mass.
Reference. You should eat this mixture instead of breakfast for 3-5 days in a row. The next meal should be no earlier than 3 hours later.
Harm and contraindications
Absolute There are few contraindications to taking the drug:
- gluten intolerance;
- individual allergic reactions;
- children under 5 years of age;
- diseases of the digestive tract in the acute stage.
For gallbladder diseases before use product, you should consult your doctor.
What do the doctor's say
Almost everything Doctors recommend that patients eat sprouted oat products. in order to strengthen the body, improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, normalize hormonal balance and cleanse the body of waste and toxins.
Pediatricians advise introducing sprouted oats into the diet of children under 12 years of age with great caution. – It may interfere with the absorption of calcium. The daily intake for a child 8-12 years old should not exceed 1 tablespoon of prepared grains.
Conclusion
Sprouted oat grains are a must in the diet of a person who cares about their health and has no contraindications. Two or three times a week you should add grains to salads and soups, prepare porridge from them, and eat them for breakfast with dried fruits and honey.
With regular use, the product not only gives strength, saturates the body with microelements and helps reduce weight. “Live” oats can relieve the initial stage of diabetes and prevent the future development of such terrible pathologies as stroke and cancer.
And what is the benefit of thermally processed oats?)))) At a temperature of 45 degrees, all beneficial substances are destroyed? And at 70 is completely dead food? What's the point of germinating it? Cook porridge, same thing!!! It's only good when eaten raw!
There is no important information about what stage to germinate to, otherwise it’s not clear to me “At room temperature, you can store the finished product for no more than five hours in a dry place, protected from direct sunlight.” - From what point should we count?
and don’t tell Max they didn’t leave complete instructions