Sprouts include a variety of vegetables and legumes, and they include sprouted beans, lentils, soybeans and mung beans. Sprouts are nutrient-dense foods, and they can help you meet your recommendations for daily servings of vegetables. For the most benefits, eat sprouts as part of a balanced overall diet, and talk to your doctor if you have health concerns.
Weight Control
Eating sprouts can help you control your weight because they are low in calories. A cup of mung bean sprouts has 31 calories, and each cup of bean or soybean sprouts has 70 to 80 calories. Add sprouts to stir-fries, sandwiches, salads and other recipes to make your meal or snack bigger and more filling, without going over your calorie limit. To control your weight, control your portion sizes even when you eat low-calorie foods.
Lower Cholesterol
Many kinds of sprouts are good sources of protein, and eating them instead of some animal products can lower your blood cholesterol levels. Fatty meats and full-fat dairy products are high in saturated fat and cholesterol, which raise levels of bad LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol in your blood and may increase your risk for heart disease. Sprouts are cholesterol-free and low in saturated fat. A cup of sprouted lentils has 7 g protein, navy beans have 6 g and soybeans have 9 g per cup.
Blood Pressure Regulation
A benefit of eating sprouts instead of high-sodium foods is that it may help lower your blood pressure. because they are nearly sodium-free. A high-sodium diet can raise your blood pressure and increase your risk for stroke, and healthy adults should have no more than 2,300 mg per day, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Your sodium intake will increase if you cook your sprouts in a salty sauce, such as soy sauce in a stir-fry. If you buy canned sprouts, choose a low-sodium brand.
Prevent Nutrient Deficiencies
Each cup of raw, sprouted lentils provides 2.5 mg iron, or 14 percent of the daily value for iron and navy bean sprouts are also high in iron. Mung bean sprouts have 155 mg potassium, and other kinds of sprouts have more than 300 mg potassium, which is an essential nutrient for heart health. Bean sprouts are high in magnesium, and mung bean sprouts provide 14 mg vitamin C -- or nearly one-quarter of the daily value for this antioxidant vitamin.
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