In addition to essential minerals and vitamins, alfalfa sprouts are a good source of other healthy plant compounds that help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. The sprouts are fragile and have a short shelf life, so look for crisp sprouts that have no yellow spots.
Definition
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is primarily grown to be used as hay and to help add nitrogen back into the soil, but the sprouts are also a good source of nutrition that can be used in salads or sandwiches. Nutrition information, from the USDA database as provided by NutritionData.com, is given for a 1-cup serving of sprouts.
Basic Nutrition
One serving has no fat, 1g of carbohydrates, 1.3g of protein and only 8 calories. One gram of carbohydrates is only a trace amount. The protein content represents 3 percent of the recommended daily value (DV) based on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet.
Vitamins
Alfalfa sprouts are a good source of vitamin K. Just one serving has 10.1mcg, or 13 percent of the daily value for vitamin K. They're also a good source of vitamin C, providing 2.7mg or 5 percent DV. They supply between 1 to 3 percent DV of thiamin (0.025mg), riboflavin (0.042mg), niacin (0.2mg), pantothenic acid (0.2mg), vitamin B6 (0.01mg), folate (11.9micrograms) and vitamin A (51 IU).
Minerals
You'll receive 10.6mg of calcium, 0.mg of iron, 8.9 mg of magnesium, 23.1mg of phosphorus, 26.1mg of potassium, 0.3mg of zinc, 0.1mg of copper and 0.1mg of manganese. These values represent between 1 to 3 percent DV.
Saponins
In the September 2006 issue of the "Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture," Dorothy Fenwick and David Oakenfull reported that alfalfa sprouts are one of the richest sources of saponins. Saponins are natural phytochemicals that lower cholesterol and that have "antimicrobial and antifungal effects," stated Avato et al. in the June 2006 issue of "Phytotherapy Research."
Phytoestrogens
Information provided by DietaryFiberFood.com states that alfalfa sprouts contain 441.4mcg per 100g of phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens are substances found in plants that act like estrogen. Ongoing studies indicate that they have several potential health benefits, including lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease and breast cancer, as well as protecting against bone loss. Phytoestrogens also provide antioxidant benefits.
Considerations
A plant amino acid called canavanine is present in alfalfa sprouts. One form of canavanine, L-canavanine, is being studied for its ability to inhibit pancreatic cancer. However, its antimetabolic properties have caused abnormalities similar to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in monkeys and it may trigger inflammation in humans. Individuals with SLE should avoid eating alfalfa sprouts.
Member Comments