Rice joins growing field of sprouted food choices But is it worth all the work, money? July 24, 2013|By Monica Eng, Tribune Newspapers 4956 If you take a good look around at your local grocery (especially if it has a healthy bent), youll likely notice a widening field of sprouted foods. Were not talking about the little white and green shoots you sprinkle on your salad or Chinese food, but rather minimally sprouted nuts, seeds, beans and grains that can be munched, boiled, ground or baked into traditional dishes as easily as their nonsprouted siblings. These more nutritious versions of beans and grains have recently found their way into dozens of commercial breads, flours, snack foods and pastas, with some of the most interesting and promising coming from sprouted brown rice. Products include sprouted rice protein supplements, germinated and dried brown rice, and Annie Chuns brand precooked sprouted rice. There are even special rice cookers that will germinate the rice in the machine for you. Many love the rices softer texture and more complex flavors, but most seem to turn to it for its health benefits. Japanese studies presented at a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization symposium in 2004 indicate that sprouting rice by soaking it in warm water for 8 to 24 hours can increase fiber by as much as four times, B vitamins and magnesium by as much as three times and gamma-aminobutyric acid (or GABA) by as much as 10 times. What is gamma-aminobutyric acid? Its an amino acid and neurotransmitter known to have a calming effect on the nerves. Some, seeking anxiety relief, take GABA supplements even though research is inconclusive about the ability of ingested GABA to enter the brain. Some research does suggest that ingested GABA can, through the pituitary gland, stimulate human growth hormone if taken right before a workout. This leads others to surmise that it must have at least some neurological impact. Japanese rice cooker maker Zojirushi says that by using its GABA rice cooking function, consumers can increase the GABA in their rice by 50 percent. Planet Rice, a California-based producer of presprouted brown rice, says its rice delivers six times the GABA of regular brown rice. Cynthia Harriman is the director of food and nutrition strategies at the Whole Grains Council and Oldways, an educational nonprofit promoting health through traditional diets. She says East Asians have long resisted public health efforts to increase brown rice consumption. Consumers saw it as hard to chew, unrefined and odd tasting. But sprouted brown rice, with its tender texture and slightly sweet nutty flavor, has taken off in a big way, especially in South Korea and Japan. One Seattle sushi bar (called Gaba Sushi) even uses it exclusively for sushi. Another benefit of eating brown rice is increased mineral absorption. Sprouting whole grains breaks down their phytic acid, which hampers the absorption of minerals, like the magnesium, calcium and zinc in rice. Decreasing the phytic acid makes these important minerals more bioavailable to your body. Stephan Guyenet is an obesity researcher at the University of Washington and a nutrition blogger who specializes in translating science into readable posts for the public. While searching for a way to make the minerals in brown rice more available, he came across a 2008 Chinese study that showed phytic acid reduction was greatly improved when the brown rice is soaked in a slightly acidic water that had been saved from the soaking water of the previously soaked batch. It turns out the method came from a traditional Chinese grain fermentation practice that resembles soaking and fermentation methods of several cultures around the world. I think sprouting is part of our ongoing appreciation of the old ways, Harriman says. People used to soak grains largely because fuel was so hard to come by, and so if you soak them first, they cook more quickly. But this may also increase the bioavailability of nutrients. While these methods were probably helpful in freeing up more minerals for our hungry frugal ancestors, Guyenet doubts that these minerals will make or break the health of those already eating a well-rounded diet. Still, he says, some macrobiotic eaters, vegans and other grain-dependent groups could benefit from the practice. For some, a major benefit of sprouted rice is its increased fiber, which may make you feel fuller, contribute to regularity and decrease the speed at which you metabolize it. Guyenet explains that when you sprout the seed and cause it to grow, the seed converts stored energy into structural materials that are predominantly cellulose, which is fiber. While much of the research around sprouted rice has focused on its ability to improve the diets of those in the developing world, its most avid consumers right now are Japanese, Korean and Western health food seekers.
Posted on: Wed, 09 Apr 2014 15:57:14 +0000
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