There is an amazing increase in nutrients in sprouted foods when compared to their dried embryo. In the process of sprouting, the vitamins, minerals and protein increase substantially with corresponding decrease in calories and carbohydrate content. These comparisons are based on an equivalent water content in the foods measured. Analysis of dried seeds, grains and legumes shows a very low water content. But this increases upto tenfold when the same food is converted into sprouts. For accurate comparison each must be brought to a common denomination of equal water content to assess the exact change brought in nutritional value.

Sprouted mung beans, for instance, have a 8.3 increase of water content over dried beans.

Hence the nutritional value of sprouted and dried mung beans can be compared by multiplying the analysed nutrients of sprouted mung beans by the factor of 8.3. Based on this criterion, the changes found in sprouted mung beans when compared with the figures for the beans in the dried state are as follows:

Energy content - calories Decrease 15 percent

Total carbohydrate content Decrease 15 percent

Protein availability Increase 30 percent

Calcium content Increase 34 percent

Potassium content Increase 80 percent

Sodium content Increase 690 percent

Iron content Increase 40 percent

Phosphorous content Increase 56 percent

Vitamin A content Increase 285 percent

Thiamine or Vitamin B1 content Increase 208 percent

Riboflavin or Vitamin B2 content Increase 515 percent

Niacin or Vitamin B3 content Increase 256 percent

Ascorbic acid or Vitamin C content An infinite increase

The increase in protein availability is of great significance. It is a valuable indicator of the enhanced nutritional value of a food when sprouted. The simultaneous reduction in carbohydrate content indicates that many carbohydrate molecules are broken down during sprouting to allow an absorption of atmospheric nitrogen and reforming into amino-acids. The resultant protein is the most easily digestible of all proteins available in foods.

The remarkable increase in sodium content supports the view that sprouted foods offer nutritional qualities. Sodium is essential to the digestive process within the gastro-intestinal tract and also to the elimination of carbon dioxide. Together with the remarkable increase in vitamins, sodium materially contributes to the easy digestibility of sprouts. Dried seeds, grains and legumes do not contain discernible traces of ascorbic acid, yet when sprouted, they reveal quite significant quantities which are important in the body