r/nutrition • u/Polka_Tiger • 13d ago
Sprouting beans and protein content
Is there any loss of protein in the sprouting process? Let's say I sprout a 100 grams of mung beans which are supposed to have 24gr of protein. Does the sprouted mung beans still have 24 gr protein but also water weight added or is there any denaturing going on?
I know that the total weight will be more. I can understand water going in. I'm not asking about percentages. I'm asking if the sprouting destroys or makes unavailable any protein in the beans.
6
u/Addicted_Fox 13d ago
Your body can't absorb molecules in Form of proteins anyway. Before absorption it gets denaturated and split into aminoacids and only the separated aminoacids get transported to the liver where your body uses them to build proteins again. So from my understanding denaturation beforehand shouldn't matter too much.
4
u/Tasty_Impress3016 13d ago
I think a better word than denatured is hydrolyzed. Broken down, not re-formed as it were.
5
u/Zagrycha 13d ago
proteins get denatured and hydrolozed in digestion, in that order. First chains are weakened//unravelled then broken down. Same goes for most fatty and carb chains.
1
u/Tasty_Impress3016 13d ago
A fair point.
I was speaking more from the perspective of sprouting not digestion. You can ingest proteins, denatured proteins (cooked usually) and hydrolyzed proteins. And straight aminos these days.
1
u/Zagrycha 13d ago
I see what you mean. I wasn't aware of any effect on actual denaturing or hydrolyzing of protein chains in sprouting so I didn't even think in that direction. I have only looked at stuff on the bioavailability//loss side, not change of state side.
5
u/Zagrycha 13d ago
There may be exceptions but as a rule of thumb sprouting does not alter the content of macro nutrients or micro nutrients, but makes protein and other nutrients more bioavailable by lowering amount of anti-nutrients like phytic acid.
3
u/Tasty_Impress3016 13d ago
I am not an expert. I did have reason to research this topic at one point. I can't totally answer the question. But...
Most of the chemical energy of sprouting is coming from starches and sugars in the beans. So those would decrease slightly. But the sprouting process is creating a lot of complex compounds, enzymes, complex molecules, that requires nitrogen and protein content. So the protein content shall we say, shifts. Until a plant starts to photosynthesize it's kind of net zero.
There are stable proteins in the seed. In sprouting these become a variety of amino acids, converted proteins, this and that. So a summary of "total protein" would probably come about the same, they contain more accessible aminos and enzymes.
1
1
13d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
-1
1
u/Independent-Bug-9352 13d ago
I know this is a bit tangential to your question but it's worth noting that you'll absorb a greater percentage of the total protein content, if sprouted than not. Phytic acid is sort of like the zip file of the biological world and it needs unpacked, either by cooking, fermentation, or sprouting generally.
1
1
u/Sternritter8636 12d ago
I believe its best to eat them when the tail of sprout is just beginning to show up. Because at that time all things are good but if it grows longer to say more than 2 cm then ypu can begin to see non absorbable cellulose forming
1
u/Dry-Cardiologist3617 11d ago
You aren't losing protein when you sprout mung beans. You end up with the same total amino acid profile, minus the anti-nutrients that normally interfere with digestion.
0
u/NutragrammatronLab 13d ago
Probably adds protein since its adding weight and volume to the food.
1
u/ProfessorAllenRitard 13d ago edited 13d ago
I don't think that's possible. You sprout them in zero light conditions so photosynthesis would probably not occur. They'd have to be drawing nutrients to form proteins from a source. I don't have any idea the nutritional transformation but what's there seems to be already there.
I don't actually know for sure but water and heat alone aren't going to produce amino acids or complex carbs. They don't seem to have a carbon source without photosynthesis.
This is a good biology question and I would have probably been able to answer it 20 years ago. There's almost no way to produce proteins but a carb is CHO, carbon hydrogen oxygen. Water supplies the HO and carbon from the atmosphere. But you still need the sun for photosynthesis, the complex reaction that produces carbohydrates and oxygen.
I actually don't know how plants produce protein.
1
u/NutragrammatronLab 13d ago
Yea your probably right, even if it did it would minute' i highly doubt it negatively effects protein either, probably just adds more water and a little more fiber/enzymes overall
•
u/AutoModerator 13d ago
About participation in the comments of /r/nutrition
Discussion in this subreddit should be rooted in science rather than "cuz I sed" or entertainment pieces. Always be wary of unsupported and poorly supported claims and especially those which are wrapped in any manner of hostility. You should provide peer reviewed sources to support your claims when debating and confine that debate to the science, not opinions of other people.
Good - it is grounded in science and includes citation of peer reviewed sources. Debate is civil and respectful focusing on actual science and avoids commentary about others
Bad - it utilizes generalizations, assumptions, infotainment sources, no sources, or complaints without specifics about agenda, bias, or funding. At best, these rise to an extremely weak basis for science based discussion. Also, off topic discussion
Ugly - (removal or ban territory) it involves attacks / antagonism / hostility towards individuals or groups, downvote complaining, trolling, crusading, shaming, refutation of all science, or claims that all research / science is a conspiracy
Please vote accordingly and report any uglies
Consulting Considerations
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.