How to choose bean sprouts that haven't been soaked in harmful chemicals.

How harmful are bean sprouts soaked in chemicals?

Although bean sprouts are a healthy food, some bean sprout growers are now using harmful chemicals to cultivate and soak them in order to make them look appealing and grow faster.

Traditional bean sprout production requires the right amount of water and temperature, and takes about a week to grow. However, if soaked in chemicals, the growth time can be accelerated by up to 30%.

Beans used for making bean sprouts are often soaked in lime water and growth stimulants to prolong their freshness, keep them longer, and prevent them from rotting.

Illustrative image. (Image source: Internet)

6-Benzylaminopurine solution is a banned growth chemical in food production that can cause acute poisoning and harm human health.

Additionally, there are bean sprouts soaked in ASH Light soda – a bleaching agent that makes the sprouts appear white and plump. ASH Light soda is actually a chemical used in detergent production, containing many impurities, heavy metals, and high alkalinity. Over time, these metals accumulate in the blood and body, causing chronic diseases, affecting the liver and kidneys, and potentially leading to cancer.

How to choose safe bean sprouts?

Traditional bean sprouts are still produced, but they are becoming increasingly difficult to find due to the excessive and widespread sale of chemically treated bean sprouts. To choose clean and safe traditional bean sprouts, you can use the following methods:

Choose bean sprouts with many long roots.

Traditional bean sprouts take about a week to grow, so they develop many long roots. Bean sprouts soaked in chemicals only have a very short, dark root section at the base of the stem.

Choose bean sprouts that are less plump and not uniform in size.

Bean sprouts treated with chemicals have thick, plump stems that look very appealing. In contrast, traditionally grown bean sprouts are smaller, longer, and have uneven stems.

Avoid choosing bean sprouts with unusually long stems.

Normally, when buying bean sprouts, people want to buy those with long, thick stems; however, you shouldn't choose bean sprouts that way. Only bean sprouts treated with chemicals can grow exceptionally long and thick thanks to the chemicals. Furthermore, studies show that the longer the sprouts, the less protein and nutrients they contain.

Choose bean sprouts with curved stems and a non-shiny appearance.

Traditional bean sprouts, which are usually grown without chemicals, don't look as appealing. Bean sprouts treated with bleaching chemicals, on the other hand, are plump, white, shiny, and have very straight stems.

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