Flax, lentils and other seeds & legumes are packed with nutrients and potential energy – enough to grow into a tall plant. Each seed is the powerhouse behind a plant’s growth and development, but nature locks in the nutrients with a protective coating designed to keep them intact until the seed is germinated and becomes ready to grow and mature. This allows only a fraction of the nutrients in ungerminated seeds to be digested and absorbed by your body. But sprouting can change all that!
Sprouted seeds have been “awakened” and are beginning the physical transformation from their dormant seed state to living, breathing plants. In the first 24 hours of germination, the nutrients in the sprouted seeds can multiply by an average of 14 times; antioxidants can multiply by 10,000 times; and enzymes & probiotics flourish by the millions & billions. Sprouting also lowers gluten and glycemic levels and transforms carbohydrates into highly digestible phytonutrient components.
Carna4’s unique recipe uses freshly sprouted USDA Organic Certified lentil seeds, barley seeds and flaxseeds. Sprouting (or germinating) the seed unlocks nature’s protective coating — boosting the bio-available nutrients in our food to unheard of levels.
Germination activates “sleeping” enzymes, bringing the seeds to life with increased vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, while neutralizing anti-nutrients, such
as phytic acid, which will otherwise hinder nutrient absorption.
So exactly what happens and how does it help your pet?
- Sprouting defuses anti-nutrients, such as phytic acid, which will otherwise stop your pet from absorbing sufficient nutrition. Phytic acid is a plant fiber molecule that bonds with minerals (like iron, zinc, magnesium and calcium) in the digestive tract so they pass through the body with undigested or unsprouted seeds, robbing your pet of vital nutrients. These inhibitors can only be decreased through germination — not by milling or grinding.
- Sprouting makes seeds and legumes more nourishing by boosting available vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other nutrients.
- Sprouting activates sleeping enzymes, and increases their activity by up to 6 times, transforming complex carbohydrates and proteins into simpler forms to make nutrients more digestible and easier to absorb.
Simply put, sprouting live seeds….
But that’s only the beginning. Here are 8 more things sprouted seeds can do for your pet:
- Increase antioxidants by up to 9,600% to help your pet tackle cancer-causing free radicals – When seeds sprout, there is a significant increase in vitamins, especially natural antioxidants like Vitamin C and E, particularly with flaxseed. These antioxidants fight free radicals and also help preserve food by protecting polyunsaturated fats from oxidation.
- Sprouted flaxseeds in particular have very high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to reduce the effects of arthritis and offer other health benefits to dogs – The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association published a series of studies in early 2010, on the proven benefits of food with high concentrations of Omega-3 fatty acids for dogs with osteoarthritis.
- Prevent stomach upset and reduce intestinal gas – Sprouting activates plant enzymes to supplement pancreatic enzymes produced by the body. This can alleviate stress on the pancreas, reduce intestinal gas and improve overall digestive function over time.
- Encourage probiotics or “good bacteria” growth to help keep your pet’s digestive tract clean and healthy – Sprouted seeds, especially flaxseed, are excellent sources of strong, naturally-occurring probiotics. Our laboratory testing has shown that these natural probiotics have a very high survival rate through our short-cycle baking/drying process, because they stay in the nurturing comfort of their native host.
- Increase soluble fiber, while reducing insoluble fiber to help toxins leave your pet’s body more efficiently – Sprouting reduces insoluble fiber by as much as 50% and increases in the ratio of soluble to insoluble fiber by as much as 30%. When soluble fiber flows through the arteries, it starts binding with cholesterol and other toxins to help clean the body.
- Provide less carbohydrates and “empty” calories – to maintain optimal condition.
- Lower gluten and have lower glycemic levels — making them ideal for pets with blood sugar issues and diabetes – Sprouted seeds have lower glycemic levels because portions of their carbohydrates are used up in the germination process. Recent scientific studies performed by Mortec Labs indicate that Carna4 is a low-glycemic food. For details, check out the Mortec Labs reports here:
- Deactivate aflotoxins, which are cancer-causing toxins produced by fungus in grains — to avoid disease.
We’re just beginning to discover the modern-day benefits of this ancient food that traces back to the days when we ate our seeds partially germinated after they’d stood in open fields, just waiting for rain.