Are homegrown alfalfa sprouts safe?

What about alfalfa sprouts that we grow ourselves? Are the seeds contaminated (so sprouts I grow at home will be too), or is just sprouts offered by restaurants that needed to be avoided?

tbarron / Originally posted on Update on Alfalfa Sprouts

Answer:

Excellent question! Turns out it appears to be contamination I caution against in Don’t Eat Raw Alfalfa Sprouts and Update on Alfalfa Sprouts if in the sprout seed itself, and so even if we sprout them ourselves we may be putting our family at risk.

The answer? Sprout broccoli sprouts instead. They are safer (see my video Broccoli Sprouts)–and healthier too! Check these videos out and be amazed:

They are kind of pungent, though. If anyone has found a good way to incorporate broccoli sprouts into their diet please share!

Image Credit: Satoru Kikuchi / Flickr

About Michael Greger M.D.

Michael Greger, M.D., is a physician, author, and internationally recognized professional speaker on a number of important public health issues. Dr. Greger has lectured at the Conference on World Affairs, the National Institutes of Health, and the International Bird Flu Summit, testified before Congress, appeared on The Dr. Oz Show and The Colbert Report, and was invited as an expert witness in defense of Oprah Winfrey at the infamous "meat defamation" trial. Currently Dr. Greger proudly serves as the Director of Public Health and Animal Agriculture at the Humane Society of the United States.

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Terry

what about watercress and radish sprouts, are they safe from contamination if grown at home?
ledabeth

You can sneak them into green smoothies and add them to salads without changing the flavor too much. Anyway they aren’t that bad! BTW/ a typo in your piece. Should be “is” in the seed itself.

Are homegrown alfalfa sprouts safe?

Answer:

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