As spring brings forth all living things, the temperature transitions from cold to warm. In this season, sprouted vegetables are plump, tender, and can promote the body's upward and outward energy. It is advisable to eat in harmony with the season, consuming more mung bean sprouts, soybean sprouts, pea shoots, chive sprouts, and toon sprouts.
Bean sprouts, known as "sheng zhong" (meaning "growing life") by the ancients, are most suitable for eating in spring, helping the five vital organs shift from winter storage to spring growth. Moreover, bean sprouts have the effect of clearing heat, which is beneficial for soothing the liver, strengthening the spleen and stomach, and alleviating the "heat-dryness" caused by the dry spring climate.
The benefits of various bean sprouts differ:
Mung bean sprouts are easy to digest and have the effects of clearing heat and toxins, promoting urination, and expelling dampness. They are suitable for those with damp-heat retention, dry mouth and thirst, dark and hot urine, constipation, red and swollen eyes.
Soybean sprouts nourish the spleen and liver. They are rich in Vitamin B2, and consuming them appropriately in spring can help prevent inflammation at the corners of the mouth.
Black bean sprouts nourish the kidneys and are rich in minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, and potassium, as well as various vitamins—their content is even higher than that of mung bean sprouts.
Pea sprouts protect the liver and are rich in nutrients such as Vitamin A, calcium, and phosphorus.
Broad bean sprouts strengthen the spleen and have the benefits of supplementing iron, calcium, and zinc.