I define "germinal food" as any foodstuff consisting of the part of a plant or animal that can develop into a new plant or animal. Such food must be considered to be of extraordinary nutritional value, and the synergy is optimal between the various nutrients it contains.
Eggs
From animal sources, the typical germinal food is eggs. They have a bad reputation for their cholesterol content, but this is nothing to worry about; there is lecithin and other nutrients as well, which will balance that.
If they are clean, only two warnings about eggs are necessary:
1. The white contains a substance that blocks the assimilation of biotin (a vitamin) in the intestines. If you include eggs in every meal, you might end up with a self-inflicted biotin deficiency.
The substance is a glycoprotein called avidin. It is destroyed by heating, but how much is destroyed is proportional to the temperature and the time of heating. Just a quick heating will not do.
Frying destroys avinin faster than boiling, because the temperature is higher.
2. The white contains much protein. If you eat several eggs on a daily basis it might be too much. In this case, eat the yolk but discard the white.
From a nutritional point of view eggs should be consumed raw, but do that only if you are really certain that they are clean and uninfected. Sometimes eggs do spread disease. If you boil them, that risk is eliminated.
The yolk contains an extremely high concentration of nutrients, many of them essential for brain function.
Cereals, Legumes, and Nuts
In the plant life, germinal food is more common, especially cereals, legumes and nuts.
Cereals are grasses, cultivated for their seeds, which are used for food. Typical cereals are, for example: rice, wheat, maize, barley, rye, oats, sorghums, and millets. The seeds are treated in various ways before they reach us as foodstuffs. Note that, in order to qualify as germinal food, these seeds must still have all their essential parts when you eat them or any food made from them! This is not common, and the products made by "refined" cereals are deprived of many important nutrients. Note, however, that many grains contain significant amounts of lectins. That is a sugar-binding protein. Many raw legume seeds contain toxic lectins, that's why legumes (peas and beans) should never be consumed raw, but always boiled. Even undercooked they can remain toxic.
A legume is any one of a large group of plants of the pea family, characterised by a true pod enclosing the seeds; also the fruit of any plant of the pea family, used as food; or the pod or the seed contained in the pod.
Many legumes are cultivated for forage/fodder, like alfalfa, vetch or clover.
In the human diet, legumes are peas, beans, lentils, and peanuts. Handled correctly, they qualify as germinal food. But note that legumes, except peanuts, should always be cooked, raw they are toxic.
Not universally considered to be food, nuts are an important part of the diet in many cultures. Used correctly, they provide excellent nutrition (but note that not all nuts are edible).
Walnut, pecan, hazel, chestnuts ... those don't need a detailed description.
Note that not everything called a nut is really a nut in a botanical sense. Examples of this are peanuts, which are legumes, and coconuts, almonds and pistachios, which are drupes (related to plums, cherries, peaches, apricots, etc.).
Nuts contain much fat, which is a lot of energy. So use them in small amounts. Then they are excellent nutrition.
The fat is mostly of a good sort. Note especially that walnut contains "omega-3 fatty acids".
Essential Amino Acids
If you eat animal food, you don't need to think much about essential amino acids, but if you live on vegetarian food, you need some basic knowledge about this.
Amino acids are the basic building units for proteins. Those that the human body needs but cannot synthesise, have to be obtained from food. They are called "essential".
While animal food generally contains all the essential amino acids, vegetarian food does not. There are exceptions to this, like nuts, that do indeed contain all the essential amino acids but for instance cereals or legumes do not. Mixed, however, they do, which is why cereals and legumes are an excellent combination!
Sprouting
The best way to get germinal food of the highest quality is to eat sprouts. This is real superfood. No foodstuff whatsoever contains so many vitamins, minerals, enzymes or other nutrients per calorie! Sprouts are living food, they actually grow until you eat them or heat them - and with the exception of soy (which I advise against using) and wheat germ (see below), they are best raw. Can you get fresher food!
By being sprouted, the nutrients of a seed become more easily digestible. Alfalfa sprouts are so easy to digest that they can be given to a small child that is still breastfed!
The process of sprouting also develops additional nutrients, so in the end you get real supernutrition!
Alfalfa is the king of sprouts, because it has been shown to contain all nutrients a human needs - including all the essential amino acids. The mung bean would then be the queen. Although it does not contain all the essential amino acids, it tastes better than alfalfa. (Mung beans have been sprouted in Asia for thousands of years.)
Some of you might be able to buy sprouts, but they are not available everywhere. It is easy to sprout at home, however. Suitable seeds to sprout, apart from alfalfa and mung beans, are: wheat, peas, lentils, radish, broccoli, sunflower, mustard seed. Almost any seed can be sprouted, but avoid those derived from poisonous plants.
Wheat germ deserves a special comment. These are the embryos of the wheat plant, and very nutrient-dense. Often sold as flakes or meal. Another superfood. That is, it ought to be, but there is a problem. Wheat germ contains a lectin called wheat germ agglutinin (WGA). Studies have shown that WGA can interact with insulin receptors and at least potentially harmful effects might be expected. More research is needed about this.
The original function of WGA seems to be to protect the wheat from microbes and insects, even from you. It attacks your intestinal lining and might even perforate it.
Previously a fan of wheat germ, new findings made me change my mind. I no longer use it.
Fruit and Seeds
Always eat fruit with the seeds. Apples, pears, oranges, grapes ... the seeds are the most nutritious part! They are germinal food, full of vitamins, minerals and other compounds that are good for your health.
Note that in peaches, apricots, cherries and other drupes, the "stone" is not the actual seed. It is a shell with the seed inside. If you can at all get inside, eat the seed. But don't try to eat the stone.
(This article is based on material previously published in TMA/Meriondho Leo)
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Super educational! Thank you for sharing. The day I cut refined grains from my diet was a life changer honestly. Consumers are being sold poison without even knowing it. And sprouts are very underappreciated. Even a little goes a long way