Man who ate nothing but sprouts for 30 days was shocked by results on his body as experts issue warning

We all have our favorite foods, but one man lived off his for 30 days.

Entrepreneur and founder of The Sprouting Company Doug Evans has been eating plants exclusively since 1999. Sourcing plant-based food was never a problem for him, until he wound up in Wonder Valley Hot Springs in the Mojave Desert after 'wanting to be with nature.'

"Not only was it an environmental desert, it was also a food desert," he tells UNILAD. "There was no restaurants, supermarkets, grocery stores, health food stores."

Faced with limited access to fresh produce, Doug turned to sprouting, which is a simple method of germinating edible seeds, grains and legumes to produce young shoots that can be harvested and eaten within days.

Doug said he 'had no idea' what was going to happen, but claims he 'reconstructed every cell in his body.'

"I found I had energy. I felt complete, like I wanted to exercise I wanted to run. It was then I realized that sprouts were a very powerful potent food for weight management," he adds.

"The sprouts were high fiber, high nutrient, high water content, and low fat and low calorie so it's a win win really," he says.

Doug Evans lived off sprouts for 30 days (Doug Evans/Instagram)

Doug explains how eating only sprouts stopped him from 'overeating' and that he didn't find himself 'looking for other foods' despite not even adding salt, oil or sweeteners.

"I was like wow this is so amazing that I stopped you know looking for other food. I stopped overeating and I started to go really deep down this sprout rabbit hole," he explains.

As per Healthline, sprouts are 'seeds that have germinated and become very young plants.'

A variety of different seeds can be sprouted. The most common types are bean and pea sprouts, which include black bean and kidney bean.

There are also sprouted grains, such as brown rice and quinoa, as well as vegetable and leafy sprouts.

Despite feeling good, Doug says he encountered some difficulties, particularly when it came to his social life.

"No one really understood it. I chose to be a little bit private and reclusive while I was doing it because I didn't want to be judged by others while I was there."

Doug Evans survived off sprouts for 30 days (Getty Stock)

'No single food contains the full spectrum of nutrients the human body needs,' expert says

Despite Doug feeling great, experts warn against trying a sprout-only diet at home.

"No single food contains the full spectrum of nutrients the human body needs. Shrinking intake to one food for 30 days creates a predictable sequence of deficiencies, regardless of how nutrient-dense the chosen food appears to be."

Andrew Griffis, Fitness Expert & Nutritionist at Net World Sports, tells UNILAD.

On sprouts specifically, he continues: "Sprouts look impressive on paper. Depending on the variety, they provide useful amounts of vitamin C, folate, vitamin K and minerals.

"Sprouting also increases bioavailability of certain nutrients and reduces anti-nutritional compounds like phytic acid," he adds.

Griffis also highlights their antioxidant content and potential anti-inflammatory properties.

However, the expert says that sprouts 'are extremely energy dilute,' claiming that one cup of raw broccoli sprouts contains roughly 16 calories and 1.5g of protein.'

"Even eating 2kg a day (a huge, impractical volume) delivers around 500 calories and 50g of protein," he adds.

The daily recommended calorie intake in the UK is 2,000 for women and 2,500 for men.

Griffis acknowledges that the first 10 days on a 'sprout only' diet 'may feel good,' although some may experience 'keto-flu' style symptoms.

Ultimately, Griffis believes a '30-day mono-diet is almost definitely a bad idea, with predictable physiological costs.' However, he does say there may be 'some exceptions.'

Every body is different, and those looking to take part in extreme diets should contact a doctor first. For a sprout only diet, the expert recommends having blood work done before and after.

"Anyone with a history of disordered eating, pregnancy, chronic illness, a compromised immune system, or who is under 18 should avoid single-food protocols entirely," he adds.