When grains are soaked in water for a while and left to germinate, they will put out shoots or sprouts. By absorbing water sprouted seed more than double their weight. Sprouts are easier to digest than grains, because sprouting converts nearly all of the starch in the grains into sugar. Sprouts also have many types of enzymes that help animals to digest. Sprouting also makes more of the minerals, vitamins and proteins in the grains available.