### Emerging Interest in Sprouted Grains as a Functional Food for Improving Insulin Sensitivity  
Recent research has highlighted sprouted grains as a promising functional food for improving insulin sensitivity and metabolic outcomes in obesity. Germinated brown rice (GBR), in particular, has attracted attention due to its enriched bioactive compounds--such as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), \(\gamma\)-oryzanol, phenolic compounds, dietary fiber, and minerals--which exert antidiabetic effects by improving glycemic control, enhancing antioxidant activity, and modulating the gut microbiota [18]. In animal studies, GBR and brown rice reduced hyperglycemia, IR, and inflammation, with GBR specifically enhancing probiotic gut bacteria in high-fat diet-fed mice [19]. Clinical findings support these effects: GBR intake in T2 DM patients led to reductions in fasting blood glucose, insulin, and serum branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), and improved islet function, possibly through activation of pyruvate dehydrogenase and enhanced BCAA catabolism [20]. Additional benefits include improved short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-mediated gut-organ signaling and reduced inflammation, highlighting the systemic effects of sprouted grain consumption [21]. Moreover, germination reduces anti-nutritional factors and enhances the inhibitory activity of \(\alpha\)-amylase and \(\alpha\)-glucosidase, enzymes key to postprandial glycemic control [22]. Synergistic anti-inflammatory effects have also been observed when combining sprouted wheat, oats (cv. 'Chimene', a high-protein winter variety), and bran/oat hydrolysates, showing potent inhibition of IL-6 and TNF-\(\alpha\)[23]. Enhanced polyphenol content and reduced glycemic index (GI) have been documented in rehydrated rice containing sprouted buckwheat (cv. 'Jin buckwheat No. 2'), which may help prevent glucose spikes [24]. Flavonoids from sprouted grains contribute to metabolic homeostasis by modulating lipid metabolism, reducing inflammation, enhancing insulin signaling, and improving gut microbiota [25]. This focused review explores the mechanisms by which bioactive compounds from sprouted grains modulate IR, integrating evidence from _in vitro_, _in vivo_, and clinical studies. Unlike previous reviews that have primarily addressed nutritional changes during germination, our work provides a mechanistic and translational perspective on harnessing sprouted grains for functional food development. Their sustainable and natural origin further supports growing interest in food-based strategies for preventing metabolic diseases. While this review does not follow the formal structure of a systematic review, it offers several important strengths. The focused narrative format allows for the integration of mechanistic insights across diverse experimental models, providing a coherent synthesis of current knowledge. This flexibility also enables the inclusion of recent and emerging studies that may not meet strict systematic review criteria but offer valuable perspectives on bioactive compound functionality. A primary limitation is the absence of quantitative meta-analysis, which may limit the ability to draw generalized effect estimates. In addition, although environmental factors such as geographical origin can significantly influence metabolite composition, most of the included studies did not report detailed information on the plant sources' regional provenance. This limited our ability to assess how location might affect the efficacy or phytochemical profile of the studied grains. Furthermore, due to the heterogeneity of study designs and outcomes, direct comparative evaluation of therapeutic potential across different sprouted grains was not feasible. Nonetheless, to maintain scientific rigor, we clearly defined our literature search strategy and inclusion criteria, and prioritized studies with mechanistic relevance to IR. Despite these limitations, we believe the review contributes meaningfully to the field by bridging molecular findings with practical applications in the context of metabolic health.