5 benefits to eating microgreens
Microgreens are little powerhouses of nutrients and in this blog post I want to explain to you the benefits and why you should be including them in your diet. They don’t just make your food look pretty they have an impressive amount of benefits too.
Microgreens are baby plants harvested in the seedling stage usually when they are 7-14 days old. They fall between sprouts and baby leaf vegetables. Sprouts are grown in water and microgreens, like vegetables, are grown in soil. They are usually 2-7cm tall when harvested.
High in nutrients
Microgreens are often higher in levels of nutrients than the fully grown vegetables. They are high in potassium, iron, zinc, magnesium and copper. Studies have found that micro greens contain between 4-40 times the nutrients than the fully grown variety. Different microgreens will contain a different concentration of nutrients. This high level of nutrients is due to the fact that they are harvested soon after germination and all the nutrients they need to grow are right there.
High in antioxidants and polyphenols
Like the high levels of nutrients microgreens also have concentrated form of antioxidants such as polyphenols. As with vegetables, different types of microgreens will contain different polyphenols. Polyphenols are plant compounds found in all vegetables that exert an antioxidant effect on the body meaning that they neutralise free radicals that would otherwise damage your cells and increase your risk of certain health conditions such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
Good for heart disease
There have been a couple of studies that have found that microgreens can help to lower triglycerides and LDL (the more harmful) cholesterol. This is probably due the presence of high levels of polyphenols present. When analysing a clients blood results I am always much more concerned about the triglyceride number than the total cholesterol number. A high triglyceride number is more indicative of risk of heart disease and strokes.
Detoxification support
Microgreens, in particular broccoli and mustard greens, can help to support the detoxification enzymes in the liver. Broccoli greens have been shown to contain up to 50 times more sulforaphane than fully grown broccoli. With the amount of toxins and pollutants in our modern lifestyle detoxification is more important than ever to support our detoxification pathways. Sulforaphane supports both Phase I and Phase II detoxification.
Hormone support
If you consume broccoli microgreens, the sulforaphane content helps with oestrogen metabolism and hormone balance. Oestrogen needs to be used and removed from the body to prevent reabsorption. If it’s not removed, then it can make hormone conditions such as fibroids, PCOS and peri-menopause worse.
How to use
Microgreens can be added to smoothies, added on top of salad, as a garnish for soups or omelettes as well as a side salad to a main meal.
Local supplier
Although micro greens are very easy to grow at home - we know that however good our intentions may be, it’s not always easy in our busy lives. We are very lucky here in the Sevenoaks area to have found an excellent supplier of micro greens. Adrian from The MicroGreens Company grows microgreens in Hildenborough and delivers to Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells and the villages surrounding Hildenborough on a weekly basis. He has given us an amazing discount code to share with you all. Visit The Microgreens Company and apply code HEALTHBOOST40 at checkout to receive 40% off order over £10 (to be used once per customer).
