What are Microgreens?
At their simplest, microgreens are basically seedlings of various herbs, vegetables and other plants. They were only used as visual and flavor accents in upscale restaurants and similar posh dining establishments until people caught on to the plethora of health benefits they offer.
The most common microgreens you can get your hands on these days are spinach, garnet amaranth, cilantro, red cabbage, arugula, beet, basil, green daikon radish and kale. They are usually harvested after germinating for just a couple of weeks and growing for at least 2 inches in height.
On average, microgreens are 4 to 40 times healthier than their mature counterparts. A recent USDA study found that most microgreens have significantly higher nutrient densities than their mature counterparts. For example? Red cabbage microgreens had 6x the vitamin C content and 69x the vitamin K content of mature red cabbage.
Why is this?
The theory is that young greens need ample nutrients to grow. Since microgreens are harvested just after germination, they’re very concentrated with all these nutrients while their flavor and texture is “softer” than their mature counterparts. Even better? These baby greens have lower levels of “anti-nutrients” like oxalic acid than their full-grown counterparts.
Oh, and to clear up any confusion around sprouts and microgreens – they are not the same thing. Unlike sprouts, microgreens are grown in soil instead of water-based environments. This gives them a rather big advantage when it comes to concerns about contamination.
The most common microgreens you can get your hands on these days are spinach, garnet amaranth, cilantro, red cabbage, arugula, beet, basil, green daikon radish and kale. They are usually harvested after germinating for just a couple of weeks and growing for at least 2 inches in height.
On average, microgreens are 4 to 40 times healthier than their mature counterparts. A recent USDA study found that most microgreens have significantly higher nutrient densities than their mature counterparts. For example? Red cabbage microgreens had 6x the vitamin C content and 69x the vitamin K content of mature red cabbage.
Why is this?
The theory is that young greens need ample nutrients to grow. Since microgreens are harvested just after germination, they’re very concentrated with all these nutrients while their flavor and texture is “softer” than their mature counterparts. Even better? These baby greens have lower levels of “anti-nutrients” like oxalic acid than their full-grown counterparts.
Oh, and to clear up any confusion around sprouts and microgreens – they are not the same thing. Unlike sprouts, microgreens are grown in soil instead of water-based environments. This gives them a rather big advantage when it comes to concerns about contamination.
Why Microgreens?
Microgreens punch well above their weight when it comes to nutritional value.
In a recent study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, researchers found microgreens like red cabbage, cilantro, and radish contain up to 40 times higher levels of vital nutrients than their mature counterparts.
Microgreens are young seedlings of edible vegetables and herbs harvested less than 14 days after germination. They are usually about 1-3 inches long and come in a rainbow of colors, which has made them popular in recent years as garnishes with chefs.
Although nutritional claims about microgreens abound on the Internet, this study is the first scientific evaluation of their nutritional content. Researchers say they were astonished by the results.
The most nutritious crops they discovered were Purple Cabbage, Cilantro, Daikon Radish and Garnet Amaranth, three of which are grown at Sky Harvest.
Adding small amounts of microgreens to your meals can have a big impact.
Purple cabbage, cilantro and daikon radish have some of the highest concentrations of ascorbic acids (antioxidants), carotenoids, phylloquinone (Vitamin K1), and tocopherols (Vitamin E family).
These nutrients are beneficial for:
In a recent study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, researchers found microgreens like red cabbage, cilantro, and radish contain up to 40 times higher levels of vital nutrients than their mature counterparts.
Microgreens are young seedlings of edible vegetables and herbs harvested less than 14 days after germination. They are usually about 1-3 inches long and come in a rainbow of colors, which has made them popular in recent years as garnishes with chefs.
Although nutritional claims about microgreens abound on the Internet, this study is the first scientific evaluation of their nutritional content. Researchers say they were astonished by the results.
The most nutritious crops they discovered were Purple Cabbage, Cilantro, Daikon Radish and Garnet Amaranth, three of which are grown at Sky Harvest.
Adding small amounts of microgreens to your meals can have a big impact.
Purple cabbage, cilantro and daikon radish have some of the highest concentrations of ascorbic acids (antioxidants), carotenoids, phylloquinone (Vitamin K1), and tocopherols (Vitamin E family).
These nutrients are beneficial for:
- The maintenance of healthy skin and eyes
- Bone protein development and liver health
- Decreasing risk of disease, particularly of the eye
- Fighting cancer
7 Benefits of Juicing Microgreens
Seriously rich in nutrients
Much of microgreens’ health benefits come from the fact that young greens need all the nutrients they can get to grow. And when these young greens are harvested just after germination, they contain these nutrients in concentrated form.
Microgreens are harvested anywhere between 7 to 14 days after being planted – it’s like farming for the impatient – and contain four- to 40-fold more nutrients than their fully-grown counterparts.
Of course, the nutrition profile and health benefits vary for each type of microgreen. Researchers found that red cabbage, cilantro, garnet amaranth, and green daikon radish have the highest concentrations of ascorbic acids, carotenoids, phylloquinone, and tocopherols, respectively.
And microgreens like red cabbage, cilantro, and radish contain up to 40 times higher levels of vital nutrients than their mature counterparts.
And they all come packing tons of other health benefits…
Boosts the immune system
Microgreens are just teeming with vitamin C and vitamin A, essential nutrients that are needed by the body to make cells more resilient against various illnesses. They also play key roles in keeping the eyes and skin in excellent shape.
Protects against cancer
There are very high amounts of lutein, zeaxanthin, cryptoxanthin and beta-carotene in microgreens that are found to help inhibit the growth and development of cancer cells. One recent study showed that red cabbage microgreens actually contained even more naturally occurring polyphenols and glycosylates than full-grown red cabbage, which is great news since these are the very same nutrients that can lower cholesterol and help prevent degenerative diseases like cancer.
Keeps the heart strong and healthy
Microgreens are loaded with phytochemicals that are found to maintain normal heartbeat patterns as well as help get rid of plaque particles that may have built up along the walls of the arteries and veins. If not taken care of properly, these plaque particles can cause blockages that can lead to heart attack or stroke.
Aids weight loss
An interesting study found that microgreens reduced weight gain and levels of liver cholesterol in mice that were fed high-fat diets, helping to lower LDL – “bad” cholesterol” as well as liver triglyceride levels.
More nutrients, less anti-nutrients
If you love the benefits of green juicing but are concerned about getting too much anti-nutrients like oxalic acid in your diet, you’ll want to juice microgreens.
As you may already know, many dark, leafy green vegetables like kale, spinach and chard (as well as other veggies like broccoli) contain tons of beneficial compounds but they also contain a not-so-beneficial compound called oxalic acid. You may already about this anti-nutrient for its role in potentially causing kidney stones. But that’s not all it does – oxalic acid also latches onto minerals like iron and calcium in your digestive tract and prevents them from being absorbed by the body.
To be fair, you would need to consume several pounds of oxalate-rich veggies to get sick from oxalic acid, but if you’re concerned about not getting enough essential minerals or at risk of kidney stones – why risk it when you can consume nutrient-rich, anti-nutrient-less microgreens?
Much of microgreens’ health benefits come from the fact that young greens need all the nutrients they can get to grow. And when these young greens are harvested just after germination, they contain these nutrients in concentrated form.
Microgreens are harvested anywhere between 7 to 14 days after being planted – it’s like farming for the impatient – and contain four- to 40-fold more nutrients than their fully-grown counterparts.
Of course, the nutrition profile and health benefits vary for each type of microgreen. Researchers found that red cabbage, cilantro, garnet amaranth, and green daikon radish have the highest concentrations of ascorbic acids, carotenoids, phylloquinone, and tocopherols, respectively.
And microgreens like red cabbage, cilantro, and radish contain up to 40 times higher levels of vital nutrients than their mature counterparts.
And they all come packing tons of other health benefits…
Boosts the immune system
Microgreens are just teeming with vitamin C and vitamin A, essential nutrients that are needed by the body to make cells more resilient against various illnesses. They also play key roles in keeping the eyes and skin in excellent shape.
Protects against cancer
There are very high amounts of lutein, zeaxanthin, cryptoxanthin and beta-carotene in microgreens that are found to help inhibit the growth and development of cancer cells. One recent study showed that red cabbage microgreens actually contained even more naturally occurring polyphenols and glycosylates than full-grown red cabbage, which is great news since these are the very same nutrients that can lower cholesterol and help prevent degenerative diseases like cancer.
Keeps the heart strong and healthy
Microgreens are loaded with phytochemicals that are found to maintain normal heartbeat patterns as well as help get rid of plaque particles that may have built up along the walls of the arteries and veins. If not taken care of properly, these plaque particles can cause blockages that can lead to heart attack or stroke.
Aids weight loss
An interesting study found that microgreens reduced weight gain and levels of liver cholesterol in mice that were fed high-fat diets, helping to lower LDL – “bad” cholesterol” as well as liver triglyceride levels.
More nutrients, less anti-nutrients
If you love the benefits of green juicing but are concerned about getting too much anti-nutrients like oxalic acid in your diet, you’ll want to juice microgreens.
As you may already know, many dark, leafy green vegetables like kale, spinach and chard (as well as other veggies like broccoli) contain tons of beneficial compounds but they also contain a not-so-beneficial compound called oxalic acid. You may already about this anti-nutrient for its role in potentially causing kidney stones. But that’s not all it does – oxalic acid also latches onto minerals like iron and calcium in your digestive tract and prevents them from being absorbed by the body.
To be fair, you would need to consume several pounds of oxalate-rich veggies to get sick from oxalic acid, but if you’re concerned about not getting enough essential minerals or at risk of kidney stones – why risk it when you can consume nutrient-rich, anti-nutrient-less microgreens?