Microgreens are a fairly new trend in todays food market. Although they have been around forever it wasn't until the 80's that they became a "thing" and have only gained popularity more recently. Perhaps that is because we didn't understand the health benefits of microgreens. As I mentioned in my previous blogs microgreens can be up to 9 times more nutrient dense than their full grown varieties. So lets dive into what that really means by taking a look at broccoli microgreens.
I am sure, as a kid, you can remember you parents telling you "don't forget to eat all your green vegetables." We have all heard that vegetables are good for you. But do you really know why? I am definitely no expert but I have been fortunate to have a mother that really understands the scientific health benefits behind different foods and have listened to her for years as she explained the scientific backing behind these benefits.
Sulforaphane is a compound most commonly found in cruciferous vegetables. These are the green vegetables that so many kids, and adults, hate: broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts...you get the picture. Sulforaphane has many different benefits, including: anticarcinogenic, improve heart health by reducing inflammation and high blood pressure, and may be able to help diabetics by reducing blood sugar levels when ingested regularly. In one study it was found that the servings of cruciferous vegetables eaten per week had a direct link to a decrease in cancer likelihood. However, even with all its benefits, many people don't like cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli and cabbage, or don't get enough servings of them each week.
Eating healthy can be difficult especially if you don't like the taste of these healthy vegetables. Even for those that enjoy healthy eating it still takes time, planning, and understanding what healthy eating is. It would seem that if you wanted to get more sulforaphane in your diet eating the bigger broccoli would be a better idea since its is much bigger than a microgreen. However, broccoli microgreens can have up to 100x more sulforaphane than a full grown broccoli grown. All those nutrients packed into a little green!!
Whether you like broccoli or not it is so easy to eat the broccoli microgreens. They can easily be mixed into a salad, added to almost any dish, or blended into your smoothies. Or just eaten plain if you love them. Want to increase the amount of sulforaphane in the greens...can it be done? According to research, and Dr. Rhonda Patrick, steeping your microgreens at 70 degrees Celsius for 3 minutes can triple the amount of sulforpahne in your sprouts. She suggest rinsing them to cool them and use for a salad later or adding them to your smoothie. Whether you want to take the time and steep them for the extra benefits or just add them to your next meal you cannot go wrong with adding these tiny nutrient morsels to your daily eating.
Want to learn more about sulforaphane from Dr. Rhonda Patrick. Watch her you tube video here: https://youtu.be/Z7buU-PK7_l
We hope you enjoyed our breakdown of the broccoli microgreen benefits and learned something along the way.
Citation:
Healthline - www.healthline.com/nutrition/sulforaphane
Dr. Rhonda Patrick, You Tube, Found My Fitness
