Microgreens : : how to Grow Nature's own Superfood

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Malletts Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Nonfiction / Home & Garden / General / Hill, Fiona	4-week checkout	On Hold Shelf

A guide to growing microgreens--tiny seedlings of herbs and vegetables--in container gardens, with information on twenty-five popular varieties, recipes for using them, and tips on care and cultivation.

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Microgreens are not a superfood! submitted by Fresh Origins on December 4, 2010, 9:15am It has become an urban legend that microgreens possess high concentrations of various nutritional and beneficial compounds. Numerous articles and websites claim that microgreens are the latest nutritional miracle-food. The fact is, there have been no studies done on microgreens to substantiate any of these claims. It would of course be to our benefit to claim that microgreens are some kind of super-food. Most likely, microgreens actually have a lower nutritional value than full-sized vegetables and herbs. Some sprouts have been said to contain particularly high concentrations of certain chemo-protective compounds, however the highest concentration of these is actually found in the seed. Since sprouts are consumed with the seed still attached, this may explain these results. If people feel they really want more of these compounds, they should simply eat the seed before it is sprouted. Of course, microgreens are not sprouts. Microgreens are cut at the stem, and have no roots or seed attached so there would be no reason to think these compounds exist in any particularly high amounts. Fresh Origins does not rely on unsubstantiated claims to sell its product. If at some point there are reliable nutritional studies done on microgreens, and they do show high values, Fresh Origins will be very pleased to promote it.

The USDA has weighed in on the situation: Although research suggests a promising role for SGS (Sulforaphane Glucosinolate) in promoting health, the research results do not permit definitive scientific conclusions on specific health benefits. At this time, the U.S. FDA has not reached any such conclusions or authorized any claims specifically for SGS or broccoli sprouts. There is no mention of microgreens.

Regarding the nutritional value of sprouts, the USDA has listed the nutritional value of sprouts compared to full-sized broccoli. In summary, broccoli sprouts are significantly lower in nutritional value when compared to full-sized broccoli. Of note: the sprouts were lower in protein (1.4 compared to 2.324 mg.), fiber, Vitamin A (561 compared to 1,082.64 IU), Riboflavin (none found in sprouts compared to .043 mg.), Vitamin B-6 (.07 compared to .112 mg.), Vitamin C (20 compared to 58.188 mg), Iron (.22 compared to .665 mg.). This relates to microgreens in that the younger form of broccoli (sprouts) have lower nutritional value than mature broccoli, so it stands to reason that microgreens have lower nutritional value than their full-sized counterparts as well.
Fresh Origins, grower of microgreens.