We have been teaching you about microgreens and their awesome health benefits, but just how does it all measure up when these tender young things go head-to-head with the mature versions of the same plant?
Some canadian firms are currently working on an extensive study about the nutritional impact of microgreens with the University of Alberta, but while that study percolates, here’s a starting guide all the nutritional details you wanted to know about microgreens vs. their mature counterparts. These are just a few specific examples but gives you an idea overall.
Nutritional Information of Microgreens
Red cabbage microgreens
- Six times more vitamin C in microgreen version (147 mg / 245% daily value vs. 57 mg)
- 40 times more vitamin E in microgreen version
- 69x more vitamin K in microgreen version
Cilantro microgreens
- Higher in cartenoids
- Higher concentration of lutein/zeaxanthin and violaxanthin
- 3x higher in beta-carotene concentration in microgreen version
Garnet amaranth
- Highest in vitamin K1 compared to other microgreens as well as its matured counterpart
Green daikon radish
- Highest in vitamin E compared to other microgreens as well as its matured counterpart
Lettuce seedlings
- Highest antioxidant capacity compared to other microgreens as well as its matured counterpart, particularly seven days after germination
- Highest concentrations of health-promoting phenolic compounds compared to other microgreens as well as its matured counterpart
Sunflower sprouts
- Comprised of 24% to 30% protein
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU?
Judging by the nutritional content of those selected microgreens above, there’s no reason to not incorporate microgreens into your daily diet. It’s often hard to hit the vitamins and mineral numbers you need every single day, but as made evident above, eating microgreens is the easiest way to do it.
Microgreens also take much less time to grow, generally ready to harvest within seven to 10 days. Compare this to the time required by their mature counterparts—around eight to 10 weeks—and it’s a real no brainer.
Sources:
http://pubs.acs.org/stoken/presspac/presspac/full/10.1021/jf300459b
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/31/microgreens-nutrients-mature-vegetables_n_1846601.html
http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20120831/tiny-microgreens-packed-nutrients?page=2
http://nutritionfacts.org/2013/05/02/are-microgreens-healthier/
http://www.healwithfood.org/health-benefits/microgreens-nutrition.php