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6 Major Microgreen Health Benefits That Will Boost Your Overall Health
These micro plants aren’t just decorative additions to food dishes, but they also pack a nutritious, healthy punch
Microgreens are tiny leafy vegetables that come with a multitude of health benefits. These micro plants aren’t just decorative additions to food dishes, but they also pack a nutritious, healthy punch. Some microgreen species can even be 40 times more potent than their regular, larger counterparts. In this article, we’re going to discuss the 6 major microgreen health benefits that will boost your overall health.
1) Reduce Your Risk for Heart Disease
One of the crucial microgreen health benefits is that these tiny vegetables contain a high number of polyphenols, which are antioxidants that have been linked to lowering the risk for heart disease. Antioxidants are known for their ability to prevent free radicals from growing. Free radicals are reactive compounds that cause cell damage and diseases. Not only are microgreens a carrier of polyphenols, but they also contain a higher number compared to their mature vegetable counterparts.
2) Minimize Risk of Certain Cancers
Since microgreens carry a large amount of polyphenols, they can lower the risk for different kinds of cancer. Vegetables and fruits that are rich in antioxidants can be a fantastic addition to disease prevention.
3) Nutrient-Dense Vegetables
Even though they’re small for their size, microgreens have a vast array of health benefits. These tiny vegetables can have up to 40 times as much nutrients compared to mature vegetables. Knowing this, it can be life changing to incorporate small amounts of microgreens in every meal because they’re packed with nutritional benefits.
4) Can Improve Eyesight
Another wonderful microgreen health benefit is that these leafy greens contain lutein, which is a phytochemical seen in vision health. When you’re staring at your screen for too long, the intense rays can cause headaches, eye strain, and more. Lutein makes it easier for your eyes to absorb any excess light intensity to relieve headaches or other harm caused by excess light.
5) Reduces the Risk of Diabetes
One of the major microgreen health benefits is that they’re packed with antioxidants. These antioxidants can help lower the stress that prevents sugar from entering cells. Fenugreek is a specific microgreen known for its ability to increase sugar uptake in cells.
6) Lowers Chance of Alzheimer’s
Foods that are high in polyphenols may be able to lower the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli are high in Vitamin B and carotenoids which may lower levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that has been linked to cognitive decline. The microgreen version of cruciferous vegetables will be packed with even more vitamins and nutrients and should be incorporated in a daily diet to prevent disease.
Microgreen health benefits are vast and can not only boost our immune systems but also keep us healthy and safe from certain diseases. If you’ve been wanting to learn how to grow your own microgreen from home but aren’t sure how, subscribe to our weekly blog and YouTube channel for all the newest tips and tricks. You can also sign up to our new microgreens class and join our Facebook group to learn from others wanting to learn!
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5 Benefits of Microgreens That Will Boost Your Health
Microgreens are the powerhouse of nutritious foods. These functional foods are the seedlings of vegetables or herbs and are known to boost health function and prevent disease
Microgreens are the powerhouse of nutritious foods. These functional foods are the seedlings of vegetables or herbs and are known to boost health function and prevent disease. Known as being tiny vegetables, microgreens are great additions to any dish as they provide texture, various flavors, and are packed with nutrients. In this article, we’re going to cover five benefits of microgreens that are beneficial to your health.
Nutrient Rich
Studies have shown that microgreens tend to have nine times the amount of nutrients than their mature counterparts. In this study that was published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, it states that “microgreens contain considerably higher concentrations of vitamins and carotenoids than their mature plant counterparts.” By being rich in nutrients with great taste, it’s no wonder these tiny vegetables are growing in popularity.
Prevents Diseases
Not only are they rich in nutrients, studies have shown that microgreens are also filled with antioxidants. Antioxidants can help prevent diseases by removing free radicals from the body. Free radicals are unstable waste molecules that accumulate from factors such as pollution or natural bodily processes. But, as these unstable molecules build, they can develop diseases such as cancer. Intaking foods high in antioxidants can help increase your chances of preventing diseases since they help remove unstable molecules from the body.
Free From Pesticides
Since microgreens are easy to grow indoors, growers will always know what’s going on with their food. This means that microgreens won’t have to be sprayed with pesticides and that they’ll be eaten fresh. These tiny plants can grow in 1-2 weeks and are easy to harvest. Now, we can take comfort in knowing that our homegrown microgreens are free from pesticides and any other harmful chemicals that other crops fall victim to.
Sustainable Source
Since microgreens are easy to grow indoors, city dense populations could take advantage of growing these healthy-packed foods at home. With a turnaround time of a few weeks to full growth, people will always have access to fresh, nutrient-dense foods. To create an ongoing source of microgreens, you could rotate a few crops at the same time, so you’ll always have something fresh to eat per week. This could be a life-changing method for low-income families to get healthy vegetables at a low cost on a consistent basis.
Reduce Risk for Heart Disease
One of the benefits of microgreens is that they have the potential to lower blood pressure, which is one of the major risk factors for heart disease. Since these special vegetables are rich with fiber and vitamin K, eating them on a daily basis can lower your risk to develop heart disease.
The benefits of microgreens are endless. We at the Nick Greens Grow Team understand the nutritional and life-saving benefits behind these magical plants. The time to start learning how to grow your own microgreens is now.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel so you can start learning about how easy it is to grow from home!
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Flavonoids Have Amazing Health Benefits — Here's How To Eat More
You've heard that eating the rainbow is good for your health. But do you know why? Plant foods contain special compounds called flavonoids, which are plant-based nutrients that offer countless health benefits from reducing inflammation and slashing your risk of certain diseases
SARAH PFLUGRADT, RDN AUGUST 19, 2019
You've heard that eating the rainbow is good for your health. But do you know why? Plant foods contain special compounds called flavonoids, which are plant-based nutrients that offer countless health benefits from reducing inflammation and slashing your risk of certain diseases.
Flavonoids act as antioxidants, which may play a significant role in heart health and may help to prevent diseases such as cancer caused by free-radical damage. Eating foods rich in flavonoids reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer, and the impact of this was even stronger in those who smoked or drank a lot of alcohol — two groups with historically high levels of inflammation, according to an August 2019 study published in Nature. What's more, flavonoids may also provide benefit in the prevention of other chronic conditions such as osteoporosis and diabetes.
Now that you know what flavonoids are, note that they fall under six subgroups: flavonols, flavones, isoflavones, flavanones, chalcones and anthocyanins, according to a December 2016 study in the Journal of Nutritional Science.
While it's easy to get confused with all of the fancy antioxidant names, think of it this way — the overarching group that encompasses flavonoids is called polyphenols. Flavonoids are then divided into the subgroups, and pretty much all the good-for-you plant-originating foods fall into these categories.
Read more: Top 10 Healthiest Fruits and Vegetables
Flavonols
Flavonols are the largest and most well-known subgroup of flavonoids. Flavonols, especially quercetin, have been studied extensively for their role as an antioxidant. Oxidative damage to the body is responsible for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's and many cancers. Flavonols help protect the body against this type of damage, according to an extensive July 2016 review study published in Pharmacognosy Review.
Foods rich in flavonols include:
Berries
Tomatoes
Onions
Kale
Apples
Cherries
Broccoli
Grapes
Red wine
Green tea
Flavones
One of the major health benefits from flavones is their anti-inflammatory effect, according to a June 2016 study in Plants. Inflammation is usually the common thread between many chronic conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, and cancer as well as in people who smoke.
"Some research suggests that certain flavonoids (flavones and flavonols) are beneficial for reducing the risk of breast cancer," Cathy Leman, RD and founder of Dam. Mad. About Breast Cancer, tells LIVESTRONG.com.
Foods rich in flavones include:
Celery
Broccoli
Green pepper
Carrots
Olive oil
Navel oranges
Parsley
Thyme
Oregano
Dandelion
Peppermint
Rosemary
Chamomile tea
Isoflavones
The king of all plant proteins is the soybean, which is high in catechins and a particular type of flavonoid, isoflavones. Isoflavones have a mixed reputation because of their similarity in structure to estrogens. In fact, isoflavones have been found to block estrogens that can cause breast cancer, cervical cancer and prostate cancer, according to June 2016 research published in Nutrients.
Countries with a high intake of isoflavone-rich foods typically have lower rates of these types of cancer. Isoflavones are found in legumes and other common soy foods, such as miso and tofu.
Foods rich in isoflavones include:
Soybeans (and soy products such as tofu)
Alfalfa sprouts
Peanuts
Legumes
Flavanones
Flavanones are found in citrus fruits, in the juice and in the peel — and yes, you can eat the peel. The flavanones are responsible for that bitter taste, which most people stay away from. Flavanones are antioxidants and anti-inflammatory, and they have been shown to lower cholesterol.
Read more: What's The Difference Between Plant-Based, Vegetarian and Vegan Diets?
Hesperidin, the most common flavanone found in lemons, oranges and grapefruit, is currently being studied for its possible role in helping protect against neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Huntington's, Parkinson's Disease and multiple sclerosis, according to February 2019 research published in Molecules.
Foods rich in flavanones include:
Grapes
Oranges
Lemon
Lime
Chalcones
The word chalcone comes from the Greek word "chalco," which means copper, and is an indicator of the color of some of the natural sources of this flavonoid. As with many of the other subclasses of flavonoids, chalcones are studied because of their potential to stop the development of cancer, according to a 2015 study in Current Medicinal Chemistry.
Foods rich in chalcones include:
Wheat products
Licorice
Shallots
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Pears
Strawberries
Anthocyanins
Anthocyanins are the actual pigments in red-orange to blue-violet plant foods and are linked to heart health, brain health, vision improvement, antidiabetic and antiobesity properties, anti-inflammatory effects and chemoprevention and cancer protection, according to September 2015 research published in Advances in Nutrition and an August 2017 review study published in Food and Nutrition Research.
Foods rich in anthocyanins include:
Berries
Grapes
Red wine
Sweet potatoes
Plums
Cherries
How to Get More Flavonoids in Your Diet
Ready to reap flavonoids' multitude of health benefits? "If you want to increase flavonoids in your diet, eat an abundance and variety of vegetables and fruits and aim for at least 3 daily cups of vegetables and 2 cups of fruit a day, varying the colors to vary the micronutrients," Hayden James, RD and founder of Satiate Nutrition, tells LIVESTRONG.com.
"Put more plants on your plate! Build meals and snacks around fruits, vegetables, whole [unprocessed] soy, legumes and whole grains," says Leman.
Get creative with it: Zest citrus peels into your favorite foods or blend an array of fruits into your morning smoothie to get more flavonoids in your diet.
Warning
There are some fruits and vegetables that can interact with medications, so if you regularly take medication, speak with your doctor to find out which foods you should avoid. For example, grapefruit, which is high in flavonoids, should be avoided if you take certain statins. In addition, foods high in vitamin K, such as flavonoid-rich leafy greens, may interact with blood-thinning medication warfarin.
Read more: High Antioxidant Fruits & Vegetables
Lead Photo: (Image: Compassionate Eye Foundation/Natasha Alipour Faridani/DigitalVision/GettyImages)