Skip to content

Benefits of Microgreens

Despite their small size, microgreens pack a nutritional punch, often containing higher nutrient levels than their mature counterparts. Making them an excellent addition to any diet.

These micro herbs are young vegetable greens that are approximately 1–3 inches (2.5–7.5 cm) tall and grow extremely dense. Which allows you to conveniently grow them in an small footprint and make them the ideal indoor crop. Bursting with aromatic flavor and concentrated nutrient content that come in a variety of colors and textures (1), these herbs are a sought-after commodity that add a splash of color to a variety of dishes.

Microgreens fall somewhere between a sprout and a baby plant. That being said, they shouldn’t be confused with sprouts, which do not have leaves. Sprouts and microgreens are similar — but the main difference is how early you decide to harvest them. Sprouts are eaten whole, seed and all, and they’re ready to enjoy shortly after the seed has first sprouted. You don’t need soil or sunlight to grow sprouts, the seeds contain all the energy they need. Whereas microgreens are small plants that are usually harvested 7-21 days after germination, once the plant’s first true leaves have emerged and the stems are dense.

We’ve found success harvesting our fresh microgreens only 10-14 days after germination. It all comes down to your growing conditions – your choice of medium, and if it’s getting sufficient light next to a window, a plant light, or a fluorescent light fixture. By keeping your environment stable and greens fed with water on a daily basis, it will drastically impact the time it takes until harvest. Make sure to snip them off above the soil, or pull up the entire plant and wash them well to remove any linger soil before eating.

HIGH IN NUTRIENTS

Containining 4-40 times more nutrients by weight than their fully-grown counterpart.

CONTAINS POLYPHENOLS

A wider range of polyphenols help to prevent the buildup of harmful free radicals associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

IMPROVE
HEART HEALTH

Animal studies have shown microgreens may help reduce heart disease risk factors, such as weight, bad LDI, cholesterol & triglycerides.

REDUCE CHRONIC
DISEASE RISK

Veggie consumption is associated with the lower risk of certain cancers, inflammation, heart disease, diabetes & obesity.

Health Benefits

Eating vegetables is linked to a lower risk of many diseases (234).

This is likely thanks to the high amounts of vitamins, minerals and beneficial plant compounds they contain.

Microgreens contain similar and often greater amounts of these nutrients than mature greens. As such, they may similarly reduce the risk of the following diseases:

  • Heart disease: Microgreens are a rich source of polyphenols, a class of antioxidants linked to a lower risk of heart disease. Animal studies show that microgreens may lower triglyceride and “bad” LDL cholesterol levels (567).
  • Alzheimer’s disease: Antioxidant-rich foods, including those containing high amounts of polyphenols,may be linked to a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease (89).
  • Diabetes: Antioxidants may help reduce the type of stress that can prevent sugar from properly entering cells. In lab studies, fenugreek microgreens appeared to enhance cellular sugar uptake by 25–44% (1011).
  • Certain cancers: Antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, especially those rich in polyphenols, may lower the risk of various types of cancer. Polyphenol-rich microgreens may be expected to have similar effects (12).

While their nutrient contents vary slightly, most varieties tend to be rich in potassium, iron, zinc, magnesium, copper and a great source of beneficial plant compounds like antioxidants (121314).

What’s more, their nutrient content is concentrated, which means that they often contain higher vitamin, mineral and antioxidant levels than the same quantity of mature greens (15).

In fact, research comparing microgreens to more mature greens reports that nutrient levels in microgreens can be up to nine times higher than those found in mature greens (16).

Research also shows that they contain a wider variety of polyphenols and other antioxidants than their mature counterparts (17).

One study measured vitamin and antioxidant concentrations in 25 commercially available microgreens. These levels were then compared to levels recorded in the USDA National Nutrient Database for mature leaves.

Although vitamin and antioxidant levels varied, levels measured in microgreens were up to 40 times higher than those recorded for more mature leaves (18). That said, not all studies report similar results.

For instance, one study compared nutrient levels in sprouts, microgreens and fully grown amaranth crops. It noted that the fully grown crops often contained as much, if not more, nutrients than the microgreens (19). Therefore, although microgreens generally appear to contain higher nutrient levels than more mature plants, this may vary based on the species at hand.

Sources: Healthline.comReviewed.com