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 for 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.
