Microgreens and Health
Microgreens and Health
Does anyone have any expertise in the health benefits of microgreens? I have started a microgreen nursery in my basement and want to optimize production for maximum health benefit. I set up my grow system based on positive things said by Dr. Greger. There is a study done by a USDA group in Maryland that is referred to again and again in websites I come across in internet searches.
My current strategy is to grow sunflower seeds, red cabbage and radish. When mixed together in a serving of about 50g, 10g and 10g respectively, the flavor is excellent eaten raw and requires no salad dressing or any other flavoring. The serving size is a small salad bowl.
I am thinking about designing my system to provide three of these servings per day. I calculated the cost, including seed, potting soil and electricity for my 60W led system at about 60 cents per serving.
I am wondering if anyone has knowledge on how to maximize health benefits by selecting the right microgreens.
My current strategy is to grow sunflower seeds, red cabbage and radish. When mixed together in a serving of about 50g, 10g and 10g respectively, the flavor is excellent eaten raw and requires no salad dressing or any other flavoring. The serving size is a small salad bowl.
I am thinking about designing my system to provide three of these servings per day. I calculated the cost, including seed, potting soil and electricity for my 60W led system at about 60 cents per serving.
I am wondering if anyone has knowledge on how to maximize health benefits by selecting the right microgreens.
- jennypenny
- Posts: 6858
- Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2011 2:20 pm
Re: Microgreens and Health
I don't know the specifics of the individual types of microgreens. I have read that if you eat the greens by the 14-day mark (when they should have only 2 leaves), they have 5 times the nutritional density of a mature plant. Given that, you could figure out what you need by looking up the nutritional information of any variety and doing the math.
Re: Microgreens and Health
This group seems to be the source of the few available research studies on microgreens: https://agresearchmag.ars.usda.gov/2014/jan/greens
You can see my work by searching youtube for the channel Continuous Harvest. I am still in the trial and error phase but learning fast. I think that a mix of 50g sunflower microgreens, 10g brassica microgreens and 10g radish microgreens works from a flavor and texture perspective, and I suspect that several servings a day will provide more than enough vitamins.
I would like to know how much protein sunflower microgreens have. I am wondering how much of one's diet could come entirely from microgreens.
You can see my work by searching youtube for the channel Continuous Harvest. I am still in the trial and error phase but learning fast. I think that a mix of 50g sunflower microgreens, 10g brassica microgreens and 10g radish microgreens works from a flavor and texture perspective, and I suspect that several servings a day will provide more than enough vitamins.
I would like to know how much protein sunflower microgreens have. I am wondering how much of one's diet could come entirely from microgreens.
- jennypenny
- Posts: 6858
- Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2011 2:20 pm
Re: Microgreens and Health
Subscribed! I really liked the cost breakdown video.
I couldn't find any studies on the nutrient content except for that one from UMd that everyone references.
How do you eat them?
I couldn't find any studies on the nutrient content except for that one from UMd that everyone references.
How do you eat them?
Re: Microgreens and Health
Raw, they taste very good without any salad dressing. I just use my fingers.
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- Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2012 9:05 pm
Re: Microgreens and Health
Sunflower sprouts look like peanut butter, macronutrient-wise.
1/4 cup
190 cal
16g fat
6g cho (2g fiber)
6g pro
https://www.livestrong.com/article/5249 ... r-sprouts/
1/4 cup
190 cal
16g fat
6g cho (2g fiber)
6g pro
https://www.livestrong.com/article/5249 ... r-sprouts/
Re: Microgreens and Health
That is a lot of protein for a salad green.
I plan to eat about 200 grams per day. It is not hard, the sunflower green are very tasty.
I plan to eat about 200 grams per day. It is not hard, the sunflower green are very tasty.
-
- Posts: 952
- Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2012 9:05 pm
Re: Microgreens and Health
200g of protein, or 200g of sunflower sprouts?
Re: Microgreens and Health
About 200g of microgreens. My vertical microfarm is set up to provide 150g sunflower shoots, 30g brassicas and 30g radish daily. Depending on harvests and my own hunger, I plan to eat that amount daily.
- jennypenny
- Posts: 6858
- Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2011 2:20 pm
Re: Microgreens and Health
I ran across this study today. It says that eating an average of 1.3 servings per day of leafy green vegetables slows cognitive decline at a rate equivalent to being 11 years younger than non-leafy-green-eating counterparts. I assume microgreens would count? They specifically cited phylloquinone, lutein, nitrate, folate, α-tocopherol, and kaempferol as being beneficial.
Re: Microgreens and Health
Why not just eat sunflower seeds and dandelion greens? Seems pretty obvious that sprouts and micro-greens are more nutritious simply because of the ratio of remnant seed to green plant. I'm allergic to peanuts, so I used to make my kids sunflower seed butter all the time, because they are usually much less expensive than nuts such as cashews or almonds.
Re: Microgreens and Health
Having an indoor vertical microfarm allows me to have greens even when there is a lot of snow outside. Sunflower kernels are about half of the weight of a sunflower seed with the shell, so I am taking about 125g of kernels and making 500g+ of greens in 12 days. Dandelions tend to be bitter unless harvested very young, and it would take a lot of time to harvest 500g of young dandelion greens.
Re: Microgreens and Health
Slowing cognitive decline is another reason to eat greens. If I eat two servings, maybe it will reverse cognitive decline.
Re: Microgreens and Health
Yeah, best to pay me no never mind. My cognitive decline from pudding heavy diet is already quite apparent.
Re: Microgreens and Health
Dr Greger is one of the few sources of nutrition information that I trust. I learned about him from someone on this forum, perhaps ego.
This video about sulphoraphanes is one of the things that encouraged me to grow microgreens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOn1hVZUDvo
This video about sulphoraphanes is one of the things that encouraged me to grow microgreens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOn1hVZUDvo
Re: Microgreens and Health
Here is a pdf of the study: Assessment of Vitamin and Carotenoid Concentrations of Emerging
Food Products: Edible Microgreens
http://www.sunshinecovefarm.com/wp-cont ... greens.pdf
"Among the 25 microgreens assayed, red cabbage, cilantro, garnet amaranth, and green daikon radish had the highest concentrations of ascorbic acids, carotenoids, phylloquinone, and tocopherols, respectively."
Food Products: Edible Microgreens
http://www.sunshinecovefarm.com/wp-cont ... greens.pdf
"Among the 25 microgreens assayed, red cabbage, cilantro, garnet amaranth, and green daikon radish had the highest concentrations of ascorbic acids, carotenoids, phylloquinone, and tocopherols, respectively."
Re: Microgreens and Health
Sulforaphane info: https://www.foundmyfitness.com/episodes/sulforaphane
It sounds like a daily consumption of 100g to 200g of broccoli sprouts (or brassica greens) can greatly reduce the risk of cancer and reduces cardiovascular disease. Studies indicate it may increase longevity.
It sounds like a daily consumption of 100g to 200g of broccoli sprouts (or brassica greens) can greatly reduce the risk of cancer and reduces cardiovascular disease. Studies indicate it may increase longevity.
Re: Microgreens and Health
Broccoli Microgreens: A Mineral-Rich Crop That Can Diversify Food Systems
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5362588/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5362588/
- jennypenny
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- Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2011 2:20 pm
Re: Microgreens and Health
Does anyone know what the broccoli greens taste like? Do most of the microgreens tend to taste like the full grown plant? I usually order the mixed varieties but I'm thinking of branching out in my next order.