Broccoli Microgreen Nutrition Fact Sheet
Broccoli microgreens are one of the most delicious vegetables. They have a somewhat spicy and crunchy taste. They also provide abundant vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Broccoli microgreens are grown in trays and harvested when the cotyledons have emerged, but the true leaves are still immature.
Nutrition Profile
Broccoli microgreens provide 31 calories, 2.3 grams of protein, and 7 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams. In addition, it stands out for its contribution of vitamins A, B, C, E, and K, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, copper, and zinc.
Broccoli microgreens contain about 260 mg of nitrates. These components neutralize harmful bacteria helping to maintain healthy intestinal flora.
But its properties are not reduced to taste and nutritional value, broccoli microgreens can improve health in different ways.
The properties of broccoli microgreens are given by the contribution of the mentioned nutrients and mainly by a special compound called sulforaphane. It is a sulfur derivative that has proven to have many health benefits. The sulforaphane content is highest in microgreens when compared to their mature analogs.
These are some of the properties of broccoli microgreens:
Potent anticancer action: sulforaphane reduces the number and size of specific cancer cells, such as breast cancer cells. On the other hand, sulforaphane promotes the action of antioxidants and certain enzymes that detoxify the body and eliminate carcinogenic elements.
Prevent cardiovascular events: Sulfuraphane helps reduce inflammation in the endothelial cells of the arteries where atheromas, (accumulation of cholesterol and inflammatory cells) that contribute to the obstruction of the vessels, usually develop. This anti-inflammatory action is related to the inhibition of inflammation thanks to the activation of the Nrf2 protein.
Help control blood glucose levels: the amount of fiber present in broccoli microgreens helps slow the rate of carbohydrate absorption. This allows glucose from food to reach the blood more slowly, preventing a hyperglycemic spike with a high level of insulin circulating in the blood, leading to hypoglycemia and a hunger attack. In addition to fiber, sulforaphane has been shown to help lower blood sugar in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Prevent aging: sulforaphane acts at the cellular level by activating HSP27 proteins, which prevent cellular aging. These proteins act by preventing the so-called photoaging caused by ultraviolet rays. Sulforaphane is an antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals, which are unstable molecules that damage DNA. These molecules are what cause the so-called oxidative stress and a state of chronic low-grade inflammation that is the cause of many of today's chronic diseases.
Improve brain function: thanks to its antioxidant mechanism, sulforaphane found in broccoli microgreens, can reduce the deterioration of nerve cells and increase the speed of recovery. The use of vitamin E in parallel with the consumption of broccoli microgreens could further enhance this effect.
Finally, it is important to clarify that broccoli microgreens provide up to 100 times the content of this compound compared to adult vegetable forms. Therefore, by adding a handful of these microgreens to your favorite salad, you will already be receiving all these benefits.
References
Weber C. F. (2017). Broccoli Microgreens: A Mineral-Rich Crop That Can Diversify Food Systems. Frontiers in nutrition, 4, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2017.00007
Li, Y., Zhang, T., Korkaya, H., Liu, S., Lee, H. F., Newman, B., Yu, Y., Clouthier, S. G., Schwartz, S. J., Wicha, M. S., & Sun, D. (2010). Sulforaphane, a dietary component of broccoli/broccoli sprouts, inhibits breast cancer stem cells. Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, 16(9), 2580–2590. https://doi.org/10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-09-2937
Ullah M. F. (2015). Sulforaphane (SFN): An Isothiocyanate in a Cancer Chemoprevention Paradigm. Medicines (Basel, Switzerland), 2(3), 141–156. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicines2030141
Su, X., Jiang, X., Meng, L., Dong, X., Shen, Y., & Xin, Y. (2018). Anticancer Activity of Sulforaphane: The Epigenetic Mechanisms and the Nrf2 Signaling Pathway. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity, 2018, 5438179. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/5438179
Bai, Y., Wang, X., Zhao, S., Ma, C., Cui, J., & Zheng, Y. (2015). Sulforaphane Protects against Cardiovascular Disease via Nrf2 Activation. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity, 2015, 407580. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/407580
Axelsson, A. S., Tubbs, E., Mecham, B., Chacko, S., Nenonen, H. A., Tang, Y., Fahey, J. W., Derry, J. M. J., Wollheim, C. B., Wierup, N., Haymond, M. W., Friend, S. H., Mulder, H., & Rosengren, A. H. (2017). Sulforaphane reduces hepatic glucose production and improves glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes. Science translational medicine, 9(394), eaah4477. https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.aah4477
Sun, B., Zhang, X., Yin, Y., Sun, H., Ge, H., & Li, W. (2017). Effects of sulforaphane and vitamin E on cognitive disorder and oxidative damage in lead-exposed mice hippocampus at lactation. Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology : organ of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements (GMS), 44, 88–92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtemb.2017.06.004
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