Jed Fahey, a nutritional biochemist in the Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Cancer Chemoprotection Centre at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (New York), confirmed for me that his research applied to microgreens as well as sprouts. He also said “I find what you have written to be accurate and reasonable.”
I used the term ‘Superfood’ in the same way as growers of blueberries, broccoli and many other plant foods.
The following is some text I have taken from my book....
‘Functional foods’ is the newly coined name for food products that contain particular health-promoting or disease-preventing properties which are additional to their normal nutritional values. Microgreens are in this group and so demand for them is growing rapidly.
Microgreens also have been found to contain higher levels of concentrated active compounds than found in mature plants or seeds. Principal physiologist Tim O’Hare, of Australia’s Gatton Research Station, said studies showed that, generally, the chemo-protective potential of some plant compounds is most concentrated in seeds and sprouted seeds but declines with growth, which suggests extra benefit from microgreens over fully grown plants...
Factors affecting nutritional value
Microgreens are at their nutritional and flavourful best when they begin to display adult-size leaves. They have much higher concentrations of vitamin C and health-promoting phytochemicals when grown in the light, compared to sprouts, which are typically grown in the dark...
Super micro foods
Wheatgrass is the most well known microgreen that is grown for its healthy compounds and properties. It’s used as a supplement after juicing. Wheatgrass is believed to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, increase red blood cells, relieve blood-sugar disorders such as diabetes and aid in the prevention of some cancers...
...Wheatgrass is the young grass of a common wheat plant. As a microgreen it has been around for years. Although classed as a microgreen, it is used in an entirely different way — to make a health-promoting juice.
Wheatgrass juice is abundant in vitamins, minerals, enzymes, protein and chlorophyll. It contains every amino acid, vitamin and mineral necessary for human nutrition, making it one of the few actual ‘whole foods’.
Wheatgrass is so nutrient-rich that only 30 ml (less than ⅛ cup) of freshly squeezed wheatgrass juice is equivalent in nutritional value to 1 kg (2.2 lbs) of leafy green vegetables.
Kilo for kilo, it has more vitamin C than oranges and twice the vitamin A of carrots...
...Other species such as flax, broccoli, red radish and red brassica also have researched health-promoting qualities. There have been many studies showing the link between cancer prevention and the consumption of brassicas (also known as cruciferous vegetables) such as broccoli, cabbage, rocket and kale.
Broccoli microgreens are one of the ‘health heroes’. They contain a micronutrient, a chemical called sulphoraphane (sulforaphane) that shows effective anti-cancer, anti-diabetic and anti-microbial properties. It is thought to kill the bacteria responsible for most stomach cancers and ulcers.
Jed Fahey, a nutritional biochemist in the Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Cancer Chemoprotection Centre at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (New York) said, after a small, pilot study of 50 people in Japan, that broccoli microgreens, if eaten regularly, ‘might potentially have an effect on the cause of a lot of gastric problems and perhaps even ultimately help prevent stomach cancer’.
Young broccoli has been shown to have up to 20 to 50 times as much sulphoraphane as fully grown broccoli.
Along with providing possible protection against cancer, a regular intake of sulphoraphane in young broccoli has also been shown to help prevent a range of other conditions including ulcers and arthritis, as well as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Broccoli microgreens and sprouts are the first and only products with a guaranteed amount of sulphoraphane glucosinolate (SGS), a naturally occurring antioxidant compound in broccoli. (Antioxidants are linked with the prevention of cancer and coronary heart disease.) Researchers at Johns Hopkins University believe that the presence of many phytochemicals including sulphoraphane may help explain why diets rich in fruits and cruciferous vegetables are associated with good health.
Low-fat diets rich in fruit and vegetables (such as broccoli microgreens), including vitamin C and fibre, may help reduce the risk of certain cancers. Hopkins researchers are attempting to confirm the role that SGS may have in this process.
A study of the cancer-preventing potential of Asian and Western vegetables belonging to the brassica family has rated radish, daikon (Japanese white radish) and broccoli sprouts as the most powerful brassica-based anti-cancer foods, with the radish sprouts possibly outperforming broccoli sprouts. Darker coloured varieties are high in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants...