“Fresh microgreens aren’t just pretty, they’re healthy too”
“We instinctively know that eating micro-leaves has to be good for us”, says Yael Mandel of 2BFresh. This Israeli company, which is a subsidiary of Teshuva Agricultural Projects Ltd. (TAP), produces a wide variety of fresh micro-leaves and herbs for local and international markets.
In order to prove this, they commissioned Dr Uri Mayer-Chissick (Ph.D) to prepare a research document about the nutritional value of micro-leaves. Dr. Mayer-Chissick is an accomplished researcher of the history of food and nutrition. He also gives academic lectures all around Israel and abroad.
The most important finding in his research, says Yael, is that micro-leaves, because of their high concentration of essential nutrients, have higher levels of vitamins and minerals when compared to a fully mature plant (per weight). “They are important for all of us because of their concentration in essential nutrients that are vital for a healthy body”, writes Dr Mayer-Chissick.
The report says a study of 25 different types of micro-leaves found that they can be a good source of vitamin K1, vitamin C and various types of carotenoids, and vitamin E. Vitamin K1 is necessary for blood clotting in the human body, vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that plays an essential role in the production of collagen protein responsible for the stability of bones, tendons, ligaments and cartilage. Vitamin E is also a powerful antioxidant, which is vital in preventing the oxidation of cell membranes. “Sulforaphane is an antioxidant that is considered to play an anticancer role. Sulforaphane in cruciferous plants is formed during chewing. Tests revealed that its concentration in broccoli microgreens was 10 times higher than in the adult plant”.
Source: www.hortidaily.com