What can you do when you stay home for a pro-longed period? Something useful and beneficial, something good for your health maybe?
Grow some healthy greens indoors during this period! Have you heard about microgreens and/or micro herbs?
They pack a punch when it comes to nutrition. Not only are these small seedlings or mini-plants perfect for growing your own in any location, you can make the most of small spaces. They also come with a range of great health benefits. I’ve done some research and consolidated my findings here for an easy “go-to” guide for you.
What are microgeens and micro hearbs?
First of all, it is important to mention that microgreens can be grown from a wide range of different seeds. Often, microgreens are simply smaller, younger versions of the plants that can grow to full size as edible crops in a garden.
Somehow this makes sense.
What types of nutrients do they have?
The nutritional content of each one will, of course, depend on the plant family to which it belongs. Different plant families have different nutritional profiles.
However, microgreens and micro herbs often provide health benefits because they concentrate the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and therefore pack more punch than full-sized plants.
Vitamin levels can be up to 40 times higher in micro greens than they are in full-sized plants! The mineral element composition of a number of different microgreens has been analyzed. And many varieties have been shown to be high in health giving essential minerals such as potassium, iron, zinc, and magnesium. Whether or not these tiny plants are higher in health giving nutrients depends on the varieties involved. But for many types of plant, they are.
Some examples:
*Corriander
*Radish
*Peas
*Spinach
*Kale
*Lettuce
*Rocket
*Basil
*Beets
*Brussel Sprouts
*Cabbage
*Cauliflower
*Celery
Sound familiar? There’s more!
What health benefits they have
While more scientific study is required, studies have suggested that certain microgreens can:
- Reduce the risk of heart disease and lower levels of bad cholesterol.
- Lower the risk of certain types of cancer.
- Enhance cellular sugar uptake in those with diabetes.
- Lower the risk of Alzheimers disease.
While we must be cautious about drawing conclusions too soon, it does seem clear that microgreens and micro herbs, with their concentrated nutritional profiles, do have a range of health benefits.
There’s no better time to start growing your own microgreens and micro herbs in your home than now when we’re all stuck indoors!
You may be interested in reading my other article, What are the Benefits of Hydroponics?
It’s not microgreens or micro herbs, but flowers! Do you want to find out 5 Edible Flowers With Potential Health Benefits?
A book titled Year-Round Indoor Salad Gardening, is interesting to read. The longtime gardener Peter Burke who teaches garden classes, discovered a way to grow “miniature greens” with only a windowsill or two in 7 to 10 days.
You may be interested in my other articles about “Vegetable Garden“.
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22812633
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0889157516300448
*This article is not intended to be medical advice, so please do not rely solely on the information provided in this article for your health.
How to Grow Camomile to Make Tea
