New research suggests that microgreens and mature vegetables may differ in nutrients, but they could both be effective in preventing weight gain.
Microgreens, which are older than sprouts but younger than baby greens, have been hailed as a superfood. Scientists are now investigating if they have earned this reputation and how they compare to fully grown vegetables.
While microgreens are found to be rich in substances that may protect against cancer, studies on mice indicate that both microgreens and mature vegetables can limit weight gain.
Thomas Wang, the principal investigator, stated that when they embarked on this research, not much was known about the nutrient content or biological effects of microgreens.
The findings were presented at the American Chemical Society Fall 2023 hybrid meeting.
Cruciferous vegetables like kale and broccoli have been recognized as beneficial for health based on scientific literature.
Thomas Wang, a scientist at the Agricultural Research Service of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), is collaborating with researchers at the University of Maryland, College Park to study microgreens.
Microgreens can be harvested within a few weeks and easily grown in containers on windowsills.
The initial studies focused on red cabbage, another cruciferous plant, and found that both young and fully grown cabbage limited weight gain in mice on a high-fat diet.
However, the nutrient composition of cabbage changed over time, and microgreens were found to be significantly richer in substances such as glucosinolates and sulphur-containing compounds, believed to offer protection against cancer.
Further studies on kale revealed that immature kale contains about five times more glucosinolates than mature kale.
Similar studies have suggested that immature cruciferous vegetables have higher nutrient levels compared to their mature counterparts.
Mr. Wang believes that the effects on weight in mice may be partially attributed to the impact of these vegetables on the animals’ gut bacteria.
In a recent study, scientists compared the effects of microgreens and mature kale on weight gain in mice on a high-fat diet. Both the young plant and mature kale were effective in limiting weight gain.
More research is needed to determine if these benefits apply to humans as well.
Furthermore, the consumption of kale, regardless of maturity, was found to increase the diversity of gut bacteria.
However, this enhancement was more pronounced with microgreens.
The researchers will continue studying the health effects of other cruciferous plants and believe that their findings can assist individuals who dislike certain cruciferous vegetables in finding alternative options with similar health benefits.
Mr. Wang suggests exploring other vegetables that people prefer over broccoli to achieve the same health effects.
It may also be possible to alter the flavor profiles of these vegetables to make them more appealing.
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