Broccoli, some love it some hate it. As a microgreen, the flavor is more subtle and can be used in many different ways. As with most microgreens, broccoli has more nutrients per weight than its mature plant. And broccoli comes with some additional benefits to help keep our body healthy. Sulforfane, the compound that gives broccoli its bitter taste, is a cancer fighting compound. This phytochemical found in broccoli microgreens affects cancer by detoxing chemical compounds we are exposed to daily. These chemicals like pesticides, herbicides and other pollutants don’t have a chance to cause detrimental effects if removed quickly. Studies have shown broccoli microgreens have up to 100x more sulforfane than mature broccoli.
Sulforfane also has an anti-oxidant affect on the body. One study linked the consumption of sulforaphane, again, found in high concentrations in broccoli sprouts, to reduced oxidative stress in the upper airways of humans. This could have some very positive effects for people who suffer from asthma, or those who are pushing their bodies during exercise on a regular basis. Increased exercise intensity and duration increases oxidative stress, and any aerobic exercise requires optimum oxygen exchange in the lungs. So anything we can eat or do to reduce oxidative stress and enable better oxygen consumption and delivery to working muscles is definitely worth noting. Broccoli microgreens also contains vitamins A and C and calcium. Farm Doc offers broccoli microgeens in the basic and spicy salad mix.