Micro Broccoli

Three Available options:

1. Freshly Harvested (Limited Stock weekly)

2. "Grown-2-Order" Shipped out in 10 days, we will grow your order fresh at no additional cost and we will ship it the same day its harvested !

3. Live Trays, Pre Ordered and Delivered In 10 Days (requires $10 deposit for tray)

What is Micro Broccoli ?

Broccoli microgreens are tender with mild broccoli and cabbage flavor. The leaves are brilliant green with a thin whitish stem with light shades of purple.

Broccoli microgreens are rich in vitamins K, C, B6, and E, folate, dietary fiber phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium. They contain high levels of the cellular detoxifier sulforaphane, which may help to prevent cancer and rejuvenate the immune system. Note, sulforaphane is heat-sensitive, so avoid cooking your broccoli microgreens – add them at the last minute to cooked dishes or simply eat them raw in a salad or sandwich.

Use as a pizza topping, in soups, curries, omelets, stir fries, with pasta and other hot dishes. Popular for juicing.

Species: Brassica oleracea
Seed Country of Origin: Italy
Certified: Canada Organic

More info :

Superfood/Micro-Nutrient Profile

Appearance :

Broccoli sprouts look similar to alfalfa sprouts but usually have a darker green color.

Flavour :

Delicious nutty flavor compared to the taste of radish or daikon sprouts minus the spiciness.

Food Science

When the cellular structure of the plant is broken by chewing and ingesting the sprouts, a chemical reaction occurs whereby myrosinase and glucoraphanin interact to produce sulforaphane. Sulforaphane is the key nutrient studied for its health-enhancing potential and is activated through this chewing process.

Although the sprouts are higher in a bioavailable form of glucoraphanin and are a better source of vitamin K, they do not have the equivalent nutrition profiles of the mature broccoli vegetable.

Nevertheless, they do contain many enzymes as well as some chlorophyll, amino acids, minerals and vitamins, including beta-carotene content and 10% more vitamin C than pea shoots

Broccoli Sprouts Benefits

High in Glucoraphanin, A Precursor of Sulforaphane

The immune enhancing constituent sulforaphane or SGS found in broccoli sprouts is one of the phytochemical groups of isothiocyanates common in some of the cruciferous vegetables in the Brassica genus. Out of all the vegetable sprout crucifers, sprouted broccoli seeds are found to have the highest concentrated amount of glucoraphanin and sulforaphane after it is ingested and broken down by the enzyme myrosinase.

To a much lesser degree sulforaphane can also be obtained by consuming sprouts or vegetables like kale, mustard, kohlrabi, radish, arugula, watercress, cauliflower, bok choy, collards and brussels sprouts.

The sulforaphane glucosinolates found in the sprouted seeds of broccoli are sulfur-bearing compounds, like MSM, which can be beneficial as an anti-inflammatory aid and also add to its usefulness as a detoxification agent.

Glucosinolates produce pungent sulfur-smelling oils also found in many of the other crucifers, like cabbage, horseradish and mustard. They are believed to play a large role in the health increasing effects of this group of vegetables.

Broccoli sprouts help to detoxify chemical carcinogens and boost immune response, mainly working to induce phase II antioxidant and detoxification enzymes.

Broccoli sprouts additionally contain the bioactive agent quercetin, a polyphenol flavonoid that exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic and cardioprotective activities.

Both of these phytochemicals, sulforaphane and quercetin, have been shown to be potent substances that possess therapeutic properties beneficial in cancers of the colon, breast, spleen and prostate.

How much broccoli or sprouts are needed to produce chemoprotective effects? Some scientific research calculated that one would need to eat an average of 2 lbs of broccoli a week or the equivalent of 1 ounce of sprouted broccoli seeds, 30 times less, to achieve adequate levels of the health promoting phytonutrients. Some health experts believe that it is good to add up to 4-5 ounces of fresh sprouts per week.

Detoxification of Air Pollutants

As mentioned, sulforaphane glucosinolates contain detoxifying enzymes and sulfuric compounds that have been proven helpful for eliminating unwanted pollutants from the body.

In a 2014 study published in Cancer Prevention Research, it was reported that broccoli sprouts can be an inexpensive way to potentially enhance "the detoxification of some airborne pollutants", lessening risks for related long-term health issues.

In this Clinical Trial, close to 300 participants living in areas of China, known for substantial levels of airborne pollutants, were given a beverage made using freeze-dried broccoli sprout powder over a 12 week period. Results indicated detoxification of some airborne pollutants like the carcinogens benzene and acrolein, both produced from car exhaust fumes or the smoke created from burning organic matter or fossil fuel.

It was also shown in the same study that sulforaphane may activate a signaling molecule called NRF2 known to increase a cellular adaptative capacity with protective effects against a wide spectrum of environmental toxins.

Good for Gastrointestinal Disorders

The sulforaphane content in sprouted broccoli seeds when ingested in moderate amounts has shown to have antimicrobial attributes that inhibit Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria believed to cause gastric ulcers and implicated in conditions like leaky gut and IBS. It additionally normalizes DNA methylation and suppresses viral and other disease-related gene expression.

One study on mice indicated that when sulforaphane-rich broccoli sprouts were taken for a 2 month period, they can enhance chemoprotective qualities of the gastric mucosa against Helicobacter pylori infections. (Source)

POTENTIAL BENEFITS TO CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH

Young fresh sprouted broccoli seeds and their glucoraphanin-sulforphane content are also known to decrease the risk of developing cardiovascular problems by helping to reduce associated hypertension and inflammation with cholesterol lowering properties beneficial for conditions like atherosclerosis.

Cruciferous vegetables all come from the family Brassicaceae, and sprouted broccoli seeds are one of them. Crucifers are potentially goitrogenic, containing certain enzymes that may suppress thyroid gland function and interfere with iodine uptake.

Consumption is not normally recommended for those with iodine deficiency or an under-active thyroid. This is especially the case when consumed raw in large concentrated quantities, as would be the case when green juicing.

However, a number of past and present studies suggest that large portions of cruciferous vegetables added to the diet can significantly help to lower cancer risk, often displaying chemoprotective properties that reduce the body's susceptibility to carcinogens.

Broccoli sprouts and their concentrated phytonutrients are found to be a more convenient alternative as only a minor portion is needed to get the same protective effects and could thus be a more appropriate dose for those with hypothyroidism.

Be sure to check out non-cruciferous green leafy vegetables if you have a thyroid disorder and are looking for other options to avoid the potential estrogen content found in the common brassicas, like kale or collard greens.

WHAT ABOUT PHYTOESTROGENS?

All sprouts contain some degree of phytoestrogens, but typically they are found in higher quantities in alfalfa, clover, pea shoots and fenugreek sprouts. These plant estrogens can be helpful or harmful to the endocrine system depending on one's individual state of health and the amount consumed. Broccoli sprouts are not considerably high in them, compared to these mentioned varieties, but something to be aware of if you are seeking to increase or decrease dietary estrogen.

Nutrition information cited from https://www.superfoodevolution .com/broccoli-seeds.html