Skip the Gummies - Grow Your Nutrition | Microgreens for Natural Micro-Nutrition

Others look so premium with their pastel packaging you almost feel healthier just holding the bottle. Now, their claims are for them to prove and for you to judge.

But what I want to talk about is managing your micronutrients the cleanest way possible. And that’s where homegrown microgreens come in.

Table of Contents

Why Microgreens?
An Example
Why Raw Nutrition
References

Why Microgreens?

Microgreens are harvested just 7–14 days after germination when the first leaves appear. They’re young, fresh and full of nutrition concentrated in those tiny leaves and stems. And according to multiple scientific studies listed below, they are often more nutrient-dense than their mature counterparts.

Research analysing different microgreens has found higher concentrations of:

Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Beta-carotene
Polyphenols
Antioxidants
Glucosinolates

I know these are all very big words to understand but when it comes to health, would you trust anything less than a peer reviewed study? So, that’s a serious nutrition list for something that grows in 10 days. When we talk about “micro-nutrition”, this is what I mean - real vitamins and plant compounds from real food.

Each microgreen has its own speciality and that’s why at AllThatGrows, we stress on growing a variety of these microgreens at home. A few facts about what each microgreen contains:

Broccoli – Rich in glucosinolates and sulforaphane precursors
Red cabbage – High in anthocyanins
Mustard – Strong antioxidants
Radish – Bold flavour and bioactive compounds
Sunflower – Vitamin E and plant protein

Shop non-treated seeds to start growing your own microgreens at home!

An Example

I have always found it easier to understand things with real examples. So, let’s talk about broccoli microgreens for a minute. They’re especially rich in glucoraphanin, which converts into a compound called sulforaphane. This compound has been widely studied for its potential role in:

Supporting healthy blood sugar levels
Reducing oxidative stress
Supporting metabolic health

Some studies suggest broccoli microgreens can contain significantly higher levels of these beneficial compounds compared to mature broccoli. And this applies to most microgreens. They are found to be up to 40 times more potent than their mature counterparts.

Why Raw Nutrition

We all know cooking reduces vitamin C levels in vegetables. Research on heating vegetables confirms that high heat can significantly reduce vitamin C content. But microgreens are eaten raw. That means you get nutrients without the heat loss during cooking. This does not mean that you can not experiment with microgreen recipes, but most definitely they are best consumed fresh and raw.

Another interesting point is bioavailability. Some studies suggest that the antioxidants in microgreens are easily absorbed by the body. Animal and lab studies have shown improved lipid profiles and reduced inflammation markers when microgreens were included in the diet.

Now compare this with multivitamins. Institutions like Johns Hopkins Medicine have pointed out that for most healthy people, multivitamins may not significantly reduce chronic disease risk. Supplements have their place, especially for deficiencies, but whole foods bring fibre, enzymes and a combination of nutrients working together. That synergy is difficult to recreate in a pill.

While in the case of microgreens, you eat them raw. No boiling, no frying, and no nutrient destruction. You harvest them when you need them, sprinkle them on your daily meals like home cooked daal, sabzi and get the most out of your harvest.

One of the reasons I love microgreens is how practical they are. You don’t even need a garden to grow them. You don’t even need a balcony. A small tray near a window that gets some partial sunlight works best. You need minimal water to grow them year-round and they get ready in just 7-10 days. Now if that isn’t easy, I don’t know what is.

In urban India, where long supply chains and storage reduce freshness, growing your own greens gives you control. You decide the seed, control the cleanliness during their growth and harvest them fresh as needed. A small handful added daily to your poha, sandwich, dal, smoothie or salad can quietly upgrade your nutrition.

I’m not against supplements. But I am deeply in favour of food. And as a generational agripreneur that means living food - food you grow yourself. Food you harvest with your loved ones and eat daily. In a world full of shortcuts and quick fixes, growing your own micro-nutrition might be the simplest long-term decision you make.

So, skip the gummies - grow your nutrition.

Happy gardening!