Close…but it’s “sulforaphane”. Still confused? I bet you are! Here, allow us to get all scientific on ya.

Sulforaphane is a compound that you can find in almost any cruciferous vegetable. You didn’t even know that every time you eat something from the cabbage family (broccoli, kale, cauliflower, etc.) you’ve been ingesting it. Turns out, it’s a happy accident! Sulforaphane is no slouch, having positive effects on multiple body systems. There’s a lot going on with this meager molecule, but we’re gonna simplify the science and save us all the cost of some five-dollar words.

What It Does

Sulforaphane is believed to have many benefits. It has been shown to: reduce inflammation, boost healthy heart function, lower blood sugar levels, improve hemoglobin A1c, and lower one’s risk of cancer. This one little molecule can combat heart disease, cancer, and diabetes; the 1^st, 2^nd, and 8^th leading causes of death in the United States, respectively. Some studies have even inferred it could help protect against brain damage, UV damage, reduce constipation, or improve social interaction. The possibilities are vast, and the science is just getting started.

How It Does It

Our main players here are sulforaphane (“S”), glucoraphanin (“G”), and myrosinase (“M”). “S” is actually just the active form of “G”. “G” sits inactive and separate from “M”. If “M” and “G” come into contact with each other, “S” is activated. The only way to release “M”, so that it may activate “G”, is to physically damage the plant (chopping, chewing, etc.). Once the sulforaphane is activated and ingested, it starts doing its work on the body.

Why Raw Microgreens?

Well, for at least two very good reasons.

First, and probably the more important of the two, is that heat destroys many of the most beneficial nutrients found in the plant, including sulforaphane, when temperatures exceed 284*F (140*C). In fact, a study found that raw broccoli had ten-times the amount of sulforaphane as cooked broccoli. For maximum nutrition, we recommend raw, or steaming the food for 2-3 minutes.

Second, is the fact that microgreens unanimously offer much higher nutrient densities than their fully-mature selves. So, while you get ten-times the sulforaphane from raw, mature, broccoli… you can get 50-100x from the same amount of microgreens.

Math don’t lie, baby.