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Sprouts and microgreens: Cheap access to nutrients

Published 12 March 2023
– By Editorial Staff
Radish sprouts.

Growing microgreens is easy, cheap and above all very nutritious. Many seeds can be grown as both sprouts and microgreens.

The difference from regular farming is that you can get access to fresh and nutritious food much faster, and it can be done all year round without a greenhouse or garden.

A sprout comes from a seed that comes into contact with water and bursts into a small tail. In other words, it is the first stage of the plant’s life cycle. Once this happens, the whole seed and sprout can be eaten. In the seed stage, the nutrients are retained and are therefore more difficult for the body to absorb, but as the seed sprouts, the nutritional content also changes. The amount of antioxidants and vitamins increases and they become more easily absorbed by the body and also easier to digest in the gut, according to the Swedish farming paper Land.

Often the only limit is your imagination when it comes to growing microgreens. In general however, you should avoid potatoes and tomatoes, as you should not eat their sprouting parts. However, you can eat the leaves of beetroot and carrots, for example.

Different seeds

There are many things that can be sprouted. However, one tip is to buy seeds that are intended for microgreens or that are sold for human consumption; seeds for sowing can be treated in various ways to resist plant diseases, for example. Seeds are available in various online shops, but can also be bought in supermarkets or garden centers.

Mung beans are described by many as a favorite, but various lentils are also great for sprouting. Remember that the lentils must be whole and not split. Broccoli has a mild flavor and is suitable for beginners, and buckwheat is also a good beginner’s sprout. Otherwise, the classic alfalfa gives a fresh flavor. Some companies also sell seed mixes.

Use a strainer and bowl

There are special sprouting jars and racks available, but you can also use a colander or a strainer. You can also make your own sprouting jar by using a glass jar, threading it onto a screen or fine mesh (such as a piece of nylon stocking) and securing it with a rubber band.

Start by rinsing the seeds in cold water. Then soak them in cold water in a bowl. The amount of seeds to use and how long they should be soaked can vary. But one rule you can follow is that they should be soaked for about eight hours.

Then pour the seeds into the strainer, rinse again thoroughly and place the strainer with the seeds over the bowl and put a towel over it. This will allow the seeds to drip off. If you use a sprouting jar, leave the jar tilted at an angle and turn the jar from time to time. Then rinse the seeds two to three times a day. Sprouts can be stored in both dark and light. Light will give them more color, but some varieties may taste more bitter. Some people let the sprouts grow in the dark first and then put them in the light towards the end so they get some color.

Time before the sprouts are ready may also vary, for example quinoa can be ready in a little more than a day while yellow peas can take up to five days. Once they have grown their tails, they can be stored in the fridge for a few days in a container that lets some air in, but they should be eaten as soon as possible. Some sprouts can sometimes develop a “white fluff” that can resemble mold, but these are actually fibrils that the seed uses to trap moisture in the air when it starts to dry and are not dangerous. What you should keep in mind, however, is that if the sprouts get too wet, mold might also develop.

Bean sprouts in a bowl. Photo: Milada Vigerova/Unsplash

Growing microgreens

You can also take the sprout and plant it in soil, or alternatively in water or wet paper, so that it forms roots. Once the sprout has grown, you can cut off the plant and eat it, but you leave the roots and do not eat them. In basic terms, you grow on a small scale.

Often most of the things you sprout can continue to grow into microgreens. However, cress and wheatgrass are classics to grow. If you like mustard, you can try mustard seeds, which give a more spicy flavor. Sunflower seeds and radishes are also commonly grown.

Soil or water

Always start by rinsing the seeds thoroughly. Some say that most seeds need to be soaked beforehand, while others say that only some seeds need this. In general, the actual germination of the seed can take longer if you don’t soak and some seeds may not germinate at all.

The seeds should then start to germinate. This can be done directly in soil, in damp kitchen paper or, as above, with water. The seeds can then be sprinkled evenly over the surface. Remember to keep it moist and if you use soil, you should make holes in the bottom in order to drain off excess water. You can also put a lid on so that the seeds can stand in the dark. It is also beneficial to use a spray bottle in the beginning. If using paper towels, lay out a damp piece of paper on a plate and sprinkle the seeds. Spray with water and cover.

When the tails start to emerge you can place them on the windowsill. Whatever method you use, keep them moist. If you’re growing microgreens in water, you can put them in the light as soon as a root mat has formed and the sprouts are attached to each other. Then you can start watering with running water instead of a spray bottle. You should then rinse/water the microgreens once a day, but do not leave the water in the container.

After four to five days your sprouts are ready to harvest!

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Future of EU-wide PFAS ban remains unclear

Published 24 April 2025
– By Editorial Staff
It is well known that PFAS chemicals are directly harmful to health - but a European ban may still be some time away.

France has recently introduced a ban on carcinogenic PFAS chemicals in all cosmetic products.

A similar ban is also being discussed at EU level but it is highly unclear when it might actually be introduced

France is described as the first country in the Union to completely ban PFAS in the beauty and fashion industry. Since February, make-up containing the chemicals cannot be imported or exported although some substances are still exempt from the new regulations.

– I saw the film Dark Water about a poisoning scandal in the US and realized pretty quickly that this is the same kind of scandal that is happening around PFAS in Europe, French influencer, documentary filmmaker and activist Camille Étienne, 26, told tabloid Aftonbladet.

Through her reporting, she was instrumental in pushing through a ban and says that she herself tested her blood and discovered that it contained the harmful chemicals.

– Some of them are classified as carcinogenic by the WHO’s cancer research institute. The tragedy is that there is no way to get rid of PFAS already in the body. This is the asbestos of our generation, she continues.

Accumulates in food and drinking water

It has long been known that PFAS can affect fertility, cause liver damage, several types of cancer, weakened immune systems, and high cholesterol – and major cosmetics producers have frequently been pointed out as major culprits driving the poisoning of citizens.

PFAS refers to a group of thousands of highly persistent industrial chemicals often called “forever chemicals” because they remain for a very long time in both the environment and the human body.

These substances can accumulate in drinking water and food, thereby reaching people even in very small doses. Due to their long-term effects, PFAS is seen as a serious environmental and public health issue, and even at the EU level, a comprehensive ban on PFAS in consumer products is now under discussion.

“Impossible to say”

Sweden, together with countries like Norway and Denmark, has been a driving force in the matter, which is now being analyzed by the EU Chemicals Agency and various committees. However, the bureaucratic processes are expected to take a very long time, and a total ban is unlikely to become reality anytime soon – if it ever does.

It’s impossible to say when a ban might be in place. First, all uses must be evaluated. Then a consultation follows on SEAC’s (Committee for Socio-Economic Analysis) draft opinion. After that, the opinions of RAC (Risk Assessment Committee) and SEAC, together with the proposal, are sent to the Commission, which in turn drafts amendments to the restriction annex in the REACH regulation (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals), says Jenny Ivarsson, strategic advisor at the Swedish Chemicals Agency.

This will then be discussed and voted on among the member states before a decision is reached, she continues.

The proposal was submitted as early as February 2023.

More young Swedes poisoning themselves with over-the-counter medications

Published 23 April 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Last year, the Swedish Poisons Information Center received almost 7000 calls about self-harm and suicide attempts.

Over the past decade, the number of calls to the Swedish Poisons Information Center (Giftinformationscentralen) about young people deliberately poisoning themselves has almost tripled and the most commonly used drug in suicide attempts is the painkiller paracetamol.

– Paracetamol is by far the most commonly used drug in suicide and self-harm, confirms Shahabeh Shokrolahi, a call-taker at the Swedish Poisons Information Center.

It’s not that paracetamol is necessarily more toxic than many other medicines it’s that it’s something that most families have in their homes, and it’s often kept in an easily accessible place.

– It is not paracetamol that is the problem, but the well-being of young people. If it hadn’t been paracetamol, it would surely have been something else, she argues in the state television SVT.

It should be noted that there has long been an awareness that Alvedon, Panodil and the like have often been used in suicide attempts and that several changes have therefore been introduced to make it more difficult for minors to obtain the drugs.

For example, the sale of paracetamol tablets in supermarkets was banned and young people were only allowed to buy one pack at a time yet poisonings have only increased.

“Could have been worse”

– If we hadn’t taken these measures, it could have been worse. We don’t know and we’ll never know, but it could have been that there would have been even more calls, speculates Shokrolahi.

Last year, the Swedish Poisons Information Center received almost 7,000 calls about self-harm and suicide attempts compared to 2,500 ten years earlier.

There is no clear answer as to why more and more young people are choosing to harm themselves in this way but it is noted that nine out of ten people surveyed keep painkillers in unlocked and easily accessible areas.

– Even if you don’t suspect that your teenager would resort to drugs in a crisis situation, your teenager’s friends or relatives might. That’s why it’s important that all medicines are locked up and the home is teen-proofed, concludes Shokrolahi.

Iron deficiency common among Swedish high school girls

Published 6 April 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Iron deficiency can cause concentration difficulties.

More than one in three Swedish female high school students has an iron deficiency, according to a study from Lund University. The risk was found to be particularly high among vegetarians and vegans.

The study, published in the European Journal of Nutrition, involved 475 upper secondary school students from two schools in Malmö and Lund. Participants answered questions about dietary habits and menstruation, among other things, and then provided blood samples.

The blood samples were analyzed with a focus on iron status, which was then compared to the participants’ diet. The results showed that 38% of high school girls were iron deficient. Among vegetarians and vegans, the percentage was close to 70%, compared to 30% among meat eaters. Even pescatarians – who exclude red meat and chicken – had a higher prevalence of iron deficiency.

It is positive that many young people are choosing a more plant-based diet, which reduces the risk of various chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease and is also good for the environment. But you need to think about how you get iron. We hope that the results draw attention to the importance of replacing meat with iron-rich foods, says Anna Stubbendorff, dietician and PhD student in nutritional epidemiology at Lund University, in a press release.

Iron deficiency can cause fatigue, difficulty concentrating and in severe cases anemia. The body’s ability to absorb iron is affected by what else you eat, whether the iron comes from meat or plant sources.

It’s important to eat plenty of whole grains and legumes such as beans, peas, and lentils. Vitamin C and acids – for example, sauerkraut, kimchi, or sourdough bread – consumed at the same time as the meal increase iron absorption. Coffee and tea reduce absorption. We also saw that those who reported eating more fruit had a lower incidence of iron deficiency.

The researchers now want to develop a screening method that can help school health services identify high school girls at risk of iron deficiency.

Omega-3 found to slow down biological aging

Published 31 March 2025
– By Editorial Staff

Omega-3 can clearly slow down biological aging in all age groups, according to a new study. The effect was even greater when combined with strength training and vitamin D.

The study, which was conducted by researchers at the University of Zurich, the Hospital University of Toulouse and Harvard University, among others, examined the effect of vitamin D, omega-3 and exercise on biological ageing.

In total, the DO-HEALTH study involved 2,157 participants from several European countries. The aim of the long-term study is to prevent healthy ageing and to study the effects of omega-3 and vitamin D.

Participants were divided into different groups, with some receiving vitamin D or omega-3 daily, while others received a placebo. In addition, strength training (30 minutes, three times a week) was compared with joint mobility training of the same duration.

By varying the combinations, the researchers were able to analyze both individual and combined effects, for example in those who received both vitamin D and omega-3.

The analysis, published in Nature Aging, shows that a daily intake of one gram of omega-3 for three years was able to slow biological aging by almost three months compared to those who did not take the supplement.

Effect the same regardless of age

In the group that combined omega-3, vitamin D and strength training, the effect was even greater, slowing down aging by almost four months. The combination also reduced the risk of invasive cancer by 61% and the risk of early osteoporosis by 39%.

The effect on biological ageing was the same regardless of gender, age or BMI.

Omega-3 fatty acids are mostly found in oily fish and are important for building and repairing cells, among other things. They can also affect blood pressure regulation, kidney function and the immune system.

In the next step, the researchers plan to include more participants to get a broader sample and study how different lifestyles affect the results.

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