Sprouts vs. Microgreens: The Science
Sprouts vs. Microgreens
We grow both, and we name them separately on every pack, because the research says they are not interchangeable. One peer-reviewed analysis measured eight sprouts and five microgreens side by side. Here is what it found.
The study
Thirteen young greens — eight sprouts and five microgreens — analyzed for polyphenols, vitamin C, carotenoids, chlorophylls, amino acids, organic acids, sugars, ash and pectins, plus antioxidant capacity and in vitro enzyme activity.
Lab analysisWojdyło et al., Molecules, 2020;25(20):4648 · View study
Sprouts tested: radish, lentil, black medick, broccoli, sunflower, leek, beetroot, mung bean. Microgreens tested: kale, radish, beetroot, green peas, amaranth.
Keep in mind: one harvest under one set of growing conditions. Values shift with variety, light, substrate and harvest day.
What the research shows
Sprouts carried more total polyphenols than microgreens — 26.7 to 191.1 mg per 100 g fresh weight, against 23.3 to 132.9 mg in microgreens. Broccoli sprouts were highest of all thirteen.
Lab analysisWojdyło et al., Molecules, 2020 · View study
Broccoli and radish sprouts held the most vitamin C — 114.0 and 94.0 mg per 100 g fresh weight. Every microgreen tested came in below 32 mg.
Lab analysisWojdyło et al., Molecules, 2020 · View study
Microgreens carried far more carotenoids and chlorophylls. Carotenoids ran 1510.1 to 4073.5 µg/g fresh weight in microgreens against 22.5 to 948.8 µg/g in sprouts; chlorophylls 195.6 to 638.5 µg/g against 6.0 to 108.5 µg/g.
Lab analysisWojdyło et al., Molecules, 2020 · View study
Carotenoids and chlorophylls are the pigment compounds that build up once a seedling opens its leaves to light — which is what separates a microgreen from a sprout.
Sprouts were the better source of free amino acids, pectins and sugars. No sugars were detected in the microgreens at all.
Lab analysisWojdyło et al., Molecules, 2020 · View study
Across all three antioxidant assays used — ABTS, FRAP and ORAC — sprouts measured higher than microgreens, which the authors attribute to their higher polyphenol and vitamin C content.
Lab analysisWojdyło et al., Molecules, 2020 · View study
Keep in mind: these are chemical assays of a plant extract. They measure antioxidant capacity in a tube, not an effect in the body.
In test-tube assays, microgreens inhibited the carbohydrate-digesting enzymes α-amylase and α-glucosidase, and the cholinesterase enzymes, more strongly than sprouts did.
In vitro onlyWojdyło et al., Molecules, 2020 · View study
Keep in mind: this is enzyme inhibition in a test tube. It is not a blood-sugar, body-weight or memory result in people, and we do not present it as one.
The authors named broccoli, radish and lentil sprouts, and radish, amaranth and kale microgreens, as the strongest candidates for daily use as functional foods.
Lab analysisWojdyło et al., Molecules, 2020 · View study
Keep in mind: the paper gives no serving size or daily amount.
Reported values, side by side
| Measure | Sprouts | Microgreens |
|---|---|---|
| Total polyphenols (mg/100 g fw) | 26.7–191.1 · broccoli highest | 23.3–132.9 · amaranth highest |
| Vitamin C, L-ascorbic acid (mg/100 g fw) | up to 114.0 broccoli, 94.0 radish | all below 32 |
| Carotenoids (µg/g fw) | 22.5–948.8 · radish highest | 1510.1–4073.5 · amaranth highest |
| Chlorophylls (µg/g fw) | 6.0–108.5 | 195.6–638.5 |
| Antioxidant capacity (ABTS, FRAP, ORAC) | Higher | Lower |
| Free amino acids, pectins, sugars | Higher | Lower · no sugars detected |
| In vitro enzyme inhibition | Lower | Higher |
Values as reported by the study, on a fresh-weight basis. fw = fresh weight.
What this study does not show
It does not compare either form to the mature vegetable.
Every value here is sprout against microgreen. Figures comparing young greens to full-grown produce come from other research, not from this paper.
It does not show a health outcome in people.
This is a compositional and in vitro study. It establishes what is in these greens and how plant extracts behave in laboratory assays. It does not test what happens when someone eats them.
It does not cover every crop we grow.
Broccoli and sunflower appear here only as sprouts. Pea appears only as a microgreen. Alfalfa was not tested — the study used black medick (Medicago lupulina), a different species in the same family. Our crop-by-crop pages carry the research specific to each one.
Why we grow both
Sprouts lead on polyphenols, vitamin C, free amino acids and overall antioxidant capacity. Microgreens lead on carotenoids and chlorophylls, and carried no detectable sugars. Neither form substitutes for the other, and growing only one leaves a measurable gap on the plate. That is why every pack we sell names the crop and its form rather than calling everything a microgreen.