Alfalfa, oat grass, and broccoli may be uniquely delicious greens, but there’s something they all share – superfood status. All three are nutritious and packed full of essential compounds our bodies need. But do they all live up to the label?
The power of complementary benefits
The short answer: absolutely.
Broccoli sprouts and alfalfa look similar and share many of the same benefits. Oat grass is part of the cereal family, so it's the furthest from both, but its different compounds are just as healthy. In fact, it's this variation that helps all three supercharge your wellness.
All three offer benefits that work together to maximize your overall health and improve key functions. They’re worth discussing on their own, but the best diets don’t just rely on one food; they’re built around balanced nutrition.
Here’s what each of these superfoods adds to a high-performance wellness plan.
Alfalfa
While it’s a part of the legume family, some botanists also categorize alfalfa as a herb. In either group, the nutrient content in its seeds, leaves, and sprouts stands out. It’s benefited humans for centuries, as food and as a medicinal agent.
A cup of alfalfa contains roughly 8% of your recommended daily intake (RDI) of Vitamin K. This is the most important vitamin for healthy hair and strong bone development. It supports everything from calcium absorption to blood clotting.
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Cardiovascular health
It’s particularly good for blood–related health thanks to its ability to reduce LDL cholesterol levels. This is largely thanks to alfalfa’s high saponin content. Saponins play a key role in reducing the damage of metabolic syndrome (MetS).
Symptoms of MetS include insulin resistance, higher blood sugar levels, and obesity – all risk factors linked to heart disease. Saponin gives alfalfa its antidiabetic properties, which help improve cardiovascular health.
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Antioxidants
Its also a great source of antioxidants – the compounds responsible for protecting cells from oxidative stress. This stress is the result of too many free radicals in the body, which increases the reactions that damage cells and DNA.
Because oxidative stress triggers the body’s immune responses, antioxidants play an equally important role as an anti-inflammatory. When cells are damaged, reducing inflammation aids recovery by improving blood flow to the affected area. This can also help reduce the pain of swelling while lowering the risk of chronic inflammation.
Oat Grass
Oat grass shares a family with powerful cereals like wheatgrass and barely. It’s tasty as a fresh green and a nutritious smoothie ingredient. One of the most popular ways to consume it, though, is as an extract.
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Cognitive function
Oat grass extract provides all the benefits in concentrated form. While we usually add cereals to our diets for fiber and energy, oat grass continues to be studied for its mental benefits too. It contains bioactive compounds like flavonoids, which improve cognitive responses while slowing the signs of mental aging.
This has a dual–effect on our cognitive functions. On one hand, it helps us think clearer and focus day to day. On the other, it delays memory decline for a better quality of life long-term. So oat grass is great when you need a mental boost to get through a busy schedule, and later in life when other priorities take over.
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Mood booster
An extract is usually the final form of any plant, but oat grass may be just as good for you at the beginning stages of its life. Oat seed shows promising signs as a mood booster and natural supplement for lowering stress levels.
It may be early, but researchers are looking at oat seed’s potential to aid with mental health support. Specifically, it could block an enzyme that raises anxiety and depression, making the symptoms more pronounced.
This could improve our ability to cope with chronic mood disorders. Even if the results are limited, oat grass’ ability to improve brain function and lower stress is just as good for mental wellbeing.
Broccoli
Finally, we have the most popular of the three superfoods. Broccoli is more than a versatile dinner–time green. Its nutrient-dense but low in calories, and high in both fiber and water content. So not only do you get the health-boosting compounds – it’s still gentle on the digestive system.
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Highly nutritious
Broccoli is an excellent source of micronutrients like Vitamin C, K1, B9, Potassium, and iron.
Minerals like iron support the production of red blood cells. Iron helps these cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body, and carbon dioxide back the other way. Potassium supports the cardiovascular system by lowering blood pressure and the risk of heart disease.
Vitamins work together as immune boosters and anti-inflammatories but have unique roles too. Vitamin C protects skin cells from oxidative damage and boosts collagen production. Vitamin K1 is crucial for bone health and calcium management, while B9 helps maintain normal cell functions.
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Eye health
You may have heard that carrots are good for your eyes, but broccoli is too. Rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, it helps lower the risk of eye disorders. These carotenoids, the same ones found in carrots, are particularly effective against age-related eye damage.
The beta-carotene in broccoli can also be converted to Vitamin A, also known as retinol. This helps supplement a key nutrient while lowering the chances of Vitamin A deficiency. So while broccoli and carrots won’t help you see in the dark, both ensure that your eyes remain healthy for as long as possible.
Wellness and nutrition are holistic
From the heart to the brain and eyes, these three superfoods contribute to our mental wellbeing and physical capacity. They help us stay aware of our surroundings, perform complex tasks, and protect our bodies from rapid decline. As good as they are on their own, they work best together.
Add them to the 20 other fruits and vegetables in Nature’s Sustenance and you have a supplement that helps you perform at your best. Each green in our 100% plant-based supplement ensures that you have the fuel to supercharge every day.