Most of us have been touched by cancer in some way, whether yourself or a loved one has been affected, a cancer diagnosis can be a devastating battle. To all those in our Hamama community who have been touched by cancer, we stand with you.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to raise awareness in fighting this disease. Breast cancer affects 1 in 8 women² and less than one percent of men⁹ in the United States.

“In 2020, an estimated 276,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in the U.S. as well as 48,530 new cases on non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer.”

- National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.

1. Breast cancer is the most common cancer for women across the world according to the World Health Organization¹.
2. An estimated 42,170 women² will die from cancer in the U.S. this year.
3. 1 in 8 women² in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime.
4. There are over 3.5 million breast cancer survivors² in the United States
5. Every 2 minutes² a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States.

Studies around a specific compound, called sulforaphane, which is found in certain microgreens, has been shown to reduce the risk of common cancers³. Microgreens in the Brassicaceae family contain compounds that may protect against cancer.⁴ Brassica⁵ vegetables are also known as cruciferous - such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage, and mustard plants. Brassica greens have been associated with a reduced risk of breast³ and other cancers. Sulforaphane was shown to have some anticancer effects⁶ against prostate, breast, and urinary cancers in preclinical studies, but more research is still needed in this area. Sprouted broccoli seeds were shown to have an abundance of this compound⁷.

A 2012 study⁸ conducted by the University of Maryland and the United States Department of Agriculture looked at 25 different kinds of microgreens. The results were that they found 4 to 40 times higher amounts of beneficial nutrients in microgreens - including cruciferous veggies - when compared to mature plants. For example, red cabbage microgreens had 40 times more vitamin E and six times more ascorbic acid than regular cabbage.

We look forward to more in-depth studies on how microgreens can play a significant role in contributing to health and wellness in all areas and encourage you to explore the scientific literature! 

American Cancer Society

American Breast Cancer Support Association

Cancer Care

National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.

CDC

Interested in growing your own broccoli, cabbage and other delicious & nutritious microgreens? Get your Hamama Starter Kit and begin your journey of growing fresh, healthy homegrown greens.

1. World Health Organization
2. National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.
3. NCBI
4. Journal of Food Science
5. Merriam Webster
6. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
7. Johns Hopkins Medicine
8. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
9. Susan G. Komen