Most people will agree that the best way to maintain good health is with a nutritious well-balanced diet. This means eating generous portions of vegetables. Are some vegetables better for us than others? It seems this is so. A group of vegetables, known as cruciferous, appear to be getting some good press.
Sulforaphane is a potent anti-aging, cancer-fighting, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory compound. You get sulforaphane from eating uncooked vegetables from the cruciferous family. This includes, cauliflower, cabbage, bok choy, wasabi, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli.
The Best Bang for Your Buck
The best dietary source of Sulforaphane is broccoli sprouts. Broccoli sprouts contain 100x more Sulforaphane than mature broccoli.
Sulforaphane is not present in plants in their whole state. The production of Sulforaphane is part of the plant’s natural defence system to ward off insects. It only gets formed once you break the plant tissue. When we ingest it, it is really good for us. You can break a plant’s tissue when you cut, chop, chew, juice, blend, crush or freeze it. When you cook or steam cruciferous vegetables you deactivate their potential to create Sulforaphane.
You can increase the potency of your broccoli sprouts by up to 2x if you freeze them as the Sulforaphane has a longer time to form.
Cruciferous vegetables should never be heated over 70 degrees as it destroys their ability to produce sulforaphane. However, heating up to 70 degrees can improve the amount of Sulforaphane created. If you have a dehydrator with temperature control you can dry pre-frozen crushed sprouts at a low temperate for the maximum benefits.
4 steps for maximum sulforaphane production from broccoli sprouts:
- Grow
- Freeze
- Crush
- Dehydrate
What does Sulforaphane actually do?
After drinking juice in the morning made with one cup of previously frozen broccoli sprouts you will feel as though your mood is uplifted.
You will feel happier, energized and more upbeat, similar to the effects of having a cup of coffee. Sulforaphane decreases inflammation and oxidation in our bodies, including our brains. Therefore it helps to clear brain fog making us feel more alert. We will feel an overall increase of well being, more energetic and joint pain will be alleviated which in turn encourages a wider range of motion and easier physical activity.
In a nutshell. Just one cup of sprouts every morning will make us feel happy and give us energy. When we are happy and have more energy we are more active. When we are more active we partake in a more fulfilling lifestyle. With the cobwebs cleared from our brains and energy to spare, we are more likely to want to delve into new experiences, new hobbies, new areas of study and we will have the clarity and motivation to do this.
All this is on a personal day to day level. Sulforaphane has been proving itself to be very effective in the field of medicine.
A Natural Alternative for Health Issues
Clinical human studies conducted at John Hopkins University have shown that just 30mg of Sulforaphane daily decreased inflammation and oxidation in patients with Autism improving their Autistic scores by more than 30% after 30 days. Positive results have also been shown with individuals that suffer from Schizophrenia where inflammation and oxidation also play a factor.
In animal studies, mice that have been exposed to stressful conditions resulting in a depressed state were given both Prozac and Sulforaphane. The Sulforaphane proved to be equally as effective as the Prozac in elevating mood.
Turn on Your Genes with Nrf2
Studies have shown it has a very profound effect on inflammation as it switches on the nrf2 pathway in our body that controls over 200 genes. Nrf2 is involved in delaying aging by lowering different inflammatory genes, activating anti-inflammatory genes, and lowering oxidative stress. It also activates glutathione enzymes that fight against compounds we are exposed to daily like airborne carcinogens such as benzene. Smokers, in particular, have very high levels of benzines in their system.
Long-term exposure to benzene:
- lowers red blood cell count causing anemia.
- causes damage to bone marrow.
- can cause excessive bleeding.
- effects the immune system increasing the risk of infection.
- causes leukemia.
A test group was given 40mg of Sulforaphane in the form of a broccoli drink. In one day they excreted via their urine 61% of the benzene from their system.
Other Health Benefits
Men with prostate cancer who were given 60mg sulforaphane every day for 1 month found the cancer doubling rate slowed by 86%
Inflammation has been shown as a key identifier of aging. Taking Sulforaphane has been shown to lower inflammatory markers in people by 20%.
It is beneficial for cardiovascular health.
It lowers blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetics by 20%.
It reduces brain swelling in patients that have suffered from brain injury by 50%.
Where do I get Brocolli Sprouts?
You can buy broccoli sprouts already sprouted at your local grocery store but these are very prone to bacterial contamination, the longer they sit on the shelf the higher the risk. Not to mention they are far more expensive than sprouting your own. Appx $5 for a small package, you can buy an entire pound of seeds for $20 that will give you fresh sprouts every day for about a month.
Since freezing the sprouts makes them better you can make them in advance and freeze them to avoid bacteria growth during storage. If you are the type of person that travels a lot and can not tend to your sprout growing every day this is a good way to get ahead of the game and have them on hand every single day.
Sprouting takes 4 -5 days. It can be done in mason jars with tiny holes in the lids that let the water drain out but are too small for the seed to escape.
Soak the seeds for 6 hours pour the water out, wait for them to start sprouting and continue rinsing a couple times a day until you are sprouted and ready to freeze.
Leave the jars tilted upsidedown on an angle so the seeds are never sitting in water which can cause bacteria to form.
Be sure your countertops, jars, hands, and everything that comes near the sprouts is always kept clean to avoid contamination.
Enjoy! Not only are broccoli sprouts a powerhouse of nutrition, they are also a tasty treat.
Resources:
Sulforaphane produces antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like effects in adult mice
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166432815303399
A phase II study of sulforaphane-rich broccoli sprout extracts in men with recurrent prostate cancer
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4390425/
Inhibition of bladder cancer by broccoli isothiocyanates sulforaphane and erucin: characterization, metabolism, and interconversion.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23038615
Crucifers and related vegetables and supplements for neurologic disorders: what is the evidence?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30199394
Joe Rogan & Dr Rhonda Patrick on the amazing benefits of Sulforaphane & Broccoli Sprouts
Dr Rhonda Patrick: How To Increase Sulforaphane in Broccoli Sprouts by ~3.5-fold
