MUST READ: More Reasons to Eat Your Broccoli

Scientists already knew broccoli was loaded with incredible enzymes and compounds like sulforaphane. A new study found phenolic compounds in broccoli may prevent several types of cancer, as well as several other diseases. But as beneficial as broccoli is, sprouting it accelerates the nutrients dramatically.

This post is on Healthwise

July 04, 2016 

Story at-a-glance

• Broccoli is becoming increasingly popular because studies show consuming it may reduce your risk of many debilitating diseases
• Eating broccoli may help reduce lung and prostate cancers due to a powerful compound, sulforaphane, but a new study shows phenolic compounds may prevent several other cancer types, as well as other diseases
• Researchers analyzed broccoli strains for the best phenolic traits and plan to breed Brassica veggies to be infused with mega-doses of phenolic compounds
• Sprouted broccoli contains 30 to 50 times more protective chemicals than regular broccoli. Sunflower seeds, radishes and watercress, with similar phenolic compounds, can also be sprouted

By Dr. Mercola

You already know broccoli is good for you, but recent information from the scientific community has revealed that broccoli, the tasty, tiny tree doppelganger, is even better for you than previously thought.

Scientists already knew broccoli and other Brassica vegetables could protect against cancer.

Sulforaphane, a naturally occurring organic sulfur compound within the isothiocyanate group, has caused cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, or programmed cell death, in colon cancer cells1 and exterminated breast cancer stem cells. Another study explained:

“Epidemiological studies suggest that intake of cruciferous vegetables including broccoli reduces the risks for the induction of certain forms of cancer.

This protective effect has been linked to the presence of glucoraphanin, a glucosinolate precursor of sulforaphane, an isothiocyanate that influences the process of carcinogenesis.”2

The same study referenced some of the ways this takes place, including the inhibition of tumor development, cell growth, proliferation and apoptosis.

In other studies, broccoli has played a part in lowering risk factors in lung cancer,3one of the most common cancer types in the U.S., as well as prostate cancer,4 the most common type of cancer in U.S. men (other than skin cancer), due to its isothiocyanate content. It’s important to know that you have to get these compounds through your diet.

In the newest revelation, scientists at the University of Illinois identified the “candidate” genes that influence phenolic compounds such as flavonoids in broccoli and found that eating them is strongly associated with a lower risk of several other diseases, including asthma, type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease, as well as several cancer types.

Researchers crossed two broccoli strains, analyzed their offshoots and used “quantitative trait locus analysis”5 to find the genes responsible for both the highest phenolic production and the ability to annihilate free radicals.

Significantly, the scientists reported that the more people eat these compounds, the less they tend to contract these and other diseases. According to Jack Juvik, Ph.D., a geneticist at the University of Illinois, in Phys.org:

"Phenolic compounds have good antioxidant activity, and there is increasing evidence that this antioxidant activity affects biochemical pathways affiliated with inflammation in mammals.

We need inflammation because it's a response to disease or damage, but it's also associated with initiation of a number of degenerative diseases. People whose diets consist of a certain level of these compounds will have a lesser risk of contracting these diseases."6

What scientists hope to do with this new information is interesting: they plan to breed broccoli and other vegetables, such as cabbage, cauliflower and kale, and essentially infuse them with “mega-doses” of phenolic compounds. However, as Juvic noted:

"It's going to take awhile. This work is a step in that direction, but is not the final answer. We plan to take the candidate genes we identified here and use them in a breeding program to improve the health benefits of these vegetables.

Meanwhile, we'll have to make sure yield, appearance and taste are maintained as well."7

The Breakdown on Phenolic Compounds in Brassica Vegetables

Regarding phenolic compounds, the term itself is generic to more than 8,000 compounds throughout the plant kingdom. Of all the phytochemicals containing health-promoting and disease-preventing antioxidants, phenolic compounds may be at the top.

Hundreds of studies have revealed their phenomenal effect on cancer and other diseases, especially in terms of inflammation, oxidative stress and toxic load. According to The George Mateljan Foundation,8 a non-profit foundation sharing scientifically proven information about the benefits of healthy eating:

“Any food improving all three of these metabolic problems would be highly likely to lower our risk of cancer. In the case of broccoli, the research is strongest in showing decreased risk of prostate cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer, bladder cancer and ovarian cancer.

We expect that risk of other cancer types will also eventually be shown to undergo reduction from regular consumption of broccoli.”

One of the ways phenolic compounds slow the encroachment of disease is by defending against infection, most dramatically by zapping reactive oxygen species (ROS) linked to serious diseases such as atherosclerosis and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. The most abundant polyphenol and nutritionally beneficial compounds include:

• Flavonoids, including flavonols and anthocyanins, which play a role in UV protection, pigmentation and disease resistance
• Hydroxycinnamic acids, most notable for their significant antioxidant properties,9 and include coumaric, sinapic and ferulic acids

One extensive review published in the journal Molecules noted many of the attributes of flavonoids:

“They have been reported to possess many useful properties for human health, including anti-inflammatory, enzyme inhibition, antimicrobial, antiallergic, vascular and cytotoxic antitumor activity, but the most important action of phenolics is their antioxidant activity.

Flavonoids are involved in a vast array of biological functions. Quercetin, a major representative of the flavonol subclass and which is found at high concentration in broccoli, has received considerable attention.

This flavonoid has displayed the ability to prevent the oxidation of LDL by scavenging free radicals and chelating transition metal ions.”10

Brassica Veggies and Their Incredible Health Benefits

When you eat broccoli and other Brassica vegetables, the flavonoids are taken in and distributed throughout your bloodstream. These nutrients can’t be manufactured in your body; they must be ingested through food.

And because the strength of the compounds dissipates after a few days, you likely need to eat broccoli or some other type of Brassica vegetable at least three or four times a week for continued disease-fighting protection against degenerative disease.

Sometimes called cruciferous vegetables, Brassica veggies, encompassing many common vegetables, contain vitamins C and E and carotenoids, and come in four categories:11

• Brassica oleracea — Kale, collards, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and kohlrabi
• Brassica rapa — Bok choy, Chinese cabbage, turnips, turnip greens and tops, mibuna, komatsuna, broccoleto and yellow sarson
• Brassica napa — Leaf rape, nabicol and rutabaga
• Brassica juncea — Mustard greens

Possibly the first of its kind, another recent broccoli-related study12 that impressed the scientific community showed broccoli in particular has the potential to protect you against fatty liver disease, aka non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or NAFLD.

NAFLD can not only impair your liver function but also may trigger cirrhosis or a liver cancer called hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which has a high mortality rate.

One of the reasons scientists began focusing on liver cancer was because it’s become an epidemic. This is particularly in men, who are five times more likely to develop NAFLD, especially if they’re obese due to eating what’s now known as the Western diet, which is often high in unhealthy fats and sugar.

What Do Sunflower Seeds, Watercress, Radishes and Broccoli Have in Common?

One of the amazing things about plant-based foods is that many of the same nutrients can be found in seemingly unrelated foods. That’s true with sunflower seeds (technically sunflower kernels), radishes, watercress and broccoli.

When they’re sprouted, the flavonoid content and other phenolic compounds quadruple several times over.

In a study of how germinating broccoli, radish, sunflower seeds and mung bean seeds affected their phenolic acids, flavonoids and antioxidants, scientists concluded that germination increased all three in all of the selected seeds, but especially the sunflower and radish seeds.13 That’s pretty impressive, because according to a New York Times article from nearly 20 years ago:14

“Researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore have found that broccoli sprouts, grown in plastic laboratory dishes from ordinary broccoli seeds, contain anywhere from 30 to 50 times the concentration of protective chemicals found in mature broccoli plants.

These chemicals, called isothiocyanates, were already known to be potent stimulators of natural detoxifying enzymes in the body, and are thought to help explain why the consumption of broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage and kale is associated with a lowered risk of contracting cancer.”

Sunflower kernels provide DPPH (α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl) scavenging activity, so they’re an excellent antioxidant, as well. According to another study on radish sprouts:

“Radish sprouts contain significantly greater concentrations of glucosinolates and isothiocyanates than the mature radish taproot and also contained significantly greater concentrations of phenolics.”15

Sprouting Sprouts: A Fun, Easy Superfood You Can Grow Year-Round

The thing about sprouting vegetables is that while it may seem difficult or messy, the fact is it’s really easy and even fun! Maybe the best aspect is that it doesn’t require a garden per se; you can grow broccoli sprouts in a jar or in shallow trays in 14 days, and sometimes much less.

You don’t need a lot of special equipment or even a lot of light, and the small effort it takes provides tasty, raw micronutrients with as much as 100 times more enzymes than you get eating raw mature vegetables and fruits. You may prefer growing them in organic potting soil spread in trays.

Besides the advantages already listed, broccoli sprouts deliver essential fatty acids and fiber, as well as a boost in the bioavailability of minerals and protein. Be sure your sprouts are organic though, so you’re not exposing yourself to harmful chemicals and pesticides. You save money and boost your health in ways you may not even notice. You’re too busy eating!

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/07/04/more-reasons-to-eat-broccoli.aspx

This post is on Healthwise

See also:

1. MUST READ: This vegetable defeats cancer at the genetic level
2. MUST READ: This Vegetable Stalks Aging and Cancer Like a Guard Dog
3. Cabbage - A super alternative to brocolli
4. The secret to staying young is broccoli and cabbage.
5. The Remarkable Health Benefits of Broccoli, and How to Maximize Its Cancer-Fighting Potential
6. Your broccoli doesn’t have much nutritional value if you don’t do this
7. MUST READ: More Reasons to Eat Your Broccoli
8. 10 Health Benefits of Brocolli

Can a Pill Offer the Same Benefits as Broccoli?

A cancer-fighting "broccoli pill" is undergoing testing and may soon be brought to the market. The pill, which is being suggested as a treatment for brain hemorrhage, cancer, and arthritis, claims to offer the equivalent of eating 5.5 pounds of broccoli a day.

May 18, 2015

Story at-a-glance

• The so-called “broccoli pill” (Sulforadex) consists of a stabilized, synthetic form of sulforaphane
• Sulforaphane may help to lower the risk of cancer, slow cancer growth and stop its spread
• One of the best ways to maximize sulforaphane in broccoli is to steam it lightly for three to four minutes until it’s tough-tender
• Broccoli sprouts also offer a particularly concentrated source of phytochemicals, including sulforaphane

By Dr. Mercola

One of broccoli's claims to fame is sulforaphane, an organic sulfur compound found in cruciferous vegetables, including not only broccoli but also Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, horseradish, and arugula. Broccoli sprouts are actually the richest source.

Sulforaphane has been shown to have antimicrobial properties, and it also kills cancer stem cells, which slows tumor growth. This sulfur compound also normalizes DNA methylation, which plays a role in a number of diseases, including hypertension, kidney function, gut health, and cancer.

Sulforaphane also increases enzymes in your liver that help destroy cancer-causing chemicals you may consume or be exposed to in your environment. This compound has even been called "one of the most powerful anticarcinogens found in food."1

Hoping to cash in on some of these valuable properties, researchers have succeeded in putting sulforaphane into a pill… but is it as good for you as eating real broccoli?

Sulforaphane Pill a 'Game Changer' in the War Against Cancer?

Drug company Evgen has developed the so-called "broccoli pill" (Sulforadex), which consists of a stabilized form of sulforaphane. Ordinarily, sulforaphane is highly unstable and must be kept at minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

Evgen reportedly stabilized the compound in a way that protects its efficacy, and says to get the benefits that the pill provides you'd need to eat about 5.5 pounds of broccoli a day.

Sulforadex has already found to lower the risk of cancer, slow cancer growth, and stop its spread in animal studies, and it has been tested on 47 volunteers with promising results.2 Additional clinical trials are in the works with the hope the pill will work to treat brain hemorrhage and breast and prostate cancers.Tech Times reported:3

"Results of the clinical trials will be reported in 2016. Should the brain hemorrhage clinical trial be successful, Evgen can acquire early approval from regulators because it tackles reducing cognitive impairment, classified as a rare disease in the US and the European Union, allowing for some rules to be bypassed."

Dr. Stephen Franklin, chief executive of Evgen, told the Express:4

"I think it [Sulforadex] could be a game changer. The big step forward in cancer treatment will be when we can stop metastatic disease and stop the disease coming back… Because sulforaphane kills both cancer cells and cancer stem cells which drive that metastatic disease, we believe it represents the next major step in cancer therapy."

In addition to its cancer potential, Evgen is also testing the drug, which is essentially a synthetic version of sulforaphane, for joint pain, including arthritis, as sulforaphane is known to block inflammation and damage to joint cartilage.5

Is It Possible to Get High Levels of Sulforaphane from Eating Broccoli?

Sulforaphane is formed when you chop or chew broccoli (this combines its precursor glucoraphanin and the enzyme myrosinase). Once swallowed, your gut bacteria may then help to release some of broccoli's sulforaphane so your body can benefit, but it's a tricky proposition because sulforaphane is attached to a sugar molecule with a sulfur bond. As reported by Science Daily:6

"When the broccoli enzyme breaks off the sugar to release the sulforaphane, a sulfur-grabbing protein can remove the newly exposed sulfur on the sulforaphane and inactivate it."

Researchers have found that one of the best ways to maximize sulforaphane your body can use is to heat the broccoli for 10 minutes at 140 degrees Fahrenheit (or steam it lightly for three to four minutes until it's tough-tender).7

This was just enough heat to kill the epithiospecifier protein, which was "grabbing the sulfur" and "greatly depleting the amount of sulforaphane in a serving of broccoli."8

Frozen Broccoli May Not Contain Sulforaphane

Adding to the complexity, while frozen vegetables are often touted as nutritionally similar to fresh, when researchers tested frozen broccoli, they found it notably lacking in the ability to produce sulforaphane. They wrote in theJournal of Food Science:9

"…several commercially available frozen broccoli products do not retain the ability to generate the cancer-preventative agent sulforaphane. We hypothesized that this was because the necessary hydrolyzing enzyme myrosinase was destroyed during blanching, as part of the processing that frozen broccoli undergoes."

A follow-up study revealed that if food processors lowered the blanching temperature to 76 degrees Celsius instead of 86 degrees Celsius, the enzyme myrosinase was preserved, along with the broccoli's ability to produce beneficial sulforaphane.10

Another option was to combine the broccoli with 0.25 percent daikon radish, which is another natural source of myrosinase. Using this trick, the frozen broccoli formed sulforaphane and there was no distinguishable change to taste or appearance. Edward B. Dosz, a graduate student who worked on the study, told Science Daily:11

"That means that companies can blanch and freeze broccoli, sprinkle it with a minute amount of radish, and sell a product that has the cancer-fighting component that it lacked before."

It's unclear at this time how many companies have put this advice into practice. If you purchase frozen broccoli often, it'd be worth a call to the manufacturer to find out.

The 'Other' Broccoli Pill: Diindolylmethane (DIM)

Another notable phytochemical in broccoli is diindolylmethane, or DIM. Your body produces DIM when it breaks down cruciferous vegetables. Like many other broccoli compounds, DIM has shown multiple potential benefits, including boosting your immune system and helping to prevent or treat cancer. As SF Gate reported:12

"The compound causes normal cells to increase their production of enzymes that help your body eliminate toxins and potential carcinogenic compounds, potentially lowering your risk of disease.

The [Linus Pauling] Institute also says that DIM might stop growth of cancer cells by stimulating them to undergo a process that leads to their death. It may also inhibit cancer cells from invading normal tissue and could halt the growth of new blood vessels needed by cancerous tumors.

In addition, experts at the University of California at Berkeley report that DIM stimulates your immune system to destroy bacteria and viruses, and to detect and destroy malignant cells."

The research on DIM is promising. One study of postmenopausal women with a history of breast cancer found taking a DIM supplement for 30 days resulted in changes in estrogen metabolism that suggest a decreased risk of cancer recurrence.13 Further, as noted in the Journal of Biomedical Research:14

"In vitro studies have found that DIM has anti-proliferative and anti-cancer activities in various cancer cells including prostate, breast, endometrial, colorectal and pancreatic cancers, and leukemic cells."

Is it possible to get DIM via your diet? Yes, as mentioned DIM is found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. However, you'd need to eat a lot of them – at least two pounds a day – to get the recommended amount.15

Broccoli Sprouts Offer a More Concentrated Source of Nutrients

It's virtually always better to get your nutrients from foods as opposed to supplements, but there are cases when it's impractical, or nearly impossible, to achieve therapeutic doses from food alone.

In the case of sulforaphane and DIM, you can get meaningful amounts from eating broccoli, which will also provide you with synergistic phytochemicals. However, it may be difficult to eat enough broccoli to consistently reach therapeutic doses.

One alternative is to eat broccoli sprouts. Fresh broccoli sprouts are FAR more potent than whole broccoli, allowing you to eat far less in terms of quantity. For example, tests have revealed that three-day-old broccoli sprouts consistently contain anywhere from 10-100 times the amount of glucoraphanin -- the precursor to sulforaphane -- found in mature broccoli.16

Perhaps better still, research showed that broccoli sprouts enhanced the absorption of sulforaphane when consumed along with a broccoli powder, and broccoli sprouts alone had the highest absorption rate of all (74 percent).17 Although broccoli sprouts contain the highest amounts of broccoli phytochemicals like isothiocyanates, other cruciferous vegetables also contain this anti-cancer compound, including watercress. This often-overlooked leafy green is a close cousin to mustard greens, cabbage, and arugula.

When phytochemicals like sulforaphane are excluded from the equation, watercress may actually be the most nutrient-dense vegetable out there—scoring higher on nutrient density scores than both broccoli and sunflower sprouts.

Previous studies have also found that a compound called phenylethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) in watercress may suppress breast cancer cell development and prevent DNA damage in cells—just like broccoli sprouts. So it’s a good idea to include a variety of sprouts in your diet, and, if you don’t enjoy the flavor of one, swap it out for one that you do.

Sprouts Are Incredibly Easy to Grow at Home

If you want to have your own ready supply of cancer-fighting nutrients, learn to grow sprouts. Growing your own sprouts is quite easy, and you don't need a whole lot of space either; they can even be grown indoors. Sprouts may be small, but they are packed with nutrition, including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and enzymes that help protect against free radical damage.

Two of my personal favorites are sunflower seed and pea shoots—both of which are typically about 30 times more nutritious than organic vegetables. They're also among the highest in protein.

In addition, sunflower seeds contain healthy fats, essential fatty acids, and fiber—all of which are important for optimal health. Of course, you can also grow broccoli sprouts, as these are phenomenal too. I used Ball jars when I first started sprouting seeds about 25 years ago, but I've since switched over to growing them in potting soil. With Ball jars you need to rinse them several times a day to prevent mold growth and it is a hassle to have them draining in the sink, taking up space.

Moreover, you need dozens of jars to produce the same amount of sprouts as just one flat tray. I didn't have the time or patience for that, and you may not either. The choice is yours though. You can easily grow sprouts  with or without soil. My Sprout Doctor Starter Kit comes with what I consider to be three of the best sprouts to grow – sunflower, broccoli  and pea shoots. When grown in soil, you can harvest your sprouts in about a week, and a pound of seeds will probably produce over 10 pounds of sprouts.

Sunflower sprouts will give you the most volume for your effort and, in my opinion, have the best taste. In one 10x10 tray, you can harvest between one and two pounds of sunflower sprouts, which will last you about three days. You can store them in the fridge for about a week. Broccoli sprouts look and taste similar to alfalfa sprouts, which most people like. They're perfect for adding to salads, either in addition to or in lieu of salad greens, and sandwiches and are especially tasty in combination with fresh avocado.

You can also add them to your vegetable juice or smoothies. I've partnered with a company in a small town in Vermont that develops, breeds, and grows their own seeds, and is an industry leader in seed safety for sprouts and shoots. All of my seeds are non-GMO, certified organic, and packed with nutrition. My starter kit makes it easy to grow your own sprouts in the comfort of your home, whenever you want. It provides everything you need, so all you have to do is grow and enjoy your sprouts.

The sulforaphane pill sounds promising, but as a synthetic version it may succumb to the pitfalls of other synthetic nutrient reproductions, which tend to not quite match up to the original (and sometimes have unintended side effects). For now, the best way to flood your body with the cancer-fighting and immune-boosting powers of broccoli is to eat it fresh as often as you like – both in mature form and, even better, sprouted.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/05/18/broccoli-sulforaphane-pill.aspx

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