|
Broccoli and
Cruciferous Sprouts
We now know that the
majority of cancers are avoidable. In the
15-20 year window preceding a cancer
diagnosis, there are dietary and lifestyle
changes we can make that will interrupt or
reverse pre-cancerous conditions. Of these,
the consumption of cruciferous vegetable
sprouts may be one of the most powerful. The
sprouts of cruciferous vegetables contain a
multitude of beneficial phytonutrients. Much
recent scientific research has focused on
one particular group of these phytonutrients
called glucosinolates. Over 80 studies have
found that glucosinolates help to both
eliminate carcinogenic toxins in the body
and encourage the self-destruction of
pre-cancerous cells. We also know from
research that consuming the full-spectrum of
glucosinolates and phytonutrients found in
whole foods provides the greatest
protection. However, regular consumption of
cruciferous vegetable sprouts is challenging
for most people. Fortunately, there are
sprouted cruciferous products that capture
the benefits of fresh sprouts in capsule
form. Choice products should utilize
heirloom seeds that are sprouted in a
sunlight-filled, nutrient-dense environment
to yield superior potencies of naturally
occurring phytonutrients, including the
glucosinolates. These products should also
use production methods that protect the
precious phytonutrients from destruction
during processing.
Cancer research has
clearly shown us that, without question, the
most effective cure is prevention. It is
infinitely easier to interrupt and reverse
pre-cancerous conditions than it is to cure
full-blown diagnosable cancer. Happily,
interruption may actually be easier to
accomplish than one might believe.
Pre-cancerous conditions often exist in the
body for as long as 15-20 years before they
become a diagnosable cancer. Furthermore,
current research now estimates that as many
as 80% of cancers are avoidable—they could
be interrupted in that 15-20 year window!
That is a staggering number and clearly
describes the power of prevention. This year
alone, 1.2 million people will be diagnosed
with some form of cancer and, according to
statistics, 960,000 of those malignancies
could have been avoided.
Many of us are in the 15-20 year window
right now and don’t recognize it. The common
symptoms of malaise, lack of energy and
nagging health discomforts that we tend to
accept as normal, are often the result of a
system overwhelmed by toxic influences.
Fifty or one hundred years ago, our exposure
to chemicals was very limited. They simply
were not part of our daily lives. Today,
however, current estimates reveal that we
are regularly exposed to as many as five
thousand chemicals a day! They are in our
food, our water, our air, our soil, our
homes, our yards, our clothing, our
furnishings, our automobiles, our
workplaces—they are everywhere! This
represents an enormous environmental
challenge, one to which our bodies have not
had time to evolutionarily adapt. To make
matters worse, these chemicals are often
mixed together, and the combined effect of
this chemical cocktail is incredibly potent.
As these chemicals enter the body and come
into contact with our cells, many of them
damage the DNA. Because cellular DNA is
responsible for cell reproduction, this is
extremely significant. DNA damage sets the
stage for cancer. Obviously, along with
reducing our chemical exposure, it is
essential to clear these dangerous chemicals
from our bodies as rapidly as possible, and
our bodies work furiously to do just that.
Sadly, in today’s work, it is an
extraordinary and overwhelming task as more
and more of our energy reserves are depleted
in an often futile effort to keep up with an
increasing chemical toxicity. Thus, many of
us experience diminished energy or
uncomfortable symptoms of dis-ease. If our
systems are unsuccessful in their attempt
and cellular damage occurs, our bodies must
then be able to efficiently destroy the
damaged cells. This process further taxes
our energy and nutrient resources.
Assisting our body to rid itself of
carcinogenic toxins and damaged cells can
help to interrupt the development of cancer.
Fortunately, simple diet and lifestyle
changes are powerful tools in the
interruption arsenal. It is worth repeating
that fresh fruit and vegetables,
particularly cruciferous vegetables, bestow
many health advantages. By now, almost
everyone knows the benefits of eating the
cruciferous vegetables (i.e., broccoli,
cauliflower, cabbage, kale, mustard greens,
Brussels sprouts, and daikon radish).
Interest in these commonly known vegetables
surged when it was discovered their
phytonutrients help to protect us from
certain kinds of cancer. For people who love
cruciferous vegetables and could easily eat
them without intestinal distress, this was
good news indeed. For millions of others,
however, it created a conflict—force down
food you don’t like or forego all those
wonderful cancer fighting allies.
Unfortunately, as the research continued,
commitment to regular consumption began to
wane when scientists determined that to
enjoy the cancer-fighting benefits of these
vegetables, one had to consume a minimum of
two pounds a week. That’s a lot of cabbage,
particularly if you don’t like it! Further
research confirmed that even two pounds a
week might not be enough. As is true of all
nutrients, the phytonutrient levels in
mature cruciferous vegetables vary
significantly, 20-50 times, depending upon
their variety, growing conditions, and
freshness. Even more discouraging, it is not
possible to identify phytonutrient-rich
vegetables by sight. Then came a bright ray
of hope—scientific studies of cruciferous
vegetables had continued with exciting and
surprising results. Scientists found that
the original, full concentration of one
particular group of phytonutrients, called
glucosinolates, are present within the
sprouted seedlings of these vegetables. As
the sprouts mature, the concentration
spreads throughout the entire plant.
Research confirmed that one ounce of
three-day old sprouts contain as many
glucosinolates as two pounds of the mature
vegetable! For people desiring to increase
their consumption of phytonutrients, this
was thrilling information.
What are the phytonutrients in cruciferous
sprouts and why are they so useful?
Cruciferous sprouts contain many potent
phytonutrients and the glucosinolate
compounds, in particular, have attracted
recent attention. In the body,
glucosinolates break down into numerous
other compounds such as indoles and
isothiocyanates. Of these isothiocyanates,
sulforaphane and sinigrin are most commonly
known. Over 80 scientific studies have
documented the powerful protection
glucosinolates offer from chemically induced
cancers, particularly cancers of the lung,
colon, stomach, liver and breasts.
Although both sulforaphane and sinigrin are
isothiocyanates, their action in the body
differs somewhat. Studies have shown that
sulforaphane promotes the activity of phase
II detoxification enzymes in the liver
responsible for clearing carcinogenic
chemicals from the body. Anything that
promotes their activity also increases the
detoxification and excretion of carcinogens
from the body.* As a result, there is less
opportunity for the carcinogens to interact
with the individual cells and damage their
DNA. Sinigrin, like sulforaphane, stimulates
phase II enzymes and it also stimulates
apoptosis. Apoptosis is a natural process
during which cells in the body, whose DNA
has already become damaged by a carcinogen,
self-destruct.
From this information, one may hope to skip
cruciferous sprouts altogether and simply
consume an isolated isothiocyanate or
sulforaphane supplement. Although this would
seem to make logical sense, it is not a
viable solution. The body utilizes
glucosinolates in the small intestine. If we
imagine, for a moment, that individual
glucosinolates are individual snowflakes, it
becomes easier to understand. Attempting to
transfer a single snowflake from one hand to
another is an impossibility. The snowflake
will disintegrate before it reaches the
opposite hand. However, if we compress many
snowflakes together and create a snowball,
delivery is simple and accurate. Such is the
case with glucosinolates. Individually they
are fragile and cannot survive the trip to
the small intestines. Packaged together, as
they are in a whole food, the trip is easily
accomplished.
Moreover, it is imperative to remember that
isothiocyanates, such as sulforaphane and
sinigrin, are just two members in a whole
family of glucosinolate compounds. Research
has shown that the other members are equally
as important and beneficial to our health,
and they all offer slightly different
benefits. When scientists study a food, they
isolate its component molecules and examine
their effects separately. While this
reductionist approach may be useful in
determining why a particular food is
beneficial, it has the unfortunate side
effect of leading people to believe that one
or two isolated component parts define the
value of the food. This is simply not the
case.
Food in its natural state is amazingly
intricate and there remains much we don’t
understand about the synergy and
interactions among the chemical compounds
present in one unique food. For example,
broccoli contains over 80 different known
chemical components. Its health enhancing
properties are not defined by just one or
two of these isolated components; but rather
by the complex web of interaction between
these 80 different compounds. These
components support and strengthen one
another. This complex web of interaction is
nature’s way of providing checks and
balances—the presence of all the
phytonutrient compounds increases both their
efficacy and safety. Thus, consuming the
full-spectrum of phytonutrients, including
glucosinolates, in the same proportion found
in nature, will ultimately be of much
greater value.
Herein lies the value of cruciferous
vegetable sprouts. The unique components of
cruciferous sprouts assist the body in
clearing offending chemicals while at the
same time encouraging the self-destruction
of damaged cells. More importantly, they
provide these components in their natural
state. The glucosinolates safely pass
through the stomach and are delivered,
intact, to the small intestines accompanied
by all the corresponding co-nutrients found
in the sprouts. When we consume
glucosinolates as they exist in whole food,
we automatically receive them in the balance
and proportion nature intended. Given the
toxic world in which we all now reside,
cruciferous sprouts may offer powerful
protection during the 15-20 year period,
preceding the formation of a diagnosable
cancer.* As the body is better able to rid
itself of toxins, efficiently and
effectively, overall energy and wellness may
also improve.
Because sprouts can be challenging to grow
and the taste of cruciferous sprouts may be
unappetizing, several companies have
developed cruciferous vegetable products.
Although they may appear similar, there are
significant differences. Some of these
products are not sprouts but rather an
extract of the mature vegetables. A 100%
sprouted product that contains a
full-spectrum of glucosinolates will provide
powerful phytonutrients in a safe form your
body can most easily recognize and embrace.
Among the products that are truly sprouted,
the quality varies wildly, as does the
potency. Sprouts are a living food and they
must be carefully grown and processed to
preserve the integrity of the fresh sprouts
and enhance the potency of their
full-spectrum glucosinolates. Heirloom seeds
that have been open-air pollinated and
nurtured in natural sunlight and pure air,
produce sprouts containing the most
beneficial levels of phytonutrients. To
preserve these precious phytonutrients
during processing, it is essential that they
be flash freeze-dried and ground in a frozen
environment. Selecting a product with care
will optimize the health enhancing benefits
one experiences.
How you use the product will also impact its
efficacy. Ideally, it is best to take the
sprouts on an empty stomach with a full
glass of water. It is also useful to take
acidophilus with the freeze-dried sprouts.
Additional studies in Spain found that the
presence of Lactobacillus friendly flora
(acidophilus) in the gut, enhanced the
digestion and utilization of sinigrin. As is
always the case, consuming a nourishing food
or supplement is only the first step. The
body must be able to break the chemical
bonds in the food to properly assimilate its
valuable compounds. Lactobacillus encourages
intact glucosinolates to break down and
convert into their most bioavailable form
once in the body.
Other nutrients and botanicals may also
contribute to the action of cruciferous
sprouts and add their own unique support to
interrupting and reversing pre-cancerous
conditions. Tonic mushrooms such as Reishi,
Shiitake, and Maitake offer added protection
as do green tea, chlorella, sea vegetables,
CoQ10 and whole food antioxidant nutrients.
Eliza Secrist is a Certified Nutritionist
and Wellness Consultant. The former Director
of a Women’s Resource Center and the Clinic
Manager of a Women’s Health Center, she has
been teaching and counseling for 10 years.
References:
Chemoprevention of
lung cancer by isothiocyanates. American
Health Foundation, Valhalla, New York.
Advanced Experimental Medical Biology, 1996,
401:1-11.
Epidemiological Studies on Brassica
Vegetables and Cancer Risk, Verhoeven,
Goldbohm, Poppel, Verhagen and van den
Brandt. Netherlands Organization for Applied
Scientific Research, Nutrition and Food
Research Institute; Ziest, Netherlands.
1995.
Anticarcinogenic activities of sulforaphane
and structurally related synthetic norbornyl
isothiocyanates, Zhang, Kensler, Cho,
Posner, Talalay. John Hopkins University of
Medicine, Baltimore, MD. 1994.
Broccoli sprouts: An exceptionally rich
source of inducers of enzymes that protect
against chemical carcinogens. Fahey, Zhang,
Talalay. National Academy of Sciences, 1994
(Sept. 16):10367.
Inhibitory effect of sinigrin and
indole-3-carbinole on diethylnitrosamines-induced
hepatocarcinogenesis in male ACI/N rats.
Tanaka, Morishita, Hara, Ohno, Kojima, Mori.
Carcinogenesis 1990 Aug;11(8):1403-1406.
Glutathione transferase subunit induction
patterns of Brussels sprouts, allyl
isothiocyanate and goitrin in rat liver and
small intestinal mucosa: a new approach for
the identification of inducing xenobiotics.
Bogaards, van Ommen, Falke, Willems, van
Bladeren.
Altered estrogen metabolism and excretion in
humans following consumption of
indole-3-carbinol, Michnovicz, Bradlow.
Institute for Hormone Research. Nutr Cancer
1991;16(1):59-66.
Mechanism of action of dietary
chemoprotective agents in rat liver;
induction of phase I and II drug
metabolizing enzymes and aflatoxin B1
metabolism. Manson, Ball Barrett, Clark,
Judah, Williamson, Neal. MRC Toxicology
Unit, University of Leicester, UK.
Carcinogenesis, 1997 Sept.;18(9):1729-1738.
Degradation of sinigrin by Lactobacillus
agillis strain R 16. Llanos, Smiths, Brink.
Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Ciudad
Real, Spain. International Journal of Food
Microbiology, 1995 July;26(2):219-229.
*This statement has not been evaluated by
the Food and Drug Administration. This
product is not intended to diagnose, treat,
cure or prevent any disease. |
