It can be daunting to see all of the damaging chemicals the big food industry has put into, on, or around our food. So, for a change of pace, we’ll look at a food that’s all-natural and filled with healthy nutrients. It can help protect your body from all kinds of invasions.
Although there are many sprouts, the broccoli sprout is a powerhouse of “nutraceuticals.” That means natural plant chemicals that act in a variety of ways to enhance your health and well-being.
Growing your sprouts gives you control over the type of water you use. Sometimes when you open a bag of commercial sprouts, there may be a funky odor. If it doesn’t wash away, it’s best to throw that batch away. They need to be consumed within 3-5 days after starting to sprout. The smell may be from mold, but it also may be from the very beneficial sulfur in the sprout. Look for a date on the commercial ones.
Let’s explore some of the very complex things in these amazing sprouts. The sulfur-based compound is glucoraphanin (gluco-ra-fanin), a member of the family called glucosinolate. (gluco-sin-olate). It breaks down into a byproduct called a metabolite, called sulforaphane. (Sul-fora-fane). This is the substance that makes these sprouts such a powerhouse.
So what’s so great about it? It has been cited as having anti-aging benefits. It may do this in several ways. It boosts immunity, enhances proper intestinal tract function, helps keep your heart healthy and has been said to lower the risk of autism. organicfacts.net.
Let’s look at how it does these things. To protect against premature aging, the substances in sprouts have powerful antioxidant activities. They decrease free radicals which damage body cells and tissues. Free radicals come from, what we might call, rogue oxygen molecules. They steal electrons from body cells. The result might show up as skin wrinkles or damaged blood cells, among other more serious things. They can also be triggers for cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. health.clevelandclinic.org.
Sulforaphane has been said to reduce autism in children by ensuring normal brain development. It helps heart health by reducing blood pressure, and plaque build-up in arteries and valves. (Lessens the chance of a heart attack or stroke.) organicfacts.net.
This substance is easy to absorb. Which means it goes to work shortly after you consume the sprouts. A big benefit in this day of cancer concerns is that it lowers the spread of cancer cells, helps cancer cells self-destruct, and prevents blood vessels from feeding malignant cells. That means a healthy immune system can more easily remove them from the body. healthline.com
Another way sulforaphane helps the body is it increases detox enzymes in your liver. This means your liver is better equipped to remove toxins and certain harmful chemicals from food, air, and water. (Some of them are known to trigger cancer production under certain conditions.)
How does it help your brain? Alzheimer’s disease seems to be triggered by beta-amyloid toxicity. This is a certain protein that can accumulate in brain tissue. It seems to act as a trigger to the start of this disorder. You might say that this protein gums up the works preventing communication between brain cells.
Parkinson’s disease is another brain disorder that benefits from sulforaphane. In Parkinson’s, brain cells that produce a hormone, dopamine, die. Dopamine affects your ability to focus and recall, as well as affecting your mood. Sulforaphane deals with the free radicals thus easing symptoms. healthline.com
Sulforaphane also has antibacterial capacities. This means it can be protective to your gut. It helps the microbiome (good bacteria) which can help with food passage. It also reduces inflammation which may help painful joints as in arthritis.
These sprouts also contain Vitamins K, A, and C, fiber, protein, and calcium. All of which are vital to the total health of our bodies. Pregnant women may find that adding broccoli sprouts to their diet can help create a healthy brain in their babies. Another site to check is: naturalfoodseries.com
This does not exhaust the benefits of broccoli sprouts. If you go to the sites mentioned and scroll down through their information it may well convince you to either buy them or start to grow them in your own containers.
Eating them is so much better than having to take medications to correct the conditions related to the body areas that are benefited by broccoli sprouts.
In our day of so much toxic exposure, it takes work to keep our health. I hope you're making some wiser choices as you learn about the things which I share.
Nancy L. Pidutti, PhD, NHH, hospital Chaplain, author.