Broccoli sprouts are compared to “Broccomax” supplements.
Broccoli: Sprouts vs. Supplements
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Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.
Interest continues to grow about targeting cancer stem cells with a dietary component of broccoli, and especially broccoli sprouts. Cancer stem cells are thought “responsible for initiating and maintaining cancer,” which I’ve talked about in the past.
There’s also been a number of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trials on the use of broccoli sprouts as a complementary treatment in diabetes, to reduce oxidative stress, reduce inflammation, and reduce insulin resistance and fasting blood sugars. In my video, Biggest Nutrition Bang for Your Buck, I describe how to grow your own—simply and quickly, in five days. New science suggests, though, that it’s even simpler and quicker than I described.
If you look at other sprouts, their antioxidant phytonutrients appear to peak around sprouting day five—up to tenfold higher than day two. But, the sulforaphane content in broccoli sprouts appears to peak at around 48 hours. So, “2-day-old sprouts” may be even better.
“For consumers who do not enjoy eating broccoli [or broccoli sprouts] but still want the benefits” of the broccoli phytonutrients, what about all the “different broccoli supplements…on the market”? Here, they tested BroccoMax, which boasts a half a pound of broccoli’s worth in every capsule. They gave people six a day, compared to a cup of broccoli sprouts. Here’s the spike in broccoli phytonutrients in the bloodstream of those eating sprouts, which would cost about 25 cents a day—compared to six capsules of the supplement, which would cost about two dollars. They conclude that the “bioavailability [of broccoli phytonutrients] is dramatically lower when subjects consume broccoli supplements compared [to the whole food].”
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- J D Clarke, A Hsu, K Riedl, D Bella, S J Schwartz, J F Stevens, E Ho. Bioavailability and inter-conversion of sulforaphane and erucin in human subjects consuming broccoli sprouts or broccoli supplement in a cross-over study design. Pharmacol Res 2011 64(5):456 – 463.
- Y I Yashin, B V Nemzer, V Y Ryzhnev, A Y Yashin, N I Chernousova, P A Fedina. Creation of a databank for content of antioxidants in food products by an amperometric method. Molecules 2010 15(10):7450 – 7466.
- Y Gu, Q Guo, L Zhang, Z Chen, Y Han, Z Gu. Physiological and biochemical metabolism of germinating broccoli seeds and sprouts. J Agric Food Chem 2012 60(1):209 – 213.
- Y Li, T Zhang. Targeting cancer stem cells with sulforaphane, a dietary component from broccoli and broccoli sprouts. Future Oncol 2013 9(8):1097 – 1103.
- Z Bahadoran, P Mirmiran, F Hosseinpanah, M Hedayati, S Hosseinpour-Niazi, F Azizi. Broccoli sprouts reduce oxidative stress in type 2 diabetes: A randomized double-blind clinical trial. Eur J Clin Nutr 2011 65(8):972 – 977.
- P Mirmiran. Effects of broccoli sprout with high sulforaphane concentration on inflammatory markers in type 2 diabetic patients: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. J Funct Foods 2012 4:837 – 841.
- Z Bahadoran, M Tohidi, P Nazeri, M Mehran, F Azizi, P Mirmiran. Effect of broccoli sprouts on insulin resistance in type 2 diabetic patients: A randomized double-blind clinical trial. Int J Food Sci Nutr 2012 63(7):767 – 771.
- Z Bahadoran, P Mirmiran, F Azizi. Potential efficacy of broccoli sprouts as a unique supplement for management of type 2 diabetes and its complications. J Med Food 2013 16(5):375 – 382.
Images thanks to David Carillet and Anton Starikov via 123RF
Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.
Interest continues to grow about targeting cancer stem cells with a dietary component of broccoli, and especially broccoli sprouts. Cancer stem cells are thought “responsible for initiating and maintaining cancer,” which I’ve talked about in the past.
There’s also been a number of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trials on the use of broccoli sprouts as a complementary treatment in diabetes, to reduce oxidative stress, reduce inflammation, and reduce insulin resistance and fasting blood sugars. In my video, Biggest Nutrition Bang for Your Buck, I describe how to grow your own—simply and quickly, in five days. New science suggests, though, that it’s even simpler and quicker than I described.
If you look at other sprouts, their antioxidant phytonutrients appear to peak around sprouting day five—up to tenfold higher than day two. But, the sulforaphane content in broccoli sprouts appears to peak at around 48 hours. So, “2-day-old sprouts” may be even better.
“For consumers who do not enjoy eating broccoli [or broccoli sprouts] but still want the benefits” of the broccoli phytonutrients, what about all the “different broccoli supplements…on the market”? Here, they tested BroccoMax, which boasts a half a pound of broccoli’s worth in every capsule. They gave people six a day, compared to a cup of broccoli sprouts. Here’s the spike in broccoli phytonutrients in the bloodstream of those eating sprouts, which would cost about 25 cents a day—compared to six capsules of the supplement, which would cost about two dollars. They conclude that the “bioavailability [of broccoli phytonutrients] is dramatically lower when subjects consume broccoli supplements compared [to the whole food].”
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- J D Clarke, A Hsu, K Riedl, D Bella, S J Schwartz, J F Stevens, E Ho. Bioavailability and inter-conversion of sulforaphane and erucin in human subjects consuming broccoli sprouts or broccoli supplement in a cross-over study design. Pharmacol Res 2011 64(5):456 – 463.
- Y I Yashin, B V Nemzer, V Y Ryzhnev, A Y Yashin, N I Chernousova, P A Fedina. Creation of a databank for content of antioxidants in food products by an amperometric method. Molecules 2010 15(10):7450 – 7466.
- Y Gu, Q Guo, L Zhang, Z Chen, Y Han, Z Gu. Physiological and biochemical metabolism of germinating broccoli seeds and sprouts. J Agric Food Chem 2012 60(1):209 – 213.
- Y Li, T Zhang. Targeting cancer stem cells with sulforaphane, a dietary component from broccoli and broccoli sprouts. Future Oncol 2013 9(8):1097 – 1103.
- Z Bahadoran, P Mirmiran, F Hosseinpanah, M Hedayati, S Hosseinpour-Niazi, F Azizi. Broccoli sprouts reduce oxidative stress in type 2 diabetes: A randomized double-blind clinical trial. Eur J Clin Nutr 2011 65(8):972 – 977.
- P Mirmiran. Effects of broccoli sprout with high sulforaphane concentration on inflammatory markers in type 2 diabetic patients: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. J Funct Foods 2012 4:837 – 841.
- Z Bahadoran, M Tohidi, P Nazeri, M Mehran, F Azizi, P Mirmiran. Effect of broccoli sprouts on insulin resistance in type 2 diabetic patients: A randomized double-blind clinical trial. Int J Food Sci Nutr 2012 63(7):767 – 771.
- Z Bahadoran, P Mirmiran, F Azizi. Potential efficacy of broccoli sprouts as a unique supplement for management of type 2 diabetes and its complications. J Med Food 2013 16(5):375 – 382.
Images thanks to David Carillet and Anton Starikov via 123RF
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Title
Broccoli: Sprouts vs. Supplements
LicenseCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Content URLDoctor's Note
Here are links to the videos I mentioned:
- Broccoli vs. Breast Cancer Stem Cells
- Biggest Nutrition Bang for your Buck
- Antioxidants Sprouting Up
What’s so great about broccoli sprouts? See The Best Detox and Sulforaphane: From Broccoli to Breast.
They can be overdone, though; see How Much Broccoli is Too Much?
For more on cruciferous vegetables and cancer, see:
- Lung Cancer Metastases & Broccoli
- Raw Broccoli & Bladder Cancer Survival
- Breast Cancer Survival Vegetable
- The Broccoli Receptor: Our First Line of Defense
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