supplements 101
The Benefits of Broccoli
Sulforaphane and Your Health W
e all know that eating our broccoli is good for us, and many population studies have confirmed that people who eat more vegetables, and in particular broccoli and members of its extended family (the Brassicae), have better health and lower incidence of diseases such as cancer. The reasons for this have been under inves- tigation for the past few decades, and it turns out that these homely veggies are marvels of the plant kingdom, conferring protection against many cancers and common degenerative processes through a variety of sophisticated biochemical mechanisms. The Brassica family includes not only broccoli, but also Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, bokchoy, arugula, radish, watercress and other veg- etables. For those who have an interest in nutrition, you may know of the unique health benefits of the Brassica phytochemical indole- 3-carbinol (I3C) which is metabolized in the body into the active compounddiindole-methane (DIM). I3C and DIM act as antioxi- dants, assist in detoxification of hormones and potentially cancer- causing substances, and are linked in research with health benefits for hormonal health problems, and prevention of certain cancers, such as lung, colorectal, breast and prostate cancer. Supplements which provide I3C and DIM have been available for years, and have been incorporated into the standard natural therapeutic approach for such health issues.
Super Sprouts
Now a “new” phytonutrient from the broccoli family is available in supplement form. In recent years, much scientific attention has been focused on Sulforaphane glucosinolate (abbreviated as SGS), a substance found in high concentration in broccoli seeds and sprouts (the sprouts contain 30 to 50 times the amount of SGS as mature broccoli). While SGS is found in other brassica vegetables such as cauliflower, kale, and cabbage, the greatest amounts by far come from broccoli. SGS was identified twenty years ago by researchers at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine as the most potent of the isothiocyanates, a class of beneficial compounds derived from certain Brassica vegetables. SGS was found to provide protection from chemical carcinogens by increasing levels of the Phase II liver detoxification enzyme squinone reductase and glutathione trans- ferase, and powerful antioxidants such as glutathione and superoxide dismutase. What’s more, the antioxidant effects are extraordinarily long-lasting – as long as days after sulforaphane is in the picture, cells continue to have increased protection. Subsequent and ongoing studies have found that sulforaphane, the active form of SGS, has multiple modes of action in the body,
26 Natural Nutmeg
holds promise for cancer prevention and treatment, and has benefit for arthritis, cardiovascular protection, immune support, skin health, retinal health, and brain cell health. Without doubt, the list will continue to grow.
Sulforaphane and Cancer In addition to preventing cancer by blocking the effects of
carcinogenic compounds, sulforaphane is being studied for its ben- efit in treating several types of cancer. A recently published study performed at the University of Michigan on mice and on cultures of human breast cancer cells found that sulforaphane targeted and killed breast cancer stem cells, a small number of cells within tumors which drive the growth and spread of the cancer. Because tumor stem cells permit cancers to recur after treatment and metastasize, and because they are so small in number (approximately one cell in a million is a stem cell), the effectiveness of sulforaphane in finding them, reducing their number and their ability to create new tumors - without significantly affecting healthy cells - is a truly groundbreak- ing finding.
In other areas of cancer research, studies have found that
sulforaphane reduces stomach levels of the bacterium H. pylori, an infectious organism which causes chronic stomach inflammation, in- creases incidence of gastric and duodenal ulcers, and risk for stom- ach cancer. It has been shown in multiple studies to cause death of prostate cancer cells and, in an animal study, to reduce incidence of bladder cancer by more than half. In combination with resveratrol, (the antioxidant found in grapes, berries, and red wine), it has been found to inhibit the cell replication and survival of glioma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer. Studies on colon, lung, pancreatic and leukemia cell lines have shown inhibition of important steps in the replication processes of cancer cells.
Anti-Inflammatory Action The same mechanism (the Nrf2 protein signaling pathway) by
which sulforaphane increases the activity of liver detoxification enzymes also has powerful anti-inflammatory effects, and in addition to reducing generalized body inflammation, research is suggesting a role for sulforaphane in treating rheumatoid arthritis, through reduc- tion in the level of rheumatoid T cells; osteoarthritis, by interfering
Debra Gibson, ND
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