10 Reasons to add Broccoli Sprouts to your diet TODAY

Look no further, because you’ve just found the superfood to end all superfoods. I’m talking about the small, but mighty Broccoli Sprout. Ever hear of it? Ever try it? Packed to the gills with the compound sulforaphane, this crunchy little food is more powerful than that smartphone in your hands. You’ll be a broccoli sprout fiend after today, because this superfood is as close to bathing in the fountain of youth as you’ll ever get.

What’s a Broccoli Sprout?

Broccoli sprouts are three to four day-old broccoli plants. These “babies” look like alfalfa sprouts, but they taste like radishes. Yum! You can eat them in a salad, grind them up into your favorite green smoothie, or just snack on them at your desk. Just please, don’t bake them up—that’ll cook away the sulforaphane, the compound that gives broccoli sprouts their superpowers.

All Hail Sulforaphane

Sulforaphane is an isothiocyanate derived from glucoraphanin found in cruciferous vegetables like kale, bok choy, brussel sprouts, cabbage, collard greens, and… broccoli sprouts! However, 3 day-old broccoli sprouts contain 10-100 times higher concentrations, so broccoli sprouts are where it’s at for sulforaphane.

Here’s the important part: sulforaphane has been shown to have antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, neuroprotective, and anti-diabetic properties. Sulforaphane is the compound that should be on everyone’s most wanted list. Still not convinced you should be eating broccoli sprouts? Here’s a list of benefits:

Prevent & Combat Cancer

More and more studies are showing that sulforaphane not only helps the body prevent cancer, but assists in combatting cancer as well! One way in which this occurs is deactivation of phase 1 biotransformation enzymes—enzymes responsible for converting procarcinogens into active carcinogens. Sulforaphane also prevents DNA adducts, a type of DNA damage shown to leader to cancer.

Wait! It gets better! Sulforaphane has also been shown to kill cancer, such as colorectal cancer, as well as not damage healthy cells when treating the cancer. As an encore, preliminary studies are also showing that sulforaphane assists cancer-fighting drugs. Score a win for the good guys (and broccoli sprouts) in the war on cancer.

Boost Immune System

Broccoli sprouts and sulforaphane don’t stop at giving cancer a black eye. This powerful compound has been shown to also enhance bacterial clearance by macrophages and increase the activity of natural killer cells in studies with mice. The studies showed Th1 immunity was boosted to restore or delay the decline of cellular immunity that happens with aging. Forget the creams, chow down on broccoli sprouts!

Cardiovascular Disease

Who doesn’t want a healthy heart? Many conditions factor into cardiovascular health, and broccoli sprouts help many of them. Blood pressure in rats was shown to be decreased by sulforaphane. Additionally, sulforaphane protected against the hardening of arteries (atherosclerosis), protected against oxidative stress, as well as maintaining blood-brain barrier integrity and neurological function after a stroke! Not bad for the small, but mighty sprout.

Gut Health

We’ve mentioned the importance of gut health in the Smartypants blog before, and broccoli sprouts are a new benny for your belly. Sulforaphane helps gastrointestinal tract enterocyte cells function more efficiently, reducing infection and inflammation. Studies with mice showed that sulforaphane reduced damage caused by SFN ameliorates aspirin/NSAID injury of the gut. Go with your gut to protect your gut: eat broccoli sprouts.

Depression

Inflammation is largely recognized as one of the causes of depression, but broccoli sprouts can help clear away those pesky rain clouds. Sulforaphane helps reduce inflammation, so by extension can combat depression. Studies involving mice have shown that sulforaphane reversed depression and anxiety-like behaviors by inhibiting the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and inflammatory responses to stress.

But wait, there’s more! Studies also showed sulforaphane taken as a dietary supplement in juvenile and adolescent periods in mice prevented onset of depression in adulthood. Parents of teenagers across the land can rejoice for broccoli sprouts can send them a little parental relief.

Brain Power!

No, you won’t be Bradley Cooper in Limitless, but you will give your noggin a helpful floggin’ with broccoli sprouts. Sulforaphane has been shown to increase neuronal BDNF in mice, something that supports the survival of existing neurons. Some of the interesting and powerful benefits on the mind in studies have been shown to be: improving cognitive performance and reducing working memory dysfunction in rats, Alleviating brain swelling, preventing memory impairment and increase survival of hippocampal neurons in diabetic rats.

Skin Protection

Look good, feel good, right? You’ll be looking mighty fine after eating broccoli sprouts while you dine! Why is that? Sulforaphane has been shown to provide protection against UVA and UVB inflammation, sunburn, and skin damage. Here’s why: UV radiation induces DNA damage and suppresses the immune response. Sulforaphane increased Phase 2 enzymes in human tests, protecting against UV radiation-induced inflammation, and reducing susceptibility to erythema (skin redness). Don’t stop using sunscreen, BUT, definitely add some sprouts to your sunbathing.

Hair Growth

Nothing hairy about this benefit: eating patches of broccoli sprouts can help put patches of hair back on your head. Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is shown to cause androgenic baldness. Sulforaphane combats this by increasing the production of enzymes that degrade DHT. Sulforaphane also increases the amount of testosterone degrading enzymes, such as 3α-HSD, accelerates blood degradation by DHT, and reverses the suppression of hair growth! Throw away those hats and eat some broccoli sprouts!

May Improve Autism Symptoms

The results of several studies regarding autism symptoms are proving to be encouraging. One such study involving young men with autism showed sulforaphane improved behavior of those young men. Another study showed that sulforaphane activated genes that protect cells against stress, inflammation, and DNA-damage associated with autism spectrum disorder.

Reduce Damage Caused by Pollution

Live in a big city? How about a small city? Live near combustible engines? You’re most likely inhaling stuff that’s not good for you. Never fear! Broccoli sprouts have got your back. Sulforaphane activates Phase II enzymes that help the body detoxify airborne pollutants, pesticides, and other nasty heavy metals. One interesting study in particular showed that sulforaphane protected human white blood cells from pesticide-induced DNA damage. In this fossil-fueled world, you need a friend, and that friend is broccoli sprouts.

Get the Most from your Meal

There’s an optimum heat to maximizing the concentration of sulforaphane in broccoli sprouts. Why are broccoli sprouts so picky with their heat? Too much heat for too long disables the Myrosinase in broccoli sprouts—the compound responsible for forming the sulforaphane that we’re eager to eat. You can use an electronic tea kettle to watch the temperature while heating water, then pour the hot water over your broccoli sprouts. Remember: this is just for MAXIMUM sulforaphane content in your sprouts. Eating them raw is perfectly acceptable as well, as well as a safer option.

Here’s a recipe for a delicious broccoli sprout smoothie that’ll get you the sulforaphane that you crave.

Now that you’ve chewed on some broccoli sprout facts, chew on some actual broccoli sprouts and give your health a boost!