It’s true that cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage are famous cancer fighters, but eating enough of them in your daily diet can be challenging.
And even if you manage to eat a large amount, the content and amount of nutrients contained in these veggies vary greatly because of the soil quality in which they’re grown, method of storing, length of time from harvest to table, and even the manner in which they’re prepared.
But that’s no reason to give up on what may be one of the most effective tools in your toolbox in your fight against cancer.
The Powerful Cancer-fighting Phytonutrient You Need to Know About
Seventy-eight percent of all chemo drugs are derived from natural substances, and research is ongoing as pharmaceutical companies spend untold amounts of money to find and patent new (and profitable) drugs.Scientists from Johns Hopkins University are among those who have studied cruciferous foods and discovered that this class of vegetables delivers a particularly powerful punch against the formation and growth of cancer.
The secret ingredient of cruciferous foods? A naturally occurring phytochemical called sulforaphane.
You can access this powerful nutrient without waiting for a pharmaceutical company to patent it and sell it to you at astronomical cost. Broccoli contains the highest concentration of this important molecule.There are higher concentrations of sulforaphane in broccoli sprouts and, particularly, broccoli seeds.
How to Grow Broccoli Sprouts
Broccoli sprouts are super simple to grow (no outdoor garden needed) and when harvested and eaten within 3 days of sprouting, are at their peak nutrition. Add them to a salad, sandwich, or even on top of an omelet or other entrée.Directions
- Purchase organic broccoli sprouting seeds online or at your local health food store.
- Soak seeds in a small bowl topped with pure, filtered water for at least 12 hours.
- Rinse and transfer seeds into a sprouting vessel. The easiest vessel to use is a Mason jar with a strainer lid (also available online or at most health food stores).
- Store sprouts in a cool, dark place (such as a kitchen cabinet or pantry) for the next 48 hours. Rinse sprouts 3X daily with fresh, filtered water during that time.
- Once sprouts have reached a half-inch to full-inch length, move them out of the dark and expose to indirect sun (this will be around day 4 or 5 of the sprouting process). A kitchen windowsill is often the perfect place.
- The last step is to harvest your sprouts. Give them a final rinse in pure, filtered water, pat dry on paper towels, and transfer to a glass bowl with a lid. Eat right away or store in refrigerator and consume within 3 days for optimum benefits.
Take It Up A Notch
Broccoli sprouts are truly easy to grow, mild in flavor, delicious, and worth their weight in gold when it comes to your health. We recommend them highly. But if you want the most powerful benefits of this amazing super nutrient as part of your arsenal in the fight against cancer, your best bet is sulforaphane extract. Effective delivery systems of sulforaphane include capsules and powder forms (both are discussed in my YouTube interview with a sulforaphane expert—link below).- Good—Organically grown broccoli
- Better—Broccoli sprouts
- Best—Sulforaphane extract
For these reasons, a recommended brand is Vitalica PlusTM, available online or in many health food stores. Dr. Michael Nelson is one of the leading experts in the science of sulforaphane, and this was one of the many tips he provided in my interview with him as part of our Cancer Expert series (link below).
Dr. Nelson went on to explain numerous other reasons why you might want to add this extraordinary phytonutrient to your daily regimen.
Additional Benefits of Sulforaphane
- Lessens amount needed of chemotherapy drugs—the combination of chemo drugs with sulforaphane has been shown to be remarkably successful, and studies indicate lesser amounts of chemo drugs are required when higher amounts of this phytonutrient are present.
- Reduces peripheral neuropathy—studies show that sulforaphane helps to reduce the progression of peripheral neuropathy, an unpleasant side effect of many chemo drugs.
- Benefits brain and cardiovascular health—sulforaphane is effective in the improvement of many debilitating neurological conditions, including schizophrenia and depression. It also helps mend the blood-brain barrier.
- Reduces blood sugar levels—sulforaphane can reduce blood sugar level approximately 25%, which is great news for diabetics.
- Particularly effective against breast and prostate cancers—studies show that if a man lives into his 90th year, he will likely get prostate cancer. Sulforaphane has been shown to reduce prostate cancer risk by 86%.
James Templeton founded Uni Key Health Systems in 1992 and now the Templeton Wellness Foundation as a way of giving back and helping others achieve the health and wellness they are seeking. This story was originally published on the Templeton Wellness Foundation Blog.
