I am a simple man. I eat a bowl of broccoli sprouts every morning. I sprout my own and it is cheap and easy. Over 2 years and I have never had a jar not sprout.
But they have these capsules and whatnot. Are they good? I don't know. This paper says plain sprouts are better. You get more sulforaphane AND there are other things in broccoli sprouts that provide benefits also.
One more note (from my high school educated brain): Eating sprouts is much cheaper and easier than making broccoli seed tea. If you search for studies on the benefits of sulforaphane you will find that almost all of the studies use plain broccoli sprouts or drinks made by blending up broccoli sprouts. I hate to see people miss out on broccoli sprouts because they think the tea may be better (which it may, or may not be) and end up with neither.
Like I said, I have a high school degree. Maybe broccoli sprouts do nothing but provide me a good breakfast salad every morning.
Dietary intake of sulforaphane-rich broccoli sprouts decreases fecal calprotectin levels in patients with ulcerative colitis 2024 - ffhdj.com/index.php/ffhd/ar...
"Instead of using glucoraphanin tablets, we used raw BS in our study. It has been reported that glucoraphanin, a precursor of SFN, included in BS, is biologically inactive [24]. However, once administered orally into the gastrointestinal tract, most of the glucoraphanin in BS is converted to biologically active SFN by myrosinase activity in the raw BS during chewing BS in the oral cavity [24]. The rest of the glucoraphanin is converted into biological active SFN by myrosinase activity in the intestinal microbiota. The oral intake of BS induces much higher concentrations of systemic SFN compared to taking the same amount of oral glucoraphanin tablet, which was confirmed by an increase in urinary levels of dithiocarbamate, a metabolite of SFN [9,25]. These results indicate that the better bioavailability of SFN can be obtained by chewing raw BS ratherthan taking glucoraphanin tablets orally.
Furthermore, a recent study suggests that polysulfides, such as cysteine hydropersulfide and glutathione hydropersulfide,are included abundantly in BS and also demonstrate potent antioxidant effects via the nrf2-mediated system [26]. This supports our conclusion that taking raw BS orally provides more potent action than taking a glucoraphanin tablet in terms of amelioration of chronic oxidative stress in the colonic mucosa in UC patients."
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For those of us who have never sprouted broccoli seeds and aren't sure how to go about this, are there any tips or 'how to' guides to help with getting started?
I've been taking the capsules from Jarrow as I've always assume sprouting would be complex and time-consuming, particularly for someone with very limited cooking and food preparation experience.
Interestingly, the product I use does state that:
"Jarrow Formulas® BroccoMax® broccoli seed extract is manufactured using a patented process that preserves active myrosinase, the enzyme in broccoli that metabolizes SGS (Sulforaphane Glucosinolate, a.k.a. glucoraphanin) in the small intestine into sulforaphane."
I guess we just don't know how much it really preserves and how much of the enzyme activity is lost...
The time pressures are probably the most challenging aspect of doing it myself, as I am juggling quite an intensive job, whilst trying to maintain a daily high-intensity exercise program, with the demands of a young family that includes two daughters aged 3 and 5.
Although I agree with this part of the text: The oral intake of BS induces much higher concentrations of systemic SFN compared to taking the same amount of oral glucoraphanin tablet, which was confirmed by an increase in urinary levels of dithiocarbamate, a metabolite of SFN [9,25]. These results indicate that the better bioavailability of SFN can be obtained by chewing raw BS rather than taking glucoraphanin tablets orally.
This is way too optimistic. Only a small amount of GR is converted to SF by gut bacteria and the process is very slow and spread out over 24 hours: However, once administered orally into the gastrointestinal tract, most of the glucoraphanin in BS is converted to biologically active SFN by myrosinase activity in the raw BS during chewing BS in the oral cavity [24]. The rest of the glucoraphanin is converted into biological active SFN by myrosinase activity in the intestinal microbiota.
The only way to be sure that you are getting sulforaphane into your body is to convert the glucoraphanin to sulforaphane before you ingest it.
Great post and great info Bolt. I have been sprouting for the last 5 years. When I get lazy I do take Designs For Health BroccoProtect. I don't bother keeping them in the dark, because it is easier for me to keep them by my sink, and then I never forget to rinse them. I also use only 2 tbsp of seeds in each jar and end up with a full jar. the one thing I would caution everyone is to make sure the sprouts never sit in the water when you turn them upside down. The sprouts do have a vegetable smell, but if they get spoiled by sitting in the water the smell is bad... even for those of us who have compromised scents. Worse than the smell, they can rot and be dangerous to consume. For that reason I use those little stands to always keep the lids out of the water that drains. I also use convex screens for better drainage. The sprouts should feel fresh and crisp when you take them out of the jar. If they feel slimy toss them out! westcoastseeds.com/products... Here is a link to the stand amazon.com/Stainless-Sprout...
This may make people cringe, but I leave my sprouts in the jar. I give them one last rinse and let them sit upside down for a couple of hours and then just put a plastic bell jar lid on it and throw the jar in the fridge.
As I recall, Jed Fahy, who is a world recognised brassica expert stated in a YT video that broccoli seed has about 80 times more sulforaphane than broccoli sprouts. I also understand that broccoli contains a molecule that is NOT helpful. Albert's broccoli seed tea (BST) recipe addresses the issue of minimising the bad stuff and maximising the good.
As to cost, the ingredients for my BST cost about 1/10 cent/week. It is the cheapest supplement I take and currently far and away the most effective. Instructions to make BST are at patientresearcher.com/
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