Have you ever wondered why it’s so important to consume healthy amounts of cruciferous vegetables? The short answer is sulforaphane. Sulforaphane is a glucosinolate found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and brocoli sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, kale, collards, mustard greens, and watercress. It has been reported to exhibit a wide range of biological effects including antioxidant (Fahey and Talalay, 1999[10]), antimicrobial (Johansson et al., 2008[19]), anticancer (Amjad et al., 2015[4]), anti-inflammatory (Greaney et al., 2016[14]), anti-aging (Sikdar et al., 2016[45]), neuroprotective (Tarozzi et al., 2013[47]), and antidiabetic (Lee et al., 2012[26]). Sulforaphane also shows a range of biological activities and health benefits in humans, and is found to be a very promising chemopreventive agent against not only a variety of cancers such as breast, prostate, colon, skin, lung, stomach, and bladder but also against cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases and diabetes (Yang et al., 2016[53]). As you can see, there are many powerful health benefits of sulforaphane. Let’s look at 9 Powerful Health Benefits of Sulforaphone.
Which Vegetable Contains the Most Sulforaphane?
Broccoli sprouts is definitely the winner in this category. Broccoli sprouts contain 100-400 times the content of sulforaphane compared to other cruciferous vegetables! While mature broccoli is a source of sulforaphanes, sprouts can have as much as 25 times more sulforaphanes than their fully grown broccoli. Health promoting amounts of broccoli sprouts can range from 40 to 60mg of sulforaphane, which is roughly 100 to 140g of broccoli sprouts.

9 Powerful Health Benefits of Sulforaphane
Anti-Bacterial Properties
Studies find that sulforaphane inhibits growth of Heliobacter pylori which causes ulcers and certain cancers.
Boosts Mitochondria Function
Sulforaphane promotes mitochondria biogenesis, improves ATP production, and helps neutralize reaction oxygen species produced by mitochondria.
Prevents Cancer
Sulforaphane can suppress the proliferation of cancer cells and trigger cell death in cancer cells. There is an inverse relationship between eating cruiferous vegetable and cancer risk.
Protects Against Alzheimer’s
Oxidative stress and neuronal damage are two main causes of Alzheimer’s disease. Sulforaphane helps prevent both.
Liver Function & Detox
Supplementing with sulforaphane improves liver detoxification and function after two months while decreasing oxidative stress. Sulforaphane is identified as the most potent naturally occurring inducer of phase II enzymes (R). Dietary sulforaphane is known to protect against liver injuries caused by carbon tetrachloride, intestinal ischemia reperfusion, and cisplatin (R).
Activates Antioxidants
Sulforaphane has the ability to increase production of glutathione and SOD – powerful antioxidants produced by the body.
Anti-Inflammatory
Sulforaphane can decrease inflammation by impeding the release of pro-inflammatory molecules.
Cardiovascular Health
Sulforaphane can lower blood lipids and help neutralize free radicals that lead to the development of arterial plaque.
Slows The Aging Process
Sulforaphane activates the Nrf2 pathway – the body’s strongest defense against oxidative stress, aging and weight loss.

Recent Studies on Biological and Pharmacological Activities of Sulforaphane (SFN)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5225737/

Afterthoughts…
It’s time to walk away from the belief that illness is normal. It doesn’t have to be. There’s no reason one should be laid up multiple times every year with colds, the flu, or other illnesses such as strep throat. If you find yourself coming down with every sickness that’s “going around,” it’s time to pay attention to your immune system health. Believe it or not, there really are individuals who stay healthy for years on end. Many people say they are blessed with “healthy genes,” but is that the real reason? Probably not. Most likely, it’s because they choose to focus on their immune system health daily by eating a very healthy plant-based diet, exercising, using high-quality supplements, focusing on restful sleep, using essential oils, and avoiding toxic environments as much as possible — all of which are very powerful in transforming one’s health. There’s no reason you can’t do the same.
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Loretta Lanphier is a Naturopathic Practitioner, Board Certified Traditional Naturopath, Certified Clinical Nutritionist, Holistic Health Practitioner, and Certified Clinical Herbalist as well as the CEO / Founder of Oasis Advanced Wellness in The Woodlands TX. She keeps up with studies and performs extensive research in health science, natural hormone balancing, anti-aging techniques, nutrition, natural medicine, weight loss, herbal remedies, non-toxic cancer support, and actively researches new natural health protocols and products. A 20-year stage 3 colon cancer survivor, Loretta can relate to both sides-of-the-health-coin as patient and practitioner regarding health and wellness. “My passion is counseling others about what it takes to keep the whole body healthy using natural and non-toxic methods.” Read Loretta’s health testimony
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