Health benefits of broccoli require the whole food, not supplements

The study, published by scientists in the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, is one of the first of its type to determine whether some of the healthy compounds found in cruciferous vegetables can be just as easily obtained through supplements. The answer is no.

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Yesherb.

And not only do you need to eat the whole foods, you have to go easy on cooking them.

"The issue of whether important nutrients can be obtained through whole foods or with supplements is never simple," said Emily Ho, an OSU associate professor in the OSU School of Biological and Population Health Sciences, and principal investigator with the Linus Pauling Institute.

"Some vitamins and nutrients, like the folic acid often recommended for pregnant women, are actually better-absorbed as a supplement than through food," Ho said. "Adequate levels of nutrients like vitamin D are often difficult to obtain in most diets. But the particular compounds that we believe give broccoli and related vegetables their health value need to come from the complete food."

The reason, researchers concluded, is that a necessary enzyme called myrosinase is missing from most of the supplement forms of glucosinolates, a valuable phytochemical in cruciferous vegetables. Without this enzyme found in the whole food, the study found that the body actually absorbs five times less of one important compound and eight times less of another.

Intensive cooking does pretty much the same thing, Ho said. If broccoli is cooked until it's soft and mushy, its health value plummets. However, it can still be lightly cooked for two or three minutes, or steamed until it's still a little crunchy, and retain adequate levels of the necessary enzyme.

The new study was published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. It was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Broccoli has been of particular interest to scientists because it contains the highest levels of certain glucosinolates, a class of phytochemicals that many believe may reduce the risk of prostate, breast, lung and colorectal cancer. When eaten as a raw or lightly-cooked food, enzymes in the broccoli help to break down the glucosinolates into two valuable compounds of intensive research interest -- sulforaphane and erucin.

Studies have indicated that sulforaphane, in particular, may help to detoxify carcinogens, and also activate tumor suppressor genes so they can perform their proper function.

Most supplements designed to provide these glucosinolates have the enzyme inactivated, so the sulforaphane is not released as efficiently. There are a few supplements available with active myrosinase, and whose function more closely resembles that of the whole food, but they are still being tested and not widely available, Ho said.

Small amounts of the myrosinase enzyme needed to break down glucosinolates are found in the human gut, but the new research showed they accomplish that task far less effectively than does whole food consumption.

Although broccoli has the highest levels of glucosinolates, they are also found in cauliflower, cabbage, kale and other cruciferous vegetables. The same cooking recommendations would apply to those foods to best retain their health benefits, Ho said.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of broccoli powder. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

Many people take a variety of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals as supplements, and many of them are efficacious in that form, researchers say. Higher and optimal levels of popular supplements such as vitamins C, E, and fish oil, for instance, can be difficult to obtain through diet alone. Some researchers believe that millions of people around the world have deficient levels of vitamin D, because they don't get enough in their diet or through sun exposure.

But for now, if people want the real health benefits of broccoli, there's a simple guideline.

Eat your vegetables.

Did you wonder why, as menopause looms, health and wellness literature implores you to eat more broccoli? What does broccoli do? How much broccoli are we talking about? Do we have to eat it every day?

Broccoli seems to be the poster child for the entire brassica family, a type of plant in the mustard family. Brassica plants are also known as cruciferous vegetables because of their cross-shaped flowers. There are more than 375 types of these flowering plants, including many important food plants such as brown mustard, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, rape, rutabaga, and turnips.

Broccoli and Estrogen

Broccoli is connected to hormone balance by its effect on how the body breaks down estrogen. Often we read that the body produces three estrogens: estrone, estradiol and estriol. While this is true, the dozens of estrogen metabolites the body creates as it breaks down these estrogens are often ignored. Let’s focus in on two of these: the metabolites of estrone called 2 hydroxyestrone (2-OHE1) and 16 alpha hydroxyestrone (16-αOHE1). The balance between these two metabolites is known as the 2:16 estrogen ratio.

The idea that adjusting estrogen metabolism to favor 2-OHE1 over 16-αOHE1 is beneficial has become popular, and many labs are able to test for these two hormones to compare them. While 2-OHE1 is thought to calm estradiol’s stimulatory effect on cells, 16-αOHE1 may provide the opposite effect, possibly stimulating estrogen-related cell growth. 16-αOHE1 also may be associated with genetic damage in cells, and some studies identified higher levels of 16-αOHE1 in breast cancer tissue and women with breast cancer when compared to healthy individuals. As part of his dissertation, “A Dietary Strategy to Reduce Breast Cancer Risk,” Dr. Jay Fowke was able to demonstrate that eating broccoli created a positive shift to 2-OHE1in healthy post-menopausal women. The daily intake was 500 grams or just over one pound of broccoli per day, with broccoli being eaten at two meals per day.

Broccoli Alternatives

You are not alone if you think a pound of broccoli per day is daunting, but there are a few possible alternatives:

• Two important compounds are abundant in broccoli: diindolylmethane (DIM) and its precursor, indole-3-carbinol (I3C), both of which can have an impact on the metabolism of estrogens. These two compounds have been associated with a reduction in cancer and tumor cell growth. I3C and DIM appear to shift estrogen metabolism away from 16-αOHE1 and toward the more desirable 2-OHE1. Supplements containing these compounds may be an alternative to relying solely on broccoli to shift metabolism.
• Another alternative to eating heaps of broccoli is supplementing with broccoli sprout extract. These supplements are readily available to purchase, or you can sprout your own seeds and eat them like alfalfa sprouts.

More about Broccoli and Hormone Balance

Another important component of broccoli is sulforaphane. Sulforaphane is being widely studied for its effectiveness in cancer, autism, schizophrenia, and more. An important detoxification molecule, sulforaphane may help with fatty liver disease and may enhance liver detoxification pathways, which are critical to metabolizing estrogens. Sulforaphane may also help with tissue damage known as oxidative stress, which is associated with aging and diabetes.

One caution about the use of broccoli comes from its effect on the thyroid. A steady diet of broccoli–or other members of the brassica vegetable group– eaten raw and in large amounts can have negative effects on thyroid function. Broccoli contains molecules called glucosinolates which may inhibit iodine uptake and thyroid hormone formation, particularly in the event of an existing iodine deficiency. Eating brassica vegetables in moderation, cooking them, and adequate iodine intake can reduce these effects.

Conclusion

Humans have evolved with our food sources for eons. Who first dared to eat broccoli? Who recognized that broccoli and the other brassica vegetables seemed to help with menopausal hormone changes? Who started recommending broccoli to family and friends? Thanks in part to these early innovators, today we have an abundance of studies relating to the specific molecules found in the brassica family of vegetables. We are starting to see the vast number of functions these foods have in the body. Food, it seems, really is our natural pharmacy. So eat up, and, as your mother always said, “Moderation in all things.”

For more information, please visit beet root powder benefits.