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Zesti Gut Immune Daily Greens - Berry Addictive 180g
With our new brand Zesti™️ just launched, we thought it might be nice to create a series of blogs based on each ingredient to help people understand how it may benefit them and why we put that particular ingredient into the formulation.
Broccoli Sprouts
Most of us know that eating broccoli sprouts can boost our health but there's one sprout in particular that's hogging the spotlight (and for very good reason I might add).
Broccoli sprouts are the new (ish) superfood kid on the block and tout many benefits, not just purported benefits but actually scientifically-proven benefits!
Let's just say, they are your friend with benefits! 😉
If this food has got you listening so far, keep reading because this little sprout is powerful beyond and will become something you will want to add to your diet for sure.
Many studies are conducted on the effects of sulforaphane (a sulphur-rich compound from broccoli sprouts) on health via animal studies and what's been found so far has peeked much interest.
There was one particular study that showed people who ate 70g of broccoli sprouts daily, actually lowered the number of ulcer-causing bacteria (compared to folks who consumed alfalfa sprouts)!
That is wild!
Also, the study showed that the broccoli sprout subjects experienced less inflammation.
Other study's show sulforaphane's potential to help a number of mental health disorders such as depression and schizophrenia. What was discovered during the research, is that the sulforaphane compound (found in broccoli sprouts) can help reduce levels of glutamate.
According to the Cleveland Clinic:
"problems in making or using glutamate have been linked to mental health disorders including autism, depression and schizophrenia"
Broccoli Sprouts and Detox
Detox is a word that gets thrown around a lot but I think it's a very important topic and needs more understanding. We are living in a very toxic time in our history where it's very hard to live pure.
Toxins are literally around every corner and depending upon how diligent we are, we may be even more toxic simply by what foods, drinks, cleaning and laundry product and personal care products we use.
We can reduce our own load but unfortunately, we cannot avoid environmental toxins so we must improve our own detox systems and detox pathways better by doing the following things:
(whatever is accessible and possible for you, you do not have to do all of these things, just do what you can)
- Regular sauna or hot yoga
- Hot epsom salts bath
- Castor oil packs
- Exercise/sweating
- Moving lymph (min tramp)
- Dry body brushing
- Supplements that contain broccoli sprouts
Broccoli sprouts are high in phytochemicals that have cancer-protective qualities. Sulforaphane has been shown to inhibit tumour growth in rat studies.
So far in this article, we've mentioned how broccoli sprouts can help with cancer-prevention, reduce inflammation, improve detoxification, improve mental health by reducing glutamate but let's list off some more great benefits below:
- Helps to reduce oxidative stress (high in antioxidants)
- Improves liver function and increase phase II of detoxification
- Help to regulate/normalise bowel movements
- Improve the appearance of our skin* (making it glow)
- Help to slow down the ageing process
- Help protect us against viruses
Hormone Balance
One of the most exciting benefits for us women, is the positive effect that broccoli sprouts have on hormonal imbalance (oestrogen in particular). This can be good news for women suffering from PCOS (as it may help to reduce symptoms).
The sulforaphane helps the body to better metabolise oestrogen which helps get it out (excrete) it from the body so that it does not recirculate and potentially cause certain cancers (breast, uterine and ovarian).
Can I get an AMEN ladies? 🙌🏼
So where to get broccoli sprouts from?
You can buy them in punnets or loosely from farmers markets (sometimes) but rarely I have seen them in the supermarket? The easiest way to get them is through supplements.
We created our very own women's wellness supplement called 'Zesti™️' and the first product in her range is the 'Berry Addictive' flavour.
What's great about this product, is that it not only contains broccoli sprouts, but also 28 other powerful ingredients to help you achieve your wellness goals.
Learn more about Zesti™️ here. 💙💚💖
PS: *Broccoli sprouts are known to support the production of collagen as they contain vitamin C. Keep in mind that we lose collagen production even more as women past the age of 40 due to decreased levels of oestrogen. If this is you, be sure to check out the market's best collagen powder here.
Resources:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26401074/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26604653/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19028145/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22303412/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4731143/
https://pcos.com/sprouts-for-hormonal-balance/
PLOS One Journal: “Sulforaphane Bioavailability from Glucoraphanin-Rich Broccoli.”
Antioxidants & Redox Signaling: “Dietary Sulforaphane in Cancer Chemoprevention: The Role of Epigenetic Regulation and HDAC Inhibition.”
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: “Sulforaphane inhibits extracellular, intracellular, and antibiotic-resistant strains of Helicobacter pylori and prevents benzo[a]pyrene-induced stomach tumors.”
National Library of Medicine: “Role of Sulforaphane in Protection of Gastrointestinal Tract Against H. pylori and NSAID-Induced Oxidative Stress.”
Thompson, Sylvanus & Powell, Douglas. (2000). Risks Associated With The Consumption of Fresh Sprouts.
USDA FoodData Central: “Broccoli Sprouts.”
Johns Hopkins Medicine: “Broccoli Sprout Compound May Restore Brain Chemistry Imbalance Linked to Schizophrenia.”
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22839-glutamate
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC34511/
Disclaimer: the information in this article is intended purely as information and not health advice. It is not intended to treat, diagnose, prevent or cure and one should always seek expert advice from their trusted health practitioner.
