To be honest this is an uphill battle in our household. My husband often says, “Don’t ruin my food with those, give them to me and I will just eat them.” So, he eats it by the handful just before diving into his dinner. He isn’t one for green stuff, but slowly he is coming around. I enjoy them and would say roughly 80% of people who I introduce them to says they like them. They have an earthy flavor.

There is actually a good bit of science behind broccoli sprouts. If you want the cliff notes version, its this…eat them daily and for a better effect eat at the same time as one of the following:

• Mustard seed powder
• Daikon radish
• Wasabis
• Arugula
• Coleslaws

For those of you who want to understand the why, I’m going to try to explain without getting too scientific. Please also check out my references for articles or books you may want to read for more details.

Sulforaphane is a phytochemical found in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables. According to Nandini et al., broccoli sprouts provide 20-50 times more chemoprevention than full grown broccoli for many different types of cancers. This is believed to be attributed to sulforaphane which is said to be present in larger concentrations in 2-4 day old broccoli sprouts. How much larger? Ben Williams in Surviving “Terminal” Cancer , writes there is anywhere from 10-100 times more in sprouts than in mature heads. Additionally, cruciferous vegetables contain a second widely researched phytochemical, indole-3-carbinol. This too presents its self in higher concentrations in young broccoli sprouts, possibly as much as 100 times more than in its mature counterparts.³

It is astonishing to me how powerful these the these little sprouts are, but not all of their cancer fighting properties are readily available for our bodies to absorb. As explained well by Nandini et al., myrosinase enzyme makes sulforaphane more available to the body. It is recommended to pair broccoli sprouts and other cruciferous vegetables with foods which contain myrosinase to increase bioavailability. This can be done easily by adding them to coleslaws or a salad with arugula and daikon radishes.

Why go to the trouble of growing them, you ask? Its the same argument for eating locally grown in season fruits and vegetables. The less shelf life, the more available the cancer fighting phytochemicals are. Nutrients degrade over time and with cooking. Not only does the science entice me to eat these powerhouse plants, so does that fact that you don’t cook them. Its the perfect combination of accessibility, nutrient availability, and ease of consumption.

*There is a lot more science behind how these phytochemicals create cancer cell death and decrease blood vessel formation to tumors. For a good explanation and overview check out Nandini et al., which is was free to access in May of 2021.

References:
1. Nandini DB, Roopa SR, Deepak BS, Praveen BR. Sulforaphane in broccoli:The green chemoprevention!!Role in Cancer Prevention and Therapy. J Oral Maxillofac Pathol.24 (2):405, 2020. Published online Sept. 9, 2020. 
2. Williams BA. Surviving "Terminal" Cancer. Fairview Press, 2002. 
3. Blaylock RL. Natural Strategies for Cancer Patients. Citadel Press Books, 2019.