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Calling All Seniors Did You Know CBD Can Improve Your Life Style And Help You Feel Great
Health Benefits of CBD for Senior Citizens
Health Benefits of CBD for Senior Citizens
In the last few years, CBD has sparked a massive shift in the health and wellness communities as people everywhere are finding natural relief for their health conditions.

Based on the findings from multiple research studies, CBD can provide natural relief for over fifty conditions, including arthritis, multiple sclerosis (MS), epilepsy, numerous stress-related disorders, and more.

While its properties can certainly benefit individuals of every age, in this article, I would like to discuss the population most affected by severe health conditions.

Let’s explore the amazing benefits of CBD for seniors and discuss the massive impact CBD can have on this group of individuals.

A Major Health Problem For Seniors… And America
Today in America, there are over 46 million individuals who are 65 years of age or older.

While some happily transition into this stage, others refuse to acknowledge it. At the end of the day, it makes no difference―we all get older. Based on that same truth, as our bodies naturally age, we will all face the threat of severe health conditions, and most will be afflicted by them. Findings from leading institutions confirm the unfortunate truth:

According to the Harvard Neurodiscovery Center:

5 million senior citizens suffer from Alzheimer’s
1 million senior citizens suffer from Parkinson’s
300 thousand senior citizens suffer from MS
According to the CDC, 49.6% of senior citizens suffer from Arthritis
Mental Health America found that 27% of senior citizens suffer from severe anxiety disorders that are significantly impacting their ability to function.

And these are just a few of the conditions that the older members of our population endure.

With America’s senior population projected to outnumber the minor population (under 18) by 2035, we need to think of a solution, and quick.

Could CBD be the solution we need to keep our senior population healthier, longer?

How CBD Can Benefit The Health Of Seniors
CBD, short for Cannabidiol, is one of over 60 cannabinoids found in the Cannabis plant.

Like other cannabinoids, CBD can interact with receptors in our body’s Endocannabinoid System (ECS), which research has shown is the catalyst behind the many effects of the Cannabis plant. It is also the reason psychoactive cannabinoids like Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can induce euphoric or mind-altering effects on the user.

Now, unlike THC―CBD is non-psychoactive. This means it will not make the user high while continuing to deliver the many health properties of the Cannabis plant.

Because these benefits are uniquely aligned with the conditions generally afflicted by seniors, CBD is positioned as the perfect solution to improving the health and lives of our senior citizens!

Keep reading to discover 7 Science-Supported Benefits of CBD for Seniors!

Seven Health Benefits Of CBD For Seniors
1. CBD Can Help Manage Pain
First on our list, is CBD’s ability to alleviate a condition that nearly every senior deals with―pain and inflammation.

With nearly half of the senior population in the United States suffering from Arthritis and 75–85% of seniors suffering from chronic pain―this is, unfortunately, a common problem for most seniors in America.

It doesn’t have to be though.

Studies have shown that CBD can reduce inflammation and alleviate pain from conditions such as Arthritis, Joint, and Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

By activating various receptors in the Endocannabinoid System, experts have found that patients treated with CBD experience a “clinically significant reduction” in pain-related symptoms with little to no adverse side effects.

As a natural alternative to traditional pain medications, CBD creates a compelling case for health care professionals and senior caregivers.

2. CBD Promotes Bone Health
As our bodies naturally age, we endure a condition known as Osteoporosis.

During Osteoporosis, our bones experience a loss of vital minerals and become fragile and brittle, making them more prone to breaking. Because of this, seniors can experience severe pain and fractures if they have a fall.

With falls as the number one cause of death for men over the age of 60, and 33% of women and 25% of men older than 50 suffering from osteoporotic fractures, bone health is a severe issue for the older generation.

In addition to reducing inflammation and promoting cell repair, research has shown that the cannabinoids like CBD can actually help strengthen the bones and even improve the healing process if a fracture does occur.

While additional clinical trials will be needed to determine the viability of this application for the masses, the results thus far are promising.

3. CBD Can Improve Quality Of Sleep
While sleeping disorders like insomnia are a condition suffered by individuals of every age, they are widespread for seniors.

Experts suggest that this is caused by the shift in sleeping patterns as one gets older, along with the chemical imbalance caused by medical conditions and prescription medication.

Because sleep is the period that our body flushes out toxins and restores itself, conditions that prevent sleep are incredibly harmful to the seniors.

To alleviate their sleeping disorders, most seniors will turn to sleep medications. While these may temporarily solve one problem, they create an even bigger problem in the long run.

By combating the conditions that are causing sleeping disorders, such as stress, anxiety, restlessness, and general unbalance in the body, CBD can calm the user and naturally promote a healthier sleep problem for seniors. More importantly, it can prevent the need to take harmful sleeping medications.

4. CBD Can Combat Addiction
When people are afflicted by a health condition, society’s first solution is to prescribe medication.

By the time we figure out how damaging this is for our body, it’s too late. We adapted to need that medication literally.

While this may provide temporary relief for that condition, it often requires gradually increasing dosages that lead to further damage to the body and creates dependency on medication.

By the time we figure out how damaging this is for our body, it’s too late.

With seniors suffering from a wide range of health conditions, you can bet they’ve been prescribed all kinds of medications. As they continue to rely on medication to alleviate their requirements, they ultimately develop a dependency.

Studies have shown that CBD can not only alleviate conditions that often involve harmful medication, but it can also help combat the dependency that was developed from that medication.

Findings from a 2018 study revealed that CBD can actually help combat addiction by preventing relapses. In the study, researchers found that after administering CBD once a day for seven days, patients no longer displayed “addictive behaviors,” and it deterred the patient from relapsing for five months.

As seniors decide to switch from harmful medications to natural cannabis relief, CBD can help combat and alleviate the withdrawal and relapsing behaviors that will arise during this process.

5. CBD Can Improve Heart Health
According to the American College of Cardiology, heart disease is the most common condition amongst older adults and the #1 cause of death for this age group.

With more than half of all American adults suffering from high blood pressure, the leading cause of heart conditions, this fact comes as no surprise.

Based on the research from recent studies, CBD may be an effective and natural treatment for high blood pressure.

A 2017 study treated 10 men with one 600 mg dose of CBD and found that it reduced the resting blood pressure of the subjects. In this same study, researchers also administered stress tests to determine the effects CBD had on the subject’s stress response and found that the issue’s exhibited a lower blood pressure increase than average.

In addition to reducing high blood pressure, studies found that the antioxidant properties of CBD may help reduce cardiac inflammation and can deter cell death caused by oxidative stress.

The researchers in charge of the study believed that the results “strongly suggest that it [CBD] may have great therapeutic potential in the treatment of diabetic complications, and perhaps other cardiovascular disorders, by attenuating oxidative/nitrosative stress, inflammation, cell death, and fibrosis.”

By reducing blood pressure and deterring inflammation and cell death in the heart, CBD can significantly improve overall heart health and serve as a preventive measure against severe health conditions.

6. CBD Can Deter Neurodegenerative Diseases
Because CBD can interact with receptors in our brain and central nervous system, experts believe CBD could be a potential treatment for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Multiple Sclerosis.

While it’s still early to make a final assessment, the studies below have shown some promising results.

2007 study showing that CBD can reduce the neuroinflammation associated with Alzheimer’s disease by attenuating Abeta evoked neuro-inflammatory responses.

2015 study discussing how cannabinoids can reduce the agitation and aggression of Alzheimer’s disease.

2014 review explaining how CBD can prevent the development of social recognition deficits associated with Alzheimer’s Disease.

2012 study showing how CBD can slow the degenerative process and alleviate the pain and spasms of Multiple Sclerosis.

2017 study examining the effectiveness of CBD in treating neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s and ALS.

And the list goes on…

As you can see from the findings reported in these studies, there is a substantial amount of evidence supporting the neuroprotective benefits of CBD.

As more clinical trials are conducted, the evidence will become more and more evident. In the future, CBD could become one of the primary treatment methods for seniors suffering from neurodegenerative diseases.

7. CBD Can Improve Mood And Alleviate Mood-Related Disorders
While we all deal with mood swings, as we start to experience the significant changes associated with getting older―like the decline of health, disabilities, or the loss of a loved one―these mood swings can often become significantly intensified.

Prolonged, they can lead to significant health problems, with a high chance of the individual developing a mental illness if they feel that they are disconnected, neglected, isolated, or lonely.

Based on the findings from numerous studies, CBD may help alleviate this condition.

By interacting with the receptors involved in regulating our mood (such as the Serotonin and Adenosine receptors), CBD can alleviate stress, calm the mind, and improve cognitive functions. These three things combined, significantly contribute to how your brain perceives its current situation and can have a significant impact on your mood.

While studies have shown that CBD can effectively alleviate mood-related disorders, the thing that seniors need more than anything is to know that they aren’t forgotten.

It’s probably not a comfortable situation to talk about, but we can often get so involved with our lives that we forget these special people. Over time, this can take a severe toll on their mental, physical, and psychological health.

While we try to make the most of it, nobody enjoys getting old, especially if they have to do it alone.

Whether it be your grandparent or parent―if there’s an older person in your life who you know could use some company, make an effort to spend some time with them. These are going to be some of the most precious moments you can share with them, and It will make a big difference in their health and lives. 

Turmeric Tea Health Benefits
Turmeric Tea Health Benefits
What Is In Turmeric Tea
The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin. Curcumin gives turmeric its characteristic yellow color. Curcumin is proven to have anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties.

The most effective way to consume turmeric may be as a tea. Curcumin has low bioavailability, which means the body has a hard time accessing and absorbing the compound. For this reason, turmeric supplements, with their guaranteed high concentrations of curcumin, are popular.

Turmeric tea, brewed using grated turmeric root or pure powder, is considered one of the most effective ways to consume the spice.

There is no specific recommended daily intake of turmeric. Based on available research, the suggested daily intake depends mostly on the condition it is being used to treat.

Most research in adults supports the safe use of 400 to 600 milligrams (mg) of pure turmeric powder three times daily, or 1 to 3 grams (g) daily of grated or dried turmeric root. Grating the turmeric yourself is the best way to ensure a pure product.

Benefits Turmeric Tea
Drinking turmeric tea is believed to bring about several benefits, nine of which are described in more detail here.

Reduces Arthritis Symptoms
As an anti-inflammatory, curcumin may help reduce the most noticeable signs of arthritis. A 2017 study found that out of 206 American adults with self-reported rheumatoid arthritis, 63 percent used non-vitamin supplements to manage their symptoms, with turmeric being the most popular product that was taken.

Boosts Immune Function
Curcumin is proven to improve immune function with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial properties. Curcumin has also been shown to act as an immune modulator, helping regulate immune cell function against cancer.

Bits Of Help Reduce Cardiovascular Complications
Several studies have shown curcumin to have beneficial heart health properties by acting as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. A 2012 study found that taking 4 g per day of curcumin 3 days before and 5 days after coronary artery bypass grafting surgery, reduced the risk of acute myocardial infarction or heart attack by 17 percent.

Helps Prevent And Treat Cancer
One of the most clinically established therapeutic properties of curcumin is its anti-cancer action. As an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, curcumin is thought to lower the risk of cells in the body becoming damaged, reducing the risk of cell mutations and cancer.

Furthermore, numerous studies have shown that curcumin has anti-tumor properties, limiting the growth of tumors and spread of cancerous cells. According to a 2014 medical review, more than 2,000 articles have been published using the keywords “curcumin” and “cancer.” The use of curcumin as a cancer treatment alongside chemotherapy and radiation therapy is currently being investigated.

Helps Manage Irritable Bowel Syndrome Or IBS
Curcumin has long been used in traditional medicines as a treatment for many digestive conditions. Several studies have found that curcumin may help reduce the pain associated with IBS and improve the quality of life of those people with the condition.

A 2012 study in rats found that curcumin helped decrease the time it took for the food to empty from the stomach to the small intestine, otherwise known as gastric emptying.

Prevents And Treats Alzheimer’s
Studies have shown that curcumin may help reduce the chances of several neurodegenerative conditions. Its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory powers are thought to reduce cellular damage, inflammation, and amyloid deposits or plaques that occur with these conditions.

Curcumin may also be able to slow down or prevent some of the age-associated protein changes linked to neurodegeneration.

Protects Against Liver Damage, Gallstones, And Manages Liver Conditions
Several studies have shown that curcumin can protect against liver damage. Potential liver and gallbladder benefits of curcumin include increasing production of the digestive fluid bile while also protecting liver cells from damage from bile-associated chemicals.

Helps Prevent And Manage Diabetes
Traditional medicines have used turmeric for diabetes for thousands of years. Several studies using animal and human models have shown that curcumin supplementation may have anti-diabetes properties.

Helps Treat And Manage Lung Conditions
Researchers suspect that the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of curcumin may help reduce the symptoms of chronic or long-lasting lung conditions.

A 2017 medical review concluded that although the clinical evidence is limited, curcumin might help treat asthma, pulmonary and cystic fibrosis, lung cancer or injury, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

PREPARATION
To make a turmeric tea, a person can add ground, grated, or powdered turmeric to boiling water.

Turmeric tea can be prepared from either pure turmeric powder or grated or ground, dried turmeric. Fermented turmeric preparations, commonly sold as tea products, claim to have higher concentrations of biologically available or absorbable curcumin.

The steps to follow for making turmeric tea are:

Boil 4 cups of water
Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of ground, grated, or powdered turmeric
Allow the mixture to simmer for approximately 10 minutes
Strain the tea into a container and allow it to cool for 5 minutes
Many people put additional ingredients into their turmeric tea to improve the taste or help with its absorption.

Common Additives Include:
Honey, to sweeten the drink and give the mixture more anti-microbial properties.

Whole milk, cream, almond milk, coconut milk, or 1 tablespoon of coconut oil or ghee (unclarified butter) to help with absorption, as curcumin requires healthy fats to dissolve properly.

Black pepper, which contains piperine, a chemical known to help promote curcumin absorption, and that can add a spicy flavor to the tea.

Lemon, lime, or ginger, to enhance antioxidant and anti-microbial properties in the mixture and improve the taste.

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Why Does It Matter If Broccoli Sprouts Contain High Amounts Of Glucosinolates?

For that, let’s get into a little food science.

Brassica vegetables, including broccoli sprouts as well as other cruciferous veggies (kale, arugula, radishes and more) contain an enzyme called myrosinase that functions as part of gut bacteria to break down glucosinolates into their “usable” forms, one category of which is known as isothiocyanates.

Isothiocyanates seem to activate other enzymes responsible for transforming and/or removing xenobiotics (disease-causing compounds) from the body. Some sources describe this process as a “host defense mechanism” that is activated by relatively small amounts of isothiocyanates and causes your body to employ its natural disease-fighting power.

Broccoli sprouts contain incredibly high levels of glucoraphanin, the glucosinolate precursor to the isothiocyanate sulforaphane. Actually, these sprouts pack between 10–100 times the amount of glucoraphanin than adult broccoli. The exact quantity of glucoraphanin depends on the date picked (three days seems to be the ultimate sweet spot) and how the sprouts are prepared (raw is best — cooking eliminates a lot of the myrosinase). To most effectively take advantage.

Now that we’ve established how this works let’s talk a little bit about why we should care about sulforaphane.

For one, this compound has some super impressive cancer-preventing and cancer-fighting capabilities that I’ll discuss in detail in just a moment, but that’s not the only thing it can do. Sulforaphane has been shown to support the heart, bones and respiratory system, and it might help your body fight off a common infection, detoxify environmental chemicals, combat autoimmune disease and even protect your brain after serious injury.

One way sulforaphane seems to accomplish these things is through epigenetics, an exciting new scientific discovery about how genetic changes can be achieved by changes to diet and lifestyle. Epigenetics is the science of the “layer” on top of our DNA that instructs cells to turn off and on, how to function, and so on. Sulforaphane has been found to influence the epigenetic layer of certain parts of DNA that change many disease-fighting functions.

Sound too good to be true? Just wait until you hear the science behind it all.

Benefits Of Broccoli Sprouts

May Fight and Prevent Cancer – including throat, lung, colon, prostate, breast, bladder, skin cancers.

• Might Benefit the Heart
• Support Strong Bones
• Might Help Fight H. pylori Infection
• Detoxify the Body
• May Improve Respiratory Function
• Can Be Part of a Multiple Sclerosis Diet
• Could Protect Your Brain

May Fight And Prevent Cancer

Broccoli sprouts – Dr. Axe

Remember that 1997 article in the New York Times? The title of that piece is Researchers Find a Concentrated Anticancer Substance in Broccoli Sprouts. More than any other phenomenon, the ability of broccoli sprouts to fight cancer is its most extensively researched and well-known feature.

How does it work? (This is a pretty technical description, so feel free to skip down a few paragraphs if you’re not into the gritty details.)

First of all, sulforaphane inhibits the function of phase I enzymes, which activate pro-carcinogens (substances that are metabolized into carcinogens) in the body. Then, it induces phase II enzymes to begin their work — unlike phase I enzymes, phase II enzymes detoxify your body of potential carcinogens and other disease-causing compounds (the scientific term for this is “xenobiotic metabolism”)

Eating broccoli sprouts can also influence the amount of a fascinating protein known as Nrf2. It’s interesting because this protein functions early in life as an antioxidant likely to serve in cancer prevention but, once cancer has spread, it also seems to promote tumor growth. Researchers observe the activity of HDAC, a cancer-promoting protein, to determine how Nrf2 is functioning in the body — the more activity in Nrf2 pathways, the less HDAC is expressed. They also look at the expression of the p16 gene, a cancer suppressor that inhibits HDAC.

In animal studies, sulforaphane was able to exhibit strong cancer-fighting ability in mice with high Nrf2 concentrations but had minimal effect in Nrf2-deficient mice. Reducing HDAC in human colon cancer cells causes sulforaphane to double its ability to create p16 expression and potentially stop that cancer from growing further. A human study found that those eating more than five servings of cruciferous vegetable servings a week or taking a broccoli sprout supplement had higher p16 expression and lower HDAC, according to colonoscopy screenings.

Lastly, many of the benefits of sulforaphane (not limited just to cancer-preventing) are connected to epigenetics, as I mentioned. Sulforaphane might be able to influence some of the epigenetic changes in specific types of cancer cells and possibly reverse adverse alterations in the genetic code that worsen or induce some cancers.

As complicated as that might sound, those are the bare basics of broccoli sprouts and cancer prevention. Here are the various types of cancer studied for their relationship to broccoli sprouts and sulforaphane:

Throat Cancer

Throat Cancer: Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and Johns Hopkins University presented a review in 2015 detailing the way broccoli sprout extract protects against oral cancer (specifically, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma) in mice and how it is very tolerable in human volunteers. These two facts combined warrant further study in high-risk human subjects about this form of cancer.

Lung Cancer

Lung Cancer: A mouse study in 2005 tested the ability of sulforaphane to prevent lung cancer caused by tobacco carcinogens. The results were promising and led the scientists to suggest these substances should be checked to help prevent lung cancer “in smokers and ex-smokers with early lung lesions.”

Colon Cancer

Colon Cancer: The examples in my explanation of how sulforaphane can help prevent cancer included mice with colon cancer as well as colon cancer cells. Other studies have found the same results. A lab study found that sulforaphane from broccoli sprouts and other cruciferous vegetables causes cell death and permanent DNA breakage in colon cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unaffected.

Prostate Cancer

Prostate Cancer: Both animal and human studies have reflected the impact of broccoli and broccoli sprouts on prostate cancer. The selenium found in both broccoli and its sprouts stops the expression of a protein called NGK2D ligand, which negatively affects the immune system and causes it to overact and then shut down in cancers, including leukemia, prostate cancer, and melanoma.

Selenium-Enriched Broccoli Sprouts Effectively Stopped The Growth And Spread Of Prostate Cancer Cells

In a lab, scientists found that selenium-enriched broccoli sprouts effectively stopped the growth and spread of prostate cancer cells. Selenium-enriched sprouts are increasingly common.

Regular consumption of broccoli sprouts also seems to halt the development of prostate cancer tumors in mice. A tiny human study saw some improvements but not to a very significant threshold, as expected. Even so, those doing the research said they want to repeat the study with higher doses of sulforaphane and a more substantial number of subjects, mainly since the side effects were essentially null.

Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer: A mouse study discovered that sulforaphane stops the growth of breast cancer stem cells and suggests it’s a useful dietary method to protect from breast cancer. In humans, another small trial found some positive changes but non-statistically significant changes in tumor biomarkers usually used to test improvement of cancer development.

Bladder Cancer

Bladder Cancer: Another study in mice tested the effectiveness of a broccoli sprout extract on bladder cancer. Researchers found the bladder to benefit quite a bit — because the extract is delivered directly to the part of the bladder (the epithelium) where bladder cancer develops, it was a promising result in preventing bladder cancer and slowing or stopping its spread.

Skin Cancer:

Skin Cancer: In mice, sulforaphane-containing broccoli sprout extracts seem to protect against skin cancer caused by UV light.

Broccoli Sprouts Might Benefit The Heart

A 2012 study found that rats given sulforaphane from broccoli sprouts showed lower blood pressure after the sulforaphane stopped an epigenetic process called DNA methylation that researchers believe to be correlated with hypertension.

Broccoli sprouts also lowered blood pressure in another animal study in 2016, as well as resulted in lowering high triglycerides.

At a Chinese university, scientists discovered that sulforaphane also helps decrease the lab markers of cardiac hypertrophy (abnormal enlargement of the heart muscle).

It’s even possible broccoli sprouts can be beneficial for a severe heart injury known as myocardial reperfusion injury. This injury occurs as a result of a standard medical practice administered after a heart attack known as a percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). PPCI is used to widen arteries immediately after a heart attack and prevent further damage but often results in oxidative stress and cell death within the heart and connected arteries.

Rats were fed broccoli sprouts for 10 days and then subjected to heart attack and two hours of reperfusion. The rats fed broccoli sprouts experienced less cell death and oxidative stress during the process, suggesting that preemptively adding broccoli sprouts to the diet might help aid in recovery for those at risk for heart attack.

Broccoli Sprouts Support Strong Bones

Early reports indicate sulforaphane might be a powerful protector against osteoporosis. In a lab, sulforaphane from broccoli sprouts seems to stop molecular processes and inflammation related to the formation of osteoblasts, which are a significant cause of osteoporosis.

Epigenetics play a role here, too. A study in mice found that sulforaphane influences the epigenetic layer to counteract mechanisms that contribute to the formation of osteoporosis.

Broccoli Sprouts Might Help Fight H. Pylori Infection

“The most successful pathogen in human history” might have met a match in broccoli sprouts. H. pylori originated from Africa and have been causing gastritis and stomach ulcers for 200,000 years.

Animal and human studies alike have found broccoli sprouts to temporarily suspend this bacterial infection in at least some patients, with little to no side effects.

Some studies have found that the H. pylori infection didn’t go away after giving broccoli sprout extract. However, broccoli sprouts seem to protect the gastric lining (mucosa) from oxidative stress associated with the development of gastritis and eventually gastric cancer. They may also reduce the future colonization of H. pylori.

Eating broccoli sprouts has a distinct anti-inflammatory effect when it comes to H. pylori, too, which means they could significantly help your body fight illness and disease related to infection by this bacteria.

Broccoli Sprouts Help Detoxify The Body

Many fad “detoxes” aren’t worth the dollars they cost because nature has already provided great detoxing foods that you can use to make your own detox drinks to get rid of many of the environmental and dietary pollutants your body needs to trash — just more proof that food is medicine.

One such example is a broccoli sprout drink. Two human studies in congested areas famed for their toxin overload in the air found that the broccoli sprouts in their drinks resulted in excretion of far larger quantities of airborne chemicals than people drinking a placebo. One of the studies tested explicitly for carcinogen biomarkers, finding the participants were significantly detoxing these dangerous chemicals after just 10 days.

Broccoli Sprouts May Improve Respiratory Function

That same detox power might be one reason sulforaphane is good for respiratory health. Lab and human studies have discovered that broccoli sprouts and sulforaphane aid cells in the lungs get rid of environmental toxins (namely, diesel exhaust) that are known to contribute to allergies, asthma and other respiratory illness.

Do you remember that sulforaphane induces phase II enzymes in cancer? Those enzymes are also expressed in the upper airway when exposed to ingested sulforaphane and may decrease inflammation from oxidative stress connected with asthma.

Researchers also conducted a study in mice that found sulforaphane decreased oxidative stress and limited replication of the RSV virus, the most common cause of lower respiratory illness in infants and young children.

Broccoli Sprouts Can Be Part of a Multiple Sclerosis Diet

Sulforaphane is one nutrient being investigated for potential dietary impact in multiple sclerosis (MS).

In a mouse model, sulforaphane decreased inflammation and oxidative stress (are you seeing a pattern yet?) associated with the demyelinating seen in MS. “Demyelinating” is the process by which the body’s immune system damages the myelin sheath surrounding nerve fibers and is the cause of the severe symptoms associated with MS.

Broccoli Sprouts Could Protect Your Brain

Some “nutraceuticals” (medicinal foods) protect your brain from long-term, slowly developing problems that arise late in life. Others, like broccoli sprouts, might help to relieve some problems associated with trauma.

For one, immediately administering sulforaphane after traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been found to help reduce brain swelling. It also enhances cognition in patients who get it within an hour after TBI.

These are obviously times in which physicians and emergency personnel will be giving treatment to patients — don’t try feeding broccoli sprouts to your loved ones if they have head injuries; get them to a hospital!

However, other brain issues might benefit from the dietary use of broccoli sprouts. One example is in stroke — it seems possible that regularly eating broccoli sprouts before stroke might help reduce disruption of the blood-brain barrier and neural dysfunction after strokes have occurred.

Finally, there have been multiple rat studies in which blood flow to the brain was restricted, and then sulforaphane was given to the animals. In these tests, blood flow blockage was minimized, and the brain was somewhat protected from oxygen deprivation. The latter result is significant because deprivation has been known to cause cerebral palsy.

Broccoli Sprouts Nutrition

Broccoli sprouts nutrition is a little tricky because many commercially available broccoli sprouts are sold in supplement form. Since they have to be bought so quickly after sprouting, it’s rare actually to purchase fresh broccoli sprouts at the grocery store. (So, I’ll give you some information on how to grow broccoli sprouts in a moment.)

A four-ounce serving of freshly harvested broccoli sprouts (about 84 grams) probably contains about:

• 35 calories
• 5 grams carbohydrates
• 2 grams of protein
• 0.5-grams fat
• 4 grams of fiber
• 54 milligrams vitamin C (60 percent DV)
• 90 micrograms vitamin A (10 percent DV)
• 78 milligrams calcium (6 percent DV)
• 720 micrograms iron (4 percent DV)

And, don’t forget, one of the most essential features of broccoli sprouts is the fact they contain 10–100 times the sulforaphane found in mature broccoli.

How To Grow Broccoli Sprouts

If you’re interested in how to grow broccoli sprouts yourself, look no further. Broccoli sprouts take a little longer to sprout than many other seeds, but it’s worth the health benefits. (Plus, if you live in a warm climate, you’re likely to see a faster result.)

Conventional sprout growing requires a jar with sprouting lid, some broccoli seeds, and purified water. In your container, cover about 2 tablespoons of organic broccoli sprouting seeds with warm water (a few inches of rain will do), and soak overnight. Drain your seeds after 8–10 hours.

For about 5 days, be careful to rinse the seeds with fresh, purified water between two and three times each day. You’ll need to drain off the water each time you wash the sprouts (or they could go bad).

During this growing time, be sure to keep your sprouts in a warm, dark environment.

In the first three days or so, you’ll likely see the seeds split and reveal the beginnings of a sprout. However, don’t harvest them yet.

When you notice the sprouts are an inch to an inch and a half long and have developed defined yellow leaves, it’s safe to expose your broccoli sprouts to some sunlight. Continue to water and rinse as before, especially if you live in a very hot or dry place.

Sprouts are ready to be picked and eaten when the leaves are a darker shade of green and more prolonged than an inch in length.

Not sure how you feel about this process? There are a variety of more automated ways to grow broccoli sprouts, like a tray seed sprouter or self-watering sprout systems. However, even the most traditional method only takes a few minutes each day.

Broccoli Sprouts vs. Plain Broccoli vs. Broccoli Seed Oil

What about broccoli seed oil, the essential oil pressed from broccoli seeds?

Actually, all three of these broccoli products are amazing in their own right. Take full advantage of the benefits of broccoli by using them each in turn.

All of them help prevent certain cancers (broccoli seed oil is known to help prevent UV damage related to skin cancer) and age-related support ailments (skin degradation, bone health, etc.).

Broccoli seed oil is known for its limited benefits for skin and hair and is an excellent substitute for silicone and retinol beauty products. It also helps moisturize the skin.

Broccoli and broccoli sprouts both support detoxification, heart health, bone health, and brain health.

Mature broccoli contains much higher amounts of vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin A, folate, vitamin B6, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium than broccoli sprouts, which is one of the reasons it’s such a staple vegetable in most places around the world. Broccoli is also associated with other benefits, such as liver protection, teeth/gum health, wound healing, eye health, blood pH balancing, fertility, hormonal health, and weight management.

However, broccoli sprouts and their associated sulforaphane levels are known for being part of a diet for MS, fighting H. pylori infection, improvement of respiratory function and a potential way to help protect the brain before and after a severe injury.

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