Broccoli Kale Radish
Phytonutrients, Indoles, Sulfurophanes, Carotenes, Chlorophyll, Vitamins
& Minerals.
Broccoli, kale & radish Juice Extract USA
Sulfur-based phytonutrients and others lower risk of cancer and benefit
nearly every body system.
Like cabbage and broccoli, kale has full of nutrients. It's a popular ingredient
of green vegetable juice extract. Kale contains 181 mg of calcium per 100 grams (milk
contains 100 mg of calcium per 100 grams), that helps strengthen bones. And with half
the iron of beef liver, kale supports memory improvement. Kale provides fiber and a
variety of vitamins, including vitamin C, to help prevent digestive disorders.
The radish belongs to the mustard family, with the roots being the most popular
edible part (though the sprouts and greens are increasingly popular). Offering long
term storage, the radish contains a lot of vitamin C, mostly in its skin. Diostase,
a digestive enzyme, is plentiful in radish and helps with digestion when eaten raw.
(Diastase, the starch-dissolving enzyme, is present in our sputum.) Methyl
mercaptan (CH3SH) gives radish its aroma, and allyl compound (CH2=CH.CH2NCS)
composes its spicy taste. Dried radish contain bountiful protein, essential
amino acids, lysine, carotene and vitamin C. And dried radish -- rich in
minerals, calcium, and iron -- keeps our bodies warm in winter.
Broccoli, kale and radish are rich in sulfurophane, a compound that has been found to be
effective as a tumor deterrent. Sulfurophane is found in broccoli, cauliflower,
brussels sprouts, turnips and kale. Tests on laboratory rats showed that when
sulfurophane is in the bloodstream, far fewer animals developed mammary gland
cancer than when sulfurophane was absent. It 1) supports a health
gastrointestinal tract 2) eliminates free radicals 3) helps when you have a
toxic liver, toxic bowel or parasites 4) assists all detoxification programs.
Broccoli
Health Benefits
Cancer Protection
Like other cruciferous vegetables, broccoli contains phytochemicals--sulforaphane
and the indoles--with significant anti-cancer effects. Research on
indole-3-carbinol shows this compound helps deactivate a potent estrogen
metabolite (2-hydroxyestrone)that promotes tumor growth, especially in
estrogen-sensitive breast cells. Indole-3-carbinol has been shown to suppress
not only breast tumor cell growth, but also cancer cell metastasis (the movement
of cancerous cells to other parts of the body). Scientists have found that
sulforaphane boosts the body's detoxification enzymes, potentially by altering
gene expression, thus helping to clear potentially carcinogenic substances more
quickly. When researchers at Johns Hopkins studied the effect of sulphoraphane
on tumor formation in lab animals, those animals given sulforaphane had fewer
tumors, and the tumors they did develop grew more slowly and weighed less,
meaning they were smaller.
A study published December 2003 in the cancer journal, Oncology Report
demonstrated that sulforaphane, which is a potent inducer of Phase 2 liver
detoxification enzymes, also has a dose-dependent ability to induce cell growth
arrest and cell death via apoptosis (the self-destruct sequence the body uses to
eliminate abnormal cells) in both leukemia and melanoma cells. (December 31, 2003)
Now, a new study published in the September 2004 issue of the Journal of
Nutrition shows sulforaphane also helps stop the proliferation of breast cancer
cells, even in the later stages of their growth. (If broccoli isn't one of your
favorite vegetables, remember that a tablespoon of broccoli sprouts contains as much
sulforaphane as is found in a whole pound of adult broccoli.) (October 19, 2004)
Another study, published in the December 2003 issue of Cancer, the journal
of the American Cancer Society, looked at indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a naturally
occurring component of Brassica vegetables, such as cabbage, broccoli, and Brussels
sprouts. I3C has been recognized as a promising anticancer agent against certain
reproductive tumor cells. This study evaluated I3C?s effects on cell cycling
progression and cancer cell proliferation in human prostate cancer cells. I3C was
shown to suppress the growth of prostate cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner by
blocking several important steps in cell cycling and also to inhibit the
production of prostate specific antigen, a protein produced by the prostate
whose rising levels may indicate prostate cancer. Researchers noted that the
results of this study demonstrate that ?I3C has a potent antiproliferative
effect? in human prostate cancer cells, which qualifies it as ?a potential
chemotherapeutic agent? against human prostate cancer. (December 31, 2003)
New research has greatly advanced scientists? understanding of just how
Brassica family vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale and
Brussels sprouts help prevent cancer . When these vegetables are cut, chewed or
digested, a sulfur-containing compound called sinigrin is brought into contact
with the enzyme myrosinase, resulting in the release of glucose and breakdown
products, including highly reactive compounds called isothiocyanates.
Isothiocyanates are not only potent inducers of the liver?s Phase II enzymes,
which detoxify carcinogens, but research recently conducted at the Institute for
Food Research in the U.K. shows one of these compounds, allyl isothicyanate,
also inhibits mitosis (cell division) and stimulates apoptosis (programmed cell
death) in human tumor cells.
Cell replication (when the parent cell divides to form two daughter cells)
occurs in a four-stage process. After the cell divides (the first stage), pole
structures are created called spindles (the second or metaphase). If anything
interferes with the construction and deconstruction of these spindles, the cell
division process stops, and the damaged cells commit suicide. The IFR team, led
by Ian Johnson, has shown that isothiocyanate disrupts the metaphase, thus
preventing the cell division of the colon cancer cells. Their research will be
published in the July 2004 issue of Carcinogenesis. (June 3, 2004)
Broccoli definitely proves the adage, "Good things come in small packages."
Broccoli sprouts concentrate phytochemicals found in mature broccoli--a lot.
Researchers estimate that broccoli sprouts contain 10-100 times the power of
mature broccoli to boost enzymes that detoxify potential carcinogens! A healthy
serving of broccoli sprouts in your salad or sandwich can offer as much or even
more protection against cancer as larger amounts of mature broccoli.
A Cardio-Protective Vegetable
Broccoli has been singled out as one of the small number of vegetables and
fruits that contributed to the significant reduction in heart disease risk seen
in a recent meta-analysis of seven prospective studies. Of the more than 100,000
individuals who participated in these studies, those who diets most frequently
included broccoli, tea, onions, and apples?the richest sources of flavonoids?gained
a 20% reduction in their risk of heart disease. (October 24, 2003)
Now, an animal study, published in the May 4, 2004 issue of the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, not only suggests that just
eating a couple of tablespoons a day of broccoli sprouts may have a major
beneficial impact on cardiovascular health, but offers some of the reasons why.
In this 14-week study, led by Bernhard Juurlink, from the University of
Saskatchewan, Canada, rats prone to high blood pressure and stroke were fed
either broccoli sprouts rich in a compound already known to be protective
against cancer called glucoraphanin (and also known as sulforaphane
glucosinolate or SGS), broccoli sprouts depleted of this substance, or no
broccoli sprouts at all. At the end of the study, in rats fed the glucoraphanin-rich
diet, tissue antioxidant defense mechanisms increased, inflammation decreased in
the heart, arteries and kidneys, and blood pressure dropped. Rats given broccoli
sprouts without glucoraphanin and rats given no broccoli sprouts exhibited no
protective changes. According to Juurlink, glucoraphanin-rich broccoli sprouts
help the body disarm free radicals?not directly like the antioxidant vitamins C
and E, which scavenge one free radical at a time by binding to it, and are
therefore rendered inactive in the process?but by boosting the body?s own
antioxidant defense systems by increasing levels of glutathione, an antioxidant
produced by the body that serves as an essential component in glutathione
reductase and glutathione peroxidase, some of the liver?s most important
detoxification enzymes. The end result is a broad spectrum of ongoing, prolonged
antioxidant activity that cycles over and over, eliminating many free
radicals. (June 3, 2004)
Cataract Prevention
Broccoli and other leafy green vegetables contain powerful phytochemical
antioxidants in the carotenoid family called lutein and zeaxanthin,
both of which are concentrated in large quantities in the lens of the eye. When
36,000 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study were monitored, those who
ate broccoli more than twice a week had a 23% lower risk of cataracts compared
to men who consumed this antioxidant-rich vegetable less than once a month. In
addition to the antioxidant potential of broccoli's carotenoids, recent research
has suggested that sulforaphane may also have antioxidant potential, being able
to protect human eye cells from free radical stressors.
Stronger Bones with Broccoli
When it comes to building strong bones, broccoli's got it all for less. One
cup of cooked broccoli contains 74 grams of calcium, plus 123 mg of vitamin C,
which significantly improves calcium's absorption; all this for a total of only
44 calories. To put this in perspective, an orange contains no calcium, 69 mg of
vitamin C, and 60--about 50% more--calories. Dairy products, long touted as the
most reliable source of calcium, contain no vitamin C, but do contain saturated
fat. A glass of 2% milk contains 121 calories, and 42 of those calories come
from fat.
Protection Against Ulcers
The same research team that discovered that broccoli sprouts fight cancer
have also found that these sprouts may also eradicate Helicobacter pylori,
the bacterium not only responsible for most peptic ulcers but one that has been
found to increase a person's risk of getting gastric cancer three to sixfold.
Glucoraphanin, a compound found in broccoli and broccoli sprouts that the
body turns into the cancer-preventive chemical sulforaphane, appears to be more
effective than modern antibiotics against H. pylori. Clinical research is being
planned that will hopefully confirm these findings, offering people an effective
dietary approach to eliminate H. pylori.
As promised, a study published in the December 2003 issue of Antimicrobial
Agents and Chemotherapy provides more support for broccoli?s ability to eliminate
H. pylori In this study, sulforaphane, a phytochemical richly abundant in the
form of its precursor in broccoli sprouts, was able to completely eradicate H.
pylori in 8 of 11 mice that had been infected with the bacterium via the
implantation of infected human gastric cells. Results were so dramatic the researchers
concluded that sulforaphane-rich broccoli may be of benefit in the treatment or
prevention of infection with H. pylori, a primary cause of ulcers. (December 31, 2003)
An Immune System Booster
Not only does a cup of broccoli contain the RDA for vitamin C, it also
fortifies your immune system with a hefty 1359 mcg of beta-carotene, and small
but useful amounts of zinc and selenium, two trace minerals that act as
cofactors in numerous immune defensive actions.
A Birth Defect Fighter
Especially if you are pregnant, be sure to eat broccoli. A cup of broccoli
supplies 94 mcg of folic acid, a B-vitamin essential for proper cellular
division because it is necessary in DNA synthesis. Without folic acid, the
fetus' nervous system cells do not divide properly. Deficiency of folic acid
during pregnancy has been linked to several birth defects, including neural tube
defects like spina bifida. Despite folic acid's wide occurence in food (it's
name comes from the Latin word folium, meaning "foliage," because it's
found in green leafy vegetables), folic acid deficiency is the most common
vitamin deficiency in the world.
Protection against Rheumatoid Arthritis
While one July 2004 study suggests that high doses of supplemental vitamin C
makes osteoarthritis, a type of degenerative arthritis that occurs with aging,
worse in guinea pigs, another indicates that vitamin C-rich foods, such as
broccoli, provide humans with protection against inflammatory polyarthritis, a
form of rheumatoid arthritis involving two or more joints.
The findings, presented in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases were
drawn from a study of more than 20,000 subjects who kept diet diaries and were
arthritis-free when the study began, and focused on 73 subjects who developed
inflammatory polyarthritis and 146 similar subjects who remained arthritis-free
during follow-up between 1993 and 2001. Subjects who consumed the lowest amounts
of vitamin C-rich foods were more than three times more likely to develop
arthritis than those who consumed the highest amounts.
Description
Broccoli?s name is derived from the Latin word brachium, which means
branch or arm, a reflection of its tree-like shape that features a compact head
of florets attached by small stems to a larger stalk. Because of its different
components, this vegetable provides a complex of tastes and textures, ranging
from soft and flowery (the florets) to fibrous and crunchy (the stem and stalk).
Its color can range from deep sage to dark green to purplish-green, depending
upon the variety. The most popular type of broccoli sold in the United States is
known as Italian green, or Calabrese, named after the Italian province of
Calabria where it first grew.
Other vegetables related to broccoli are broccolini, a mix between broccoli
and kale, and broccoflower, a cross between broccoli and cauliflower. Broccoli
sprouts have also recently become popular as a result of research uncovering
their high concentration of the anti-cancer phytochemical, sulforaphane.
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