Nature's Detox Agent
Rid your body of carcinogens, pollutants, heavy metals, and environmental estrogens the natural way. Here's how.
If you know anything about nutrition, supplements, and basic science, you probably roll your eyes when you hear buzzwords like toxins, detoxify, and cleanse. These words have been widely misused and abused by the health industry.
Many health brands use "toxic" to describe anything they want to demonize, usually without scientific justification. They'll call any synthetic ingredient a "toxic chemical," even though most aren't toxic, and many natural ingredients are highly toxic.
Some wellness brands claim the body is "full of toxins" but rarely specify what toxins. They also like to ignore our highly effective built-in detoxification systems: our livers, kidneys, lungs, and skin. Finally, most "cleansing" and "detoxifying" products are actually just laxatives and diuretics.
Toxins, of course, really do exist, and they're hard to avoid in the modern world. Carcinogens, air pollutants, heavy metals, and hormone metabolites can wreck your health and shorten your life. To "cleanse" them, we need to eat certain foods that support and strengthen our innate detoxification factories.
The number one natural detoxifier? Sulforaphane.
What is Sulforaphane?
Sulforaphane is a powerful bioactive compound found in cruciferous vegetables, particularly broccoli sprouts. Broccoli sprouts have up to 100 times more glucoraphanin than mature broccoli, making them the richest natural source of sulforaphane.
Here's how that works: Sulforaphane isn't stored directly in plants. It's produced when glucoraphanin (a sulfur-rich glucosinolate) comes into contact with myrosinase (an enzyme). This reaction happens when the plant is chewed, chopped, or blended. Myrosinase is activated, converting glucoraphanin into sulforaphane.
Sulforaphane enhances detoxification primarily by activating the Nrf2 pathway, which increases the production of phase 2 detoxification enzymes in the liver. These enzymes help the body neutralize and eliminate harmful chemicals, heavy metals, and pollutants. Sulforaphane also supports glutathione production, the body's master antioxidant, which helps neutralize oxidative stress and toxins before they cause cellular damage.
Bonus Benefits of Sulforaphane
- Sulforaphane has been studied for its ability to inhibit cancer cell growth by inducing apoptosis (programmed cell death) and preventing tumor formation. It also crosses the blood-brain barrier, protecting neurons from oxidative stress and inflammation.
- Sulforaphane improves insulin sensitivity, supports healthy gut bacteria, and helps with high blood pressure by improving nitric oxide production for better blood vessel function.
- Sulforaphane supports healthy estrogen metabolism, helping balance hormone levels, which benefits PCOS, estrogen dominance, and prostate health.
The Problem with Broccoli Sprouts
Broccoli sprouts are so prone to bacterial contamination that many grocery chains refuse to carry them. They're just too much of a liability. Outbreaks of salmonella, E. coli, and listeria are incredibly common.
Broccoli sprouts also spoil quickly and lose sulforaphane content rapidly when exposed to heat, light, and moisture. Cooking any cruciferous vegetable destroys most of its sulforaphane content. Because of all of this, broccoli sprouts are tricky.
Can We Supplement with Sulforaphane?
Yes, by consuming freeze-dried broccoli sprouts in powdered form. The fresh-freeze-drying process is clean and contaminant-free, and all of the sulforaphane goodness is left intact.
Broccoli sprout whole-food extract is one of the 18 ingredients in the Biotest Superfood (Buy at Amazon) formula. We added it primarily for its high sulforaphane content.
