From Nature to Nutrition – Sulforaphane’s Origins Explained
Sulforaphane is a rising star on the health and wellness scene, but how does it work and where did it come from? Its original purpose may surprise you.
Why does sulforaphane exist?
Nature is unforgiving, even for plants. Species that can’t come up with ways to fortify and repair themselves in an environment full of pathogens, predators, and all kinds of ecological pressures often don’t make the Darwinian cut. Luckily for cruciferous vegetables – and us humans – these plants adapted an effective defense system to help them remain in our ecosystem.
As adaptations go, sulforaphane production is pretty handy. When a cruciferous vegetable like a broccoli sprout is damaged, its broken cell walls release compounds that trigger the creation of sulforaphane. Sulforaphane immediately goes to work repelling harmful microbes and insects – fortifying the plant as it heals.
From sprout to supplement
Sulforaphane has been around for centuries, but it wasn't until the '90s that science started to catch on to its health benefits in humans. After extensive studies, we now know that thanks to its activation of physiological processes, like the body’s natural antioxidant defense system, sulforaphane has the power to dramatically improve gut health, reduce inflammation, and activate detoxification in the body.
Here’s what that means for you:
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Gut health plays a key role in proper immune, cognitive, and metabolic function. Sulforaphane’s ability to reduce inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract leads to more comfortable digestion, better nutrient absorption, reduced bloating, and enables the restoration of a healthy gut lining and microbiome.
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Inflammation is an underlying cause of most health problems, both big and small. On the more dramatic end of the spectrum, chronic inflammation has been linked to heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer's. Sulforaphane has been scientifically proven to help reduce damaging inflammation, making it a potential ally in the fight against these major diseases. This same anti-inflammatory mechanism is great for helping the body recover from everyday health issues as well – from regular wear and tear on our muscles and joints to the management of rosacea and aging skin.
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Detoxification is the only way that the human body can properly cope with the over 80,000 toxins that we’re exposed to in our modern environment. By super charging up the body’s natural processes of detoxification, sulforaphane helps us defend against pollutants that our bodies aren’t aren’t naturally designed to clear on their own. In one study by Johns Hopkins, sulforaphane reduced levels of highly carcinogenic benzene by 50% in just 24 hours.
In just a few years sulforaphane has gone from defending broccoli sprouts to defending humans from some of the worst diseases in existence. The science is clear, sulforaphane improves gut health, delivers relief from damaging inflammation, and activates the body’s natural detoxification processes.
So how can you get Sulforaphane? It’s easier said than done.
Unfortunately, describing sulforaphane’s benefits is easier than harnessing them.
The vegetables in your grocery store won’t deliver sulforaphane in sufficient enough quantities to make much of a difference in your health, and most supplements (SGS, broccoli extracts, etc.) have some serious sulforaphane-limiting flaws. This is what makes Broc Shot so valuable – we’ve perfected the art and science of making sulforaphane’s benefits easy to see and feel.
Interested in learning what makes Broc Shot different? Check out our video to discover more about differences between sulforaphane sources.