Cancer Prevention
Medical experts believe that by the end of 2008 there will be 1,437,180 new cancer cases and 565,650 cancer deaths. Many Americans are now turning to nutrition as the key to prevention.
We are exposed to many toxic chemicals daily that are known to be carcinogenic. Our main line of defense from this is our detoxification system. Our liver goes through several steps to get these chemicals out of the body called Phase I and Phase II detox. The first phase converts the chemicals into a more water soluble substance so that they can be extracted from all different areas of the body and brought to the bloodstream. The second phase processes them in the liver and excretes out of the body through urine and intestines in a safer form than the original toxic substance. When this system is functioning properly and the toxic exposure is minimal, our bodies work well. However if we are exposed to more toxins and the detoxification system is compromised due factors such as stress, medications, hormone imbalances, nutrient deficiencies etc, the body is not able to cleanse and problems arise.
We have all heard that fruits and vegetables are known as one of the most protective foods in our diets because they are high in antioxidants and phyto-chemicals.
Another chemical has been recently discovered in broccoli and it is called glucosinolate.
Broccoli seed is very high in a substance called sulforaphane glucosinolate or SGS. SGS is able to upgrade Phase II detoxification enzymes and allow better and faster excretion of the toxins from the body.
I am very excited to have found BroccoProtect which contains a specially cultivated, patented form of broccoli seed. It is naturally grown without the use of any pesticides. The oil is then extracted using very clean and non-toxic process called super critical fluid extraction. This leaves the purest product with absolutely no solvent residue in the final product.
While it is very beneficial to eat broccoli and I always encourage all my patients to eat the food first, we would have to eat about 1 pound of broccoli to equal the sulphorophane content of 1 capsule of BroccoProtect. Eating more broccoli is still very beneficial for the antioxidant benefits, but to get the benefits of this specific compound, taking a capsule of BroccoProtect in addition to the vegetables is very beneficial in many different conditions.
- SGS shows significant promise with breast cancer prevention because it helps to metabolize unsafe estrogen metabolites that are linked to breast cancer to those that do not cause DNA damage.
- SGS has been shown to protect skin against UV damage.
- Sulphoraphane’s ability to induce Phase II enzymes may also explain its potential to provide benefit in some arthritic conditions. These enzymes seem to have an inhibitory effect on the inflammatory enzymes.
- Research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has revealed that sulforaphane, due to its long lasting antioxidant effects, may offer significant eye protection and promote eye health.
- SGS has been shown to be more effective than antibiotics against many strains of H. Pylori and helps prevent H. Pylori induced DNA damage of the GI tract.
- A recent study in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine demonstrated sulphoraphane to be beneficial in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In COPD, there is critical loss of antioxidant systems, which protect against oxidative stress and inflammation. Sulfphoraphane demonstrated the ability to effectively restore the antioxidant gene activity in COPD subjects.
I am very excited about this new extract because it not only shows great promise in prevention, but can also be used as a more aggressive therapeutic intervention for more serious conditions.