It’s clear that broccoli is a nutrient-rich and healthy vegetable. But you may not be aware that broccoli sprouts are significantly more nutritious than regular broccoli.
Broccoli sprouts contain high levels of sulforaphane, a powerful compound with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that support brain health, defend against oxidative stress, and promote healthy digestion.
Let’s look at the health benefits of broccoli sprouts and find out why you should regularly add these nutritious microgreens to your diet.
What are broccoli sprouts?
Broccoli sprouts are delicate young microgreens that grow from germinated broccoli seeds. They’re the first step in the growth cycle of mature broccoli plants.
Broccoli sprouts are typically 3 to 5 days old and look similar to alfalfa sprouts, with their tiny green leaves and white stems still attached to the seed.
Because of their distinct earthy and somewhat peppery taste, raw sprouts are an excellent addition to salads, soups, and dressings, and work great in your favorite green smoothie recipe.
Watch the video below to learn why broccoli sprouts are the best form of broccoli.
Broccoli vs. broccoli sprouts: which is healthier?
While both broccoli and broccoli sprouts are nutrient-rich cruciferous vegetables that you should frequently consume to promote well-being, broccoli sprouts are significantly healthier than broccoli.
Compared to all other cruciferous veggies, broccoli sprouts contain the highest amounts of sulforaphane, a potent plant chemical that protects delicate broccoli sprout plants from damage.
“Broccoli sprouts contain 10 to 100 times more sulforaphane than mature broccoli,” explains Dr. Berg. “What makes sulforaphane stand out among phytonutrients is its ability to support the body’s anti-inflammatory and detoxification pathways.”
Sulforaphane has tremendous benefits for human health, and numerous studies have confirmed its potent anticancer, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Broccoli sprouts are rich sources of vitamins C, B1, B2, B3, iron, and calcium, with significantly higher bioavailability than the same nutrients found in mature broccoli.
Bioavailability refers to how easily your body absorbs nutrients in food. While only 19 percent of nutrients in mature broccoli are absorbed, up to 75 percent of the nutrients in raw broccoli sprouts can enter your circulation.
Even better, broccoli sprouts are low in carbs and highly nutritious, making them an excellent choice for those following Healthy Keto®.
Fresh broccoli sprouts are widely available. With microgreens growing in popularity, most health food stores and supermarkets now stock them.
However, if you can’t find fresh sprouts, growing your own broccoli sprouts at home is surprisingly easy.
Five health benefits of broccoli sprouts
Broccoli sprouts are an exceptional superfood with several benefits for your health and well-being.
Research published in Frontiers in Nutrition suggests that consuming sulforaphane-rich foods, including broccoli sprouts, may lower your risk of cancer and heart disease, promote cognitive health, and support a healthy digestive system.1
Here are five reasons why you should eat broccoli sprouts daily.
1. Anticancer
Sulforaphane in broccoli sprouts has been researched extensively for its potential role in cancer prevention. Evidence suggests that sulforaphane may inhibit cancer development by triggering apoptosis, or programmed cell death, of cancer stem cells and blocking tumor growth.
Sulforaphane has potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that protect your cells from free radicals. Free radicals are highly reactive metabolic byproducts that can cause damage to cellular structures and DNA, increasing the risk of carcinogenesis.
Frequently consuming foods rich in sulforaphane may significantly lower your lung, prostate, and breast cancer risk.
2. Detoxification
Eating broccoli sprouts doesn’t just boost nutrition. It can help your liver to detoxify toxins, drugs, and other harmful compounds, supporting overall health and well-being.
Sulforaphane helps activate a group of liver enzymes called phase 2 enzymes, which bind toxins to other compounds, making them more water-soluble and easier to eliminate.
Effective detoxification lowers your cells’ exposure to potential cancer-causing substances and helps reduce inflammation and oxidation, which are linked to the development of disease and premature aging.
3. Brain health
Broccoli sprouts offer powerful support for brain health, largely due to their high sulforaphane content.
Research published in Nutrients suggests that people who frequently consume sulforaphane-rich foods experience slower progression of age-related cognitive decline and have a lower risk of developing neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.2
Sulforaphane is fat-soluble, allowing it to cross the blood–brain barrier and exert its protective effects directly within brain tissue.
A study published in the Austin Journal of Cerebrovascular Disease & Stroke shows that sulforaphane’s potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties can protect the fatty acids in brain tissue from oxidation, lower nerve inflammation, and promote neuronal health.3
4. Anti-inflammatory
Broccoli sprouts can help your body fight inflammation, explaining why people who regularly eat cruciferous vegetables have a lower risk of inflammatory conditions, including arthritis, heart disease, asthma, or metabolic syndrome.
Not only is sulforaphane a potent anti-inflammatory compound, but it also promotes the release of Nrf2 proteins. This group of genetic transcription factors regulates the expression of a wide range of genes involved in anti-inflammatory pathways.
Activity of these genes is linked to a lower risk of chronic inflammatory conditions and faster recovery time after illness, injury, or surgery.
5. Digestive health
If you suffer from digestive issues or stomach ulcers, broccoli sprouts are an excellent choice to support your digestive health.
Sulforaphane is a potent antimicrobial substance that can directly inhibit the growth and survival of Helicobacter pylori, a gastric bacterium that has been linked to gastritis and stomach ulcers and may trigger symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Regularly eating broccoli sprouts has been found to promote healthy bowel movements and may prevent constipation. Healthy bowel movements promote the diversity of beneficial gut bacteria linked to lower colon cancer risk, improved immune system function, and healthy detoxification.
Key takeaways
Broccoli sprouts benefits include powerful antioxidant activity, natural detoxification support, and broad nutritional support for digestive, brain, and immune health. They may also help slow age-related decline and protect against abnormal cell growth.
These impressive health benefits are linked to broccoli sprouts’ incredibly high amounts of sulforaphane, a health-promoting phytochemical with potential anticancer, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Broccoli sprouts are a tasty and versatile ingredient that works well in salads, smoothies, dressings, and stir-fries. Most supermarkets stock these microgreens, but it’s also surprisingly easy to grow broccoli sprouts at home.
FAQ
1. Are broccoli sprouts a superfood?
Yes, broccoli sprouts are a superfood. They contain vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids and are one of the richest sources of sulforaphane on the planet.
Eating broccoli sprouts may lower your cancer risk, support brain health, and promote a healthy digestive system.
2. Can I eat broccoli sprouts every day?
Yes, it’s safe to eat broccoli sprouts daily. Daily consumption of broccoli sprouts is generally well tolerated, causes no adverse health effects, and is an excellent source of nutrition.
Broccoli sprouts can be eaten raw, lightly steamed, or sautéed and are a tasty addition to green smoothies.
3. Are broccoli sprouts healthier than broccoli?
Broccoli sprouts contain up to 50 times more sulforaphane than broccoli and Brussels sprouts.
Broccoli sprouts also have a higher bioavailability, meaning up to 75 percent of their nutrients are absorbed. In contrast, only around 19 percent of broccoli’s nutrient content enters the circulation.
4. Are broccoli sprouts dangerous to eat raw?
Eating raw sprouts isn’t dangerous, but it’s recommended to rinse broccoli sprouts thoroughly to avoid food poisoning.
Sprouting requires humidity and warm temperatures. Unfortunately, these conditions are also perfect breeding grounds for bacteria, including Listeria and Salmonella.
5. Are broccoli sprouts Healthy Keto® approved?
Yes. Broccoli sprouts are low-carb and highly nutritious, making them an excellent food if you are doing Healthy Keto®.
6. Should I eat broccoli sprouts cooked or raw?
You can enjoy broccoli sprouts raw or lightly cooked. Light steaming or sautéed is best, as it doesn’t destroy heat-sensitive nutrients, including sulforaphane.
7. How many carbs are in broccoli sprouts?
A typical 3-ounce (85-gram) serving of broccoli sprouts contains 1 gram of net carbs, making broccoli sprouts a keto-approved superfood.
8. What are the health benefits of broccoli sprouts?
Eating broccoli sprouts may help lower your risk of breast and prostate cancer, support cognitive health, enhance detoxification pathways, and promote a healthy digestive system.
Sources
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8116591/ ↩︎
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12030691/ ↩︎
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5880051/ ↩︎
