HOTB 255: Treating autism with broccoli sprouts. Seriously?

Healing Outside The Box

If anyone ever told you to eat your broccoli, the proof of its benefits has finally arrived. Today we are discussing the multiple reasons why antioxidants, like those found in broccoli, would be a good idea. The National Institute of Health (NIH) has put out a few remarkable journal articles looking into the evidence that one particular substance called sulforaphane (from broccoli sprouts) can counteract the harmful effects of cellular damage. The article that sparked a lot of interest in sulforaphane particularly was put out by NIH and it can be found here.

Another NIH article defines oxidative stress and lists the risk factors that cause this stress. Not surprisingly, it has a lot to do with the American diet and typical cell-damaging risk factors like smoking, x-rays, and excessive alcohol. That article can be found here.

This NIH article connects the dots between large amounts of oxidative stress and the development of many chronic diseases, such as heart attacks, strokes, cancer, diabetes, and now autism.

But help is on the way because scientists have now shown evidence that both cancer and autism have improved with daily broccoli sprouts. Broccoli sprouts just happened to have a large amount of a powerful antioxidant called sulforaphane.

Could that be possible? It certainly could and right now it seems to be the case. I will finish my two-part series on this topic next week with some tips and recipes to add more of this miracle substance into our dietary plan. If you have any questions or would like to suggest topics for future episodes, feel free to contact me on my website contact page: Healing Outside the Box.