Broccoli sprouts are having a moment. Sprout stories are germinating all over social media. There’s good reason for it.
Broccoli sprouts are what you get when you germinate broccoli seeds and grow them for 3- to 5-days. They are being widely advocated as an antioxidant superstack hack. They are especially renowned for containing significantly higher concentrations of sulforaphane than mature broccoli, which helps protect against chemical carcinogens.
What is Sulforaphane?
Sulforaphane is a potent antioxidant linked to reduced inflammation and improved liver detoxification.
Because broccoli sprouts have 10-100x more sulforaphane than mature broccoli, you get significantly higher concentrations of this protective compound in smaller amounts.
Cheap and Easy to Grow
You can get seeds online and easy grow kits. It’s fun to do with kids and you don’t have to buy the $100 kits advertised on Instagram, if you don’t want to.
Fahey JW, Zhang Y, Talalay P. (1997). Broccoli sprouts: An exceptionally rich source of inducers of enzymes that protect against chemical carcinogens. PNAS. 94(19):10367-10372.