83 replies to this topic

[thedarkbobo]

Want to bump on this case.

 

I was recently looking for muscle mass supplements, and encountered abstract pointing to Sulforaphane

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/25593219

 

My question is - did any of you taking this as a supplement or raw vegetable notice improvement in this area? More muscle mass/force.

 

Would be great to hear some anecdotal reports

 

[leftcoastfool]

Thedarkbobo:

 

I've been interested in sulforaphane for quite a while.  Aside from its anti-cancer properties, it's a great myostatin inhibitor:

   http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/23092945

Having a safe, oral myostatin inhibitor available would (in theory) provide tremendous gains in muscle mass/strength without the adverse properties of anabolic steroids.

 

Sulforaphane is a relatively simple molecule to create in a proper chemistry lab, has few if any adverse side effects, is readily absorbed orally, but it's very unstable at room temperature.  This is the primary reason there aren't any true sulforaphane supplements available.  The only potential way to ingest sulforaphane through supplementation would be if the supplement contained both glucoraphanin and myrosinase - the enzyme that converts glucoraphanin to sulforaphane.  Enduracell claims to supply both in their product.  I have no experience with it, but will probably try it soon.

 

A company called Evgen Pharma holds the patent on Sulforadex, a room-temperature stable compound of sulforaphane encased in cyclodextrin: http://evgen.com/technology

Unfortunately for private investigators this preparation is unavailable as Evgen is seeking approval from the FDA for Sulforadex as a prescription drug for prostate cancer... it's a pity because I believe sulforaphane has potential for many conditions and it would be nice to have this preparation available as a supplement.  I pulled the patent and it looks like if a private lab were able to manufacture the parent sulforaphane compound they should be easily capable of taking the next step of stabilizing it with cyclodextrin, but that would be an infringement of Evgen's patent... again a shame, in my opinion.

 

In answer to your question - I tried Broccomax (before learning what I listed above) as a sulforaphane supplement.  I can't say that I noticed any effect, good or bad.  I now attribute that to the fact that it didn't contain the active myrosinase, so I probably absorbed little to no active sulforaphane.  I hope this helps!

 

 

Edited by leftcoastfool, 27 February 2015 - 07:36 AM.

[stephen_b]

It appears that the BroccoMax undergone a formula change since this thread started. It now includes myrosinase as an ingredient.

 

A Jarrow patent filed in 2013 was published in April of 2015 (from the abstract: "A nutritional supplement is provided containing two broccoli based components that are combined and, when ingested, react in the intestines to provide sulforaphane.")

[nittybitty]

Wanted to let everyone know you can order SuperSprouts in the USA and EnduraCell. Does anyone have any insight to either one of these products other than what has been discussed in this thread thus far? The efficacy is murky to me at best.  Below are links. 

 

 

http://usa.superspro...roccoli-sprout/

https://www.cell-logic-usa.com/

 

 

[P J]

Wanted to let everyone know you can order SuperSprouts in the USA and EnduraCell. Does anyone have any insight to either one of these products other than what has been discussed in this thread thus far? The efficacy is murky to me at best.  Below are links. 

 

 

http://usa.superspro...roccoli-sprout/

https://www.cell-logic-usa.com/

 

 

When cancer took the lives of three of my family members I decided to see how I could reduce my chances of getting the dreaded disease.  After much research I found that Broccoli Sprouts were my best bet.  I purchased and grew fresh sprouts for a while but being time poor I went in search of another solution.  Then I discovered Broccoli Sprout powder (BSP), but there were way too many suppliers of any kind of broccoli sprout powder to choose from. By "any kind" I mean sourced from anywhere in the world, not necessarily organic, nor tested, nor claiming to be 100% pure.    I then knew I had to separate out the wheat from the chaff using evidence based methods.   I didn't have the money to commission my own testing on various products so I started contacting the manufacturers to see what they had already organised.   Super Sprout were the ONLY company who were willing to supply me with test results performed on their products.  They knew exactly what compounds they were looking for in their product, and by reporting to me the measured levels of Glucoraphanin, Myrosinase, ESP and Sulforaphane I had confidence that the powder would most likely be effective in my body to fight off any rogue cells.

 

As I take the BSP, interestingly, whether I do or don't get cancer is actually no indication of the efficacy of the product !  That doesn't make sense at first, but the reason I'm taking the BSP is because I believe there is sufficient evidence that it will reduce (but not totally eliminate) me getting cancer.   If I don't get cancer, how do I know it was the BSP, or instead my genes+healthy diet+exercise ?  Conversely if I do get cancer, how do I know that BSP didn't act to delay its onset and greatly reduce its severity ?   So basically you need a sample size of more than one to prove the effectiveness of something like BSP.   The best way BSP can be analysed for effectiveness in-vivo is to do longitudinal  placebo controlled clinical trials with a sufficient number of subjects and monitor them for the occurrence of many types of cancers.    

 

I was so convinced by what I found that I also decided to give it to my Labrador each day (mixed with tinned sardines!) as he has DLE (an autoimmune disorder) causing his nose to lose its pigment making it susceptible to skin cancer from sun exposure. 

 

 

Disclaimer: I received no incentive, nor any request from SuperSprout to write the above endorsement of their Broccoli Sprout Powder.  I wrote it on my own initiative.

[Heisok]

P J,

 

Nice information. Would you please share the lab report which they sent you?

 

"Super Sprout were the ONLY company who were willing to supply me with test results performed on their products."

Edited by Heisok, 04 November 2017 - 02:05 PM.

[recon]

I found this supposedly patented supplement. Looks promising. What do you all think?

http://www.prostapha...rostaphane.html

[Heisok]

From Dr. Rhonda Patrick:

 

"Sulforaphane expert Dr. Jed Fahey mentioned in the podcast we did together that three brands stuck out as having what they say they did: Avmacol, Thorne, and Prostaphane. I think Prostaphane is one of the most interesting, because this is a stabilized form of actual sulforaphane that comes in 10mg tablets and has been used in clinical trials. The real deal not a precursor. The problem is that it is French and not available in the United States! I would love to see this product in the U.S. Maybe you guys can inform them of American demand for their product and make it happen"

[ChristineH]

Wanted to let everyone know you can order SuperSprouts in the USA and EnduraCell. Does anyone have any insight to either one of these products other than what has been discussed in this thread thus far? The efficacy is murky to me at best.  Below are links. 

 

 

http://usa.superspro...roccoli-sprout/

https://www.cell-logic-usa.com/

 

We are the Australian company that makes myrosinase-active EnduraCell (powder and capsules) which we sell in the U.S. via www.cell-logic-usa.com.  As a nutraceutical-grade (vs a food-grade) material, every batch of EnduraCell is assayed for Glucoraphanin and Sulforaphane Yield.  As far as we can ascertain, EnduraCell has the highest sulforaphane yield of any broccoli sprout supplement available.  We specify not less than 1.5% Sulforaphane Yield and this potency has been sustained over a 3-year period (as of January, 2018).  Therefore, every gram of the raw material provides 15 mg sulforaphane when ingested.  The Yield is much higher (recently 2.3% in the first 12 months), yielding around 23 mg.  Given that the clinical trials on sulforaphane showing positive outcomes average a dose of 18-20 mg daily, EnduraCell is more than well-equipped to match these doses.  Dont confuse a myrosinase-active supplement with 'extracts' which list 'sulforaphane glucosinolate' as a marketing term to describe the glucoraphanin.

 

More recently, a supplement called "Broc Sprout 2" has become available through Amazon online store and it uses the same raw material, so readily available in the U.S. 

 

I hope you find this information useful.

 

Wanted to let everyone know you can order SuperSprouts in the USA and EnduraCell. Does anyone have any insight to either one of these products other than what has been discussed in this thread thus far? The efficacy is murky to me at best.  Below are links. 

 

 

http://usa.superspro...roccoli-sprout/

https://www.cell-logic-usa.com/

 

 

When cancer took the lives of three of my family members I decided to see how I could reduce my chances of getting the dreaded disease.  After much research I found that Broccoli Sprouts were my best bet.  I purchased and grew fresh sprouts for a while but being time poor I went in search of another solution.  Then I discovered Broccoli Sprout powder (BSP), but there were way too many suppliers of any kind of broccoli sprout powder to choose from. By "any kind" I mean sourced from anywhere in the world, not necessarily organic, nor tested, nor claiming to be 100% pure.    I then knew I had to separate out the wheat from the chaff using evidence based methods.   I didn't have the money to commission my own testing on various products so I started contacting the manufacturers to see what they had already organised.   Super Sprout were the ONLY company who were willing to supply me with test results performed on their products.  They knew exactly what compounds they were looking for in their product, and by reporting to me the measured levels of Glucoraphanin, Myrosinase, ESP and Sulforaphane I had confidence that the powder would most likely be effective in my body to fight off any rogue cells.

 

As I take the BSP, interestingly, whether I do or don't get cancer is actually no indication of the efficacy of the product !  That doesn't make sense at first, but the reason I'm taking the BSP is because I believe there is sufficient evidence that it will reduce (but not totally eliminate) me getting cancer.   If I don't get cancer, how do I know it was the BSP, or instead my genes+healthy diet+exercise ?  Conversely if I do get cancer, how do I know that BSP didn't act to delay its onset and greatly reduce its severity ?   So basically you need a sample size of more than one to prove the effectiveness of something like BSP.   The best way BSP can be analysed for effectiveness in-vivo is to do longitudinal  placebo controlled clinical trials with a sufficient number of subjects and monitor them for the occurrence of many types of cancers.    

 

I was so convinced by what I found that I also decided to give it to my Labrador each day (mixed with tinned sardines!) as he has DLE (an autoimmune disorder) causing his nose to lose its pigment making it susceptible to skin cancer from sun exposure. 

 

 

Disclaimer: I received no incentive, nor any request from SuperSprout to write the above endorsement of their Broccoli Sprout Powder.  I wrote it on my own initiative.

 

 

[ChristineH]

Helly 'nittybitty'.  Our company, Cell-Logic (Australia) is the manufacturer of EnduraCell and I just wanted to let you know that had you asked us for assay information on our product, we would have been happy to oblige.  I see the other product you claim to provide their assay data has recently produced a brochure that states that a 5 gram serve produces 22 mg sulforaphane.  EnduraCell can match this yield with just 1 gram.

 

See my post above which states, "We are the Australian company that makes myrosinase-active EnduraCell (powder and capsules) which we sell in the U.S. via www.cell-logic-usa.com.  As a nutraceutical-grade (vs a food-grade) material, every batch of EnduraCell is assayed for Glucoraphanin and Sulforaphane Yield.  As far as we can ascertain, EnduraCell has the highest sulforaphane yield of any broccoli sprout supplement available.  We specify not less than 1.5% Sulforaphane Yield and this potency has been sustained over a 3-year period (as of January, 2018).  Therefore, every gram of the raw material provides 15 mg sulforaphane when ingested.  The Yield is much higher (recently 2.3% in the first 12 months), yielding around 23 mg.  Given that the clinical trials on sulforaphane showing positive outcomes average a dose of 18-20 mg daily, EnduraCell is more than well-equipped to match these doses.  Don't confuse a myrosinase-active supplement with 'extracts' which list 'sulforaphane glucosinolate' as a marketing term to describe the glucoraphanin.

 

More recently, a supplement called "Broc Sprout 2" has become available through Amazon online store and it uses the same raw material, so readily available in the U.S. 

 

I hope you find this information useful."

[P J]

P J,

 

Nice information. Would you please share the lab report which they sent you?

 

"Super Sprout were the ONLY company who were willing to supply me with test results performed on their products."

 

Test results reformatted into a consumer oriented publication.  Refer to the table on page 6/6 of the attached pdf.

Attached Files

•  SSUS_A4-Broccoli.pdf   1.59MB   18 downloads

[ChristineH]

The item listed as a pdf is not a lab report.  

Edited by ChristineH, 06 November 2017 - 01:13 AM.

[P J]

The item listed as a pdf is not a lab report.  

 

While the user Heisok requested a lab report, I only ever wrote that I was given "test results", I didn't indicate they were in the form of a lab report.  The results are however in a publication that is publicly available, and I have no reason to doubt the results are genuine.  While a Lab report would let people scrutinise the test protocol and results more closely, should we expect SuperSprout to produce a lab report when no other Broccoli Sprout Powder manufacturer or supplier is willing to publish a Lab Report online ?

[Heisok]

Thanks P J. That helps. I was most interested that there had been an amount claimed for actually measured Myrosinase. I do not expect a lab report to be provided.

 

Christine H, Thanks for the information. I will also consider your products when I make my next supplement purchase

[ChristineH]

 

The item listed as a pdf is not a lab report.  

 

While the user Heisok requested a lab report, I only ever wrote that I was given "test results", I didn't indicate they were in the form of a lab report.  The results are however in a publication that is publicly available, and I have no reason to doubt the results are genuine.  While a Lab report would let people scrutinise the test protocol and results more closely, should we expect SuperSprout to produce a lab report when no other Broccoli Sprout Powder manufacturer or supplier is willing to publish a Lab Report online ?

 

No, I wouldn't think so.  However, it is important to know if every batch is thoroughly tested.  Many food-grade products test only occasionally - or even once.  Nutraceutical-grade products should test every batch as part of their QA programme.

[ChristineH]

Thanks P J. That helps. I was most interested that there had been an amount claimed for actually measured Myrosinase. I do not expect a lab report to be provided.

 

Christine H, Thanks for the information. I will also consider your products when I make my next supplement purchase

You're welcome Heisok.  Actually, myrosinase is very difficult to measure reliably.  Instead, we measure glucoraphanin and sulforaphane yield (no added myrosinase - just what is in the raw material).  By measuring both of these, we are indirectly testing myrosinase activity.  If glucoraphanin is high and sulforaphane yield is low, then clearly the myrosinase activity is low - and vice versa.

[JR7]

Thoughts on Jarrow Formulas BroccoMax?

https://www.amazon.c...i_X9saAbSS2KG8X

Edited by JR7, 07 November 2017 - 04:00 AM.

[ChristineH]

I'd prefer not to comment.

[MoreGooderFuture]

I'd prefer not to comment.

 

If Broccomax has questionable efficacy, then there seems to be no explanation for the remarkable behavior differences reported by those administering this to the autistic children.  I doubt that such children will be susceptible to a placebo effect.

[hav]

 

I'd prefer not to comment.

 

If Broccomax has questionable efficacy, then there seems to be no explanation for the remarkable behavior differences reported by those administering this to the autistic children.  I doubt that such children will be susceptible to a placebo effect.

 

 

If this is the Autism study you are referring to, it did not use that particular brand as the source for its test material:

 

 

Preparation of Sulforaphane-Rich Broccoli Sprout Extracts. Sulforaphanerich broccoli sprout extract (SF-BSE) was prepared by the Cullman
Chemoprotection Center at The Johns Hopkins University essentially as described in Egner et al. (1). In brief, specially selected broccoli seeds were surface-disinfected and grown (sprouted) for 3 d in a commercial sprouting facility under controlled light and moisture conditions. A boiling water extract was prepared, filtered, cooled, and treated with the enzyme myrosinase (from daikon sprouts) to convert precursor glucosinolates to isothiocyanates, and then lyophilized at a food processing facility (Oregon Freeze Dry, Albany, OR). The lyophilized powder (216 μmol SF/g powder) was encapsulated into #1 gelcaps by ALFA Specialty Pharmacy (Columbia,sMD); each capsule contained 50 μmol SF (232 mg of SFBSE)

I  saw an article back in 2011 that predates the autism study published 4 years later that found natural sprouts had more active myrosinase than Broccomax but I think most products updated their formulas and methodologies since then.  It does beg the question, however, of whether Broccomax now employs the above sources or methodology to feature active myrosinase.  Fwiw, there's a 2015 Jarrow process patent that seems to skip the lyophilizing step employed by John Hopkins which may be important. 

 

Howard

[Darryl]

The Jarrow patent indicates BroccoMax is just deoiled broccoli seed meal, with 1 part having been heated enough to inactivate epithiospecifier protein (ESP) but not myrosinase, and 2.6 parts part heated enough to inactivate both. The oil extraction should increase glucoraphanin concentration by about 40% compared to plain broccoli seed meal, but may also be there to reduce erucic acid content from 13% to 3%. Small amounts of vitamin C are added to activate the myrosinase.

 

The John Hopkins researchers described the problems with their own extract in this paper. While permitting higher concentrations (the sprouts metabolize the lipids for energy, and fiber and water is discarded in the extract), broccoli sprout extracts aren't shelf stable.

We and others have used broccoli sprout extracts (both freshly made, and lyophilized) as a delivery agent for sulforaphane in clinical studies conducted in China, the USA, and the United Kingdom. The use of such extracts, though effective, is complicated by the fact that sulforaphane is only moderately stable over time, especially in aqueous solution. The reactivity of sulforaphane is exacerbated by the fact that lyophilized extracts are hygroscopic, and as water is adsorbed during protracted storage or formulation, their useful shelf-life is limited unless chemically stabilized, kept cold, or made frequently during the study. It is difficult and expensive to stabilize and formulate sulforaphane for extended clinical trials and particularly for long-term interventions.

 

They did note that the glucosinolate and myrosinase in broccoli seed meal was shelf stable:

the stability of myrosinase in ground seeds has not heretofore been carefully examined. We have verified that after a year in storage at household freezer, refrigerator, or room temperature conditions, it remains fully active, and glucoraphanin titer remains unchanged also.

 

I see the Hopkins paper as essentially endorsing the principle behind the Jarrow supplement. However, the question arises of whether enough active myrosinase remains in the Jarrow product to fully convert the glucoraphanin under the intestinal conditions, given that it has at most ~27% as much active myrosinase as the whole seed. The Hopkins paper also indicates that in vivo hydrolysis of gluraphanin only provides half the bioavailable sulforaphane as providing sulforaphane itself. If comparable, the 30 mg = 68 µmol g in a BroccoMax capsule would only provide approximately 34 µmol = 6 mg bioavailable sulforaphane for those seeking comparable doses.

Edited by Darryl, 18 November 2017 - 09:05 PM.

[sthira]

Confession off topic: I got excited by the Rhonda podcast wherein she and guest nerd up the health benefits of broccoli sprouts. Rhonda's great! The Patrick Baby will live to eternity, imagine she's your loving, devoted badass Science Mom for a moment...

But sprouts have grown in hippie greenhouses forever, they're official cliche, haha, my uncle, man my uncle, weed and sprouts, sprouts and weed, and The Grateful Dead...

But just broccoli sprouts singled out, spotlighted by nutrition science, why not the others, too -- radish and kale, alfalfa, clover, cauliflower, mustard green, collard sprouts..., and the nut sprouts, too, soak the almonds but don't get the e.coli.

Zeroing into biochemistry-foodtastic is cool, I wonder how sprouting AI's understanding of the spouting process will help us human fart knockers. Biochem sometimes reminds me of De Gray's PowerPoints, that jungle mess of a slide of "the small subset of human metabolism we think we might know something maybe about uh something maybe..." AI should be useful to our understanding of human metabolism, though.

Meanwhile, growing plants is life-affirming, especially when you eat them later and share. Sprouting is simple to accomplish, it's literally a few mason jars, some lids, poke holes in the lids, add some seeds, some water, drained it in and out a few times a day, and wait, wait and watch, wait and watch and anticipate incoming sprout baby miracles, I don't even think broccoli sprouts need much visible light, do they, aren't they too busy just being magical?

I've grounded b.seeds, adding some species seed mash into smoothies, but too much is a harsh powder, and there's a complex of hateful evil inside that no god fearing orthorexic foodie shall bow to endorse, something in there turns my stomach, and taking in too much "broccoli seed" in the first place is, like, well, which reminds me, how about the "proper dosage?" Are we even clear about ranges suggestive to "prevent cancer" and not to "promote cancer?"

[hav]

The John Hopkins researchers described the problems with their own extract in this paper.

...

I see the Hopkins paper as essentially endorsing the principle behind the Jarrow supplement. However, the question arises of whether enough active myrosinase remains in the Jarrow product to fully convert the glucoraphanin under the intestinal conditions

It's more of a subsequent acceptance of the need for practical commercial compromise than an endorsement. Which is kind of what they said later in the same paper:

 

 

We have thus focused upon evaluating the bioavailability of GR, using delivery systems that permit it to be converted to sulforaphane at economic, reproducible, and sustainable yields

 

Both the Jarrow patent and subsequent Hopkins paper are dated 2015.  The original Hopkins paper and autism study were published in 2011.  Another Jarrow deviation in their patent is use of less enhanced dried extract to add back active myrosinase.  Which is not exactly novel or non-obvious from a patent perspective since that's what everyone does by default when they eat the real deal. But more to the point it's not what the original study did. They added back less processed Daikon (radish) sprouts instead. It seems these sprouts are generally known to have a higher active myrosinase content than other sources.  Found a 2015 study on just that point which pegs the difference compared to broccoli sprouts at a minimum of 10% with a note this is the lower bound because the method of measuring myrosinase is indirect and underestimates.  Which further supports the sufficiency point you make.

 

But I noticed another interesting tidbit in the 2015 Hopkins paper you mentioned regarding Sulforaphane metabolism...

 

 

... intestinal microbial metabolism is expected to also contribute to GR to SF conversion.

 

Suggesting to me that general pro-biotics are likely to enhance bio-availability too.

 

Howard

[dazed1]

So will using broccomax with the new improved formula be a good way to use broccoli if one cannot bother to sprout?