Sarah Harris N.D.
Specialist Naturopath – Holistic Nutritionist – Herbalist – Homoeopath – Remedial Therapist
Eat a rainbow of fruits & vegetables but especially, “eat your greens!” – it’s that easy.
It is an unfortunate reality of modern life that children are regularly exposed to pollutants and toxins—whether at home, in schools, on playgrounds, or through the air, food, and water. These unavoidable exposures can harm developing cells through a process called oxidation, also known as free radical damage. In healthy kids, there is a natural process that deals with free radicals. It is called antioxidation and if disrupted, it can lead to many health issues.
Thankfully, nature provides a supportive solution—greens, and lots of them!
When you tell your children to “eat their greens,” you’re offering them invaluable advice.
Many vegetables, especially organic ones, are rich in protective antioxidant phytochemicals. This is particularly true for cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts.
These phytochemicals, known as isothiocyanates, contain sulphur, which can give them a bitter or spicy taste. It is interesting to note that isothiocyanates are also found in mustard, wasabi, and horseradish. One of the most beneficial isothiocyanates is called sulforaphane.
Broccoli, often called the “queen of vegetables,” is packed full of sulforaphane, making it an essential part of a nutritious diet, especially for children.
Sulforaphane may help defend against modern-day stressors by detoxifying the body and reducing free radical damage. This may result in your children feeling happier, healthier and more alert. Research has shown that it may help improve health conditions like allergies, asthma, autism, and more.
While greens are key players, offering a rainbow of fruits and vegetables ensures your children will receive the full complement of antioxidant-rich phytochemicals for optimal health.
To support your child’s natural detoxification and reduce oxidative stress, the following may be helpful:
- Start a fun broccoli sprouts project, by growing your own at home! Broccoli seeds contain glucoraphanin, which is converted into sulforaphane during the sprouting process.
- Try the Broccoli Bites recipe from the Happy Healthy Mama website to encourage even the pickiest eaters to enjoy their greens! (www.happyhealthymama.com/toddler-tuesday-broccoli-bites)
- Broccoli is also rich in vitamin C, which helps speed up the conversion of glucoraphanin to sulforaphane, within the broccoli plant. Therefore, broccoli provides both the benefits of vitamin C and sulforaphane.
If you require further guidance, as a Specialist Paediatric Naturopath, I am happy to provide personalised support on how detoxification and antioxidant therapies can benefit your child.
To make an appointment call our reception team on 03 5221 8220.
Yours in good health,
Sarah
References:
Crawford, A. (2019) Broccoli! The bitter brassica delivering a sweet health reward. (Accessed: 7 September 2024)
Lynch et al. (2017) Sulforaphane from Broccoli Reduces Symptoms of Autism: A Follow-up Case Series from a Randomized Double-blind Study (Accessed: 7 September 2024)
Nandini, D. et al. (2020) Sulforaphane in broccoli: The green chemoprevention! Role in cancer prevention and therapy (Accessed: 7 September 2024)
Rahamat, U. et al. (2023) Broccoli: A Multi-Faceted Vegetable for Health: An In-Depth Review of Its Nutritional Attributes, Antimicrobial Abilities, and Anti-inflammatory Properties (Accessed: 7 September 2024)