Vegetables are some of the healthiest foods you can eat. Broccoli, in particular, is filled with vitamin C and other nutrients that your body needs to function correctly. And there’s evidence that the sulforaphane in broccoli could be of greater benefit to your brain health than previously thought.
Sulforaphane is a powerful anticarcinogen and antibacterial compound that stimulates the production of antioxidant enzymes. These enzymes help to neutralize free radicals, which are unstable atoms that are formed as a result of normal metabolic processes in the body and negative outside influences like toxins. Brussel sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower are a few of many vegetables that have sulforaphane.
A recent study has suggested that the sulforaphane in broccoli may be helpful in correcting chemical imbalances in the brain, particularly in people with schizophrenia. A small study showed improvements in cognitive ability amongst schizophrenic participants who were given broccoli sprout extract for 8 weeks.
A second study performed by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers found that the sulforaphane in broccoli may help adjust chemical imbalances in the brain. The researchers found that people with schizophrenia had less of the chemical glutamate in certain regions of the brain than healthy people. After two weeks of taking sulforaphane in capsule form, the levels of this brain chemical increased by around 30 percent. This suggests new avenues for addressing schizophrenia in the future. It also suggests new ways to ensure that the chemicals in your brain are at healthy levels, particularly if you have chemical imbalances linked to adrenal fatigue.
With chronic stress, adrenal fatigue can cause the neuroaffect circuit to become dysregulated with frightening and baffling results. Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS) is a stress-related disorder that’s caused by overwork and the subsequent fatigue of the adrenal glands. These glands are a vital part of the NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) stress response, which is responsible for making a range of changes in your body during times of stress. This is a natural response to stress, and usually, the NEM stress response should deactivate once the source of stress is gone. But in today’s fast-paced world, stress can be ongoing. This can lead to the overuse of the NEM stress response and adrenal fatigue.
AFS is associated with a range of symptoms and problems as multiple circuits and organs in the body suffers from imbalances and dysregulation. Some of the most frightening and debilitating problems can occur as the neuroaffect circuit becomes involved. This circuit consists of the brain, the microbiome, and the autonomic nervous system (AHS), and it uses neurotransmitters (NTs) to communicate.
Imbalances in the organs and systems that make up this circuit influence the other parts of the circuit, causing a range of symptoms from mental health concerns to inflammation and gut problems. That is why people with AFS have such a range of symptoms that don’t seem to be connected. However, when put together in a whole picture, the symptoms point back to AFS and NEM dysfunction.
Imbalances in the neuroaffect circuit could benefit from some of the positive effects of eating more sulforaphane in the following ways:
Improving the health of the neuroaffect circuit when you have AFS is a difficult task. You need to do it carefully and with the help of someone who’s aware of your condition and of the problems that AFS can cause.
Often, the first step on this journey is to eliminate causes of stress and to allow the body to find a more natural balance.
Improving your diet is often a big part of this, as a diet that’s low in nutrition and filled with unhealthy foods is both very common these days and a key source of stress for many people with AFS.
Eating more vegetables is a great way to give your body the nutrition it needs to function properly. And if you ensure that you’re eating broccoli and other foods that contain sulforaphane regularly, you will not only boost your nutritional intake. You may also help to improve your cognitive function and start to rebalance your brain chemicals, which will enhance the health of the neuroaffect circuit and start correcting some of the damage that AFS has done to your body.
Whether you have AFS or not, broccoli is an excellent vegetable due to the wide variety of nutrients and health benefits it offers. Along with packing many essential vitamins and minerals, it can help prevent cancer and rebalance your NTs. And if you do have AFS, then it’s even more helpful because of the sulforaphane content. This could be the easiest and safest way possible for you to ensure that your brain gets what it needs to return to a healthy state of balance.
© Copyright 2020 Michael Lam, M.D. All Rights Reserved.
Broccoli contains vitamin C and other nutrients that are beneficial for your health overall. It also contains sulforaphane, which may help to balance chemical imbalances in the brain and may even help address some very serious mental health disorders. It has been connected to glutamate levels in the brain.
