Why broccoli is a ‘super’ food for women’s health

The humble broccoli has an amazing ability to balance women’s hormones. Read on to find out how..

The key to understanding the power of broccoli is the knowledge that our gut health and hormone health are inextricably linked. For example, to detoxify old and used oestrogen, it needs to be eliminated through the gut. Having a daily bowel movement can help to eliminate unwanted, spent hormones such as oestrogen however many people suffer daily constipation. The result is an excess of oestrogen and symptoms of oestrogen dominance such as PMS, weight gain and heavy, painful periods. The reality that we find in the Sorrel Health clinic is that increasing frequency of bowel movements is not always enough to reduce PMS – this is why we use a highly personalised approach to nutritional therapy. After all, every woman is unique.

So, back to our superfood, broccoli! Put simply, broccoli contains two compounds (DIM and sulforaphane) which can re-route oestrogen down the 2-hydroxy detoxification pathway which can help restore hormone balance, reduce unwanted period and hormone symptoms and help avoid DNA damage associated with the unfavourable oestrogen detox pathways.

In clinic, we use the wonderful DUTCH profile test to see total hormone levels and find out which oestrogen detox pathways client’s favour. Find out more about the DUTCH test here. We also often recommend a GI 360 stool test (more info can be found here), because all of these processes are also reliant on the state of the microbiome. An overgrowth in certain bacteria can hinder detoxification and allow for re-absorption of toxins, causing anxiety, low energy, acne and hair loss. Another example of the amazing links between the gut and women’s hormones!

Broccoli is one of our favourite super-food for women’s health and we often recommend clients to eat a minimum of 3 portions a week. This includes long tender-stem broccoli and normal broccoli. In fact, broccoli sprouts have even higher levels of those hormone balancing compounds (DIM and sulphoraphane) so these are an excellent addition to include daily, perhaps with a salad.

All cruciferous veg (that’s the broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale and bok choi family) have great benefits for liver health and detoxification so be sure to eat these often – lightly cook, steam or stir fry for maximum benefit. In addition, chopping broccoli 40 minutes before cooking increases the antioxidant profile significantly!

In a nutshell, a healthy gut is imperative if you want healthy hormones and the humble broccoli might just lend an extra helping hand to those struggling with PMS, period symptoms and hormone imbalance. Mini science lesson over… happy cooking! Please do get in touch with Georgina should you wish to discuss a personalised approach to supporting your hormone imbalance or PMS – contact details can be found here.