The website D'Adamo Personalized Nutrition reports that the American Cancer Society News called broccoli sprouts "better for you than full-grown broccoli." While this is partly because broccoli sprouts contain large amounts of compounds thought to be cancer-fighting antioxidants, it is also because broccoli sprouts provide significant quantities of vitamins such as vitamin K. Vitamin K is essential for the proper functioning of the circulatory and skeletal systems. The amount of vitamin K broccoli sprouts provide is enough to help fill most daily recommended intake requirements of the vitamin while also being a potential risk in people on medications that are vitamin K sensitive.
Vitamin K Function
Vitamin K -- also known as phylloquinone -- is a fat soluble vitamin that is stored by the body in fatty tissues. It is needed for the metabolic pathway that produces the proteins used in normal blood clotting as well as for the proteins used in bone cell production. According to "The New York Times Health Guide," vitamin K is thought to be essential in older individuals as a bone strengthener.
Significance
Insufficient amounts of vitamin K can lead to a number of health problems; the most significant of these problems is slow blood clotting. Since vitamin K is required for the blood to clot properly when the skin is cut or an organ experiences traumatic damage, a lack of vitamin K results in the blood clotting more slowly. When the blood clots at a slow rate, more blood is lost and the risk of serious complications -- including death -- increases.
Broccoli Sprouts
Broccoli sprouts resemble alfalfa sprouts in taste and appearance. Hopkinsmedicine.org reports that they contain 20 to 50 times more of the natural compounds --particularly sulforaphane -- that are thought to help to reduce the risk of developing cancer than mature broccoli plants. The difference between mature broccoli and broccoli sprouts is so extreme that, according to the site, several tablespoons of broccoli sprouts equal the same nutrient quality you would receive from approximately two pounds of broccoli.
Vitamin K in Broccoli Sprouts
The Sprout Kitchen site reports that 3.5 ounces of raw, mature broccoli contains 101.6 mcg of Vitamin K, an amount that is greater than what "he New York Times Health Guide" lists as the recommended daily intake of vitamin K for men and women over 19 years old: 90 mcg. The Sprout Kitchen site also reports that sprouts, including broccoli sprouts, generally have a higher concentration of nutrients than both the seeds or the fully mature plants.
Warning
Both the Ask the Dietitian and "The New York Times Health Guide" warn that individuals taking blood thinning medications such as Warfarin, or who have a personal or family history of excessive blood clotting problems, should avoid all foods -- including broccoli sprouts -- that contain significant amounts of vitamin K.
References
- University of Florida IFAS Extension: Facts About Vitamin K
- Hopkinsmedicine.org: Cancer Protection Abundant in Broccoli Sprouts
- Sprout Kitchen: Broccoli Sprouts Nutrition Information
- D'Adamo Personalized Nutrition: Health Benefits of Sprouted Foods and Green Drinks
- Ask the Dietician: Vitamin K & Blood Thinners
- The New York Times Health Guide: Vitamin K
Member Comments