SmarterNaturally Soup, Glucoraphanin and Cardiovascular Disease
Heart and circulatory diseases (together called cardiovascular disease, or CVD) – including heart attacks and strokes – cause a quarter of all deaths in the UK, or a total of more than 160,000 deaths each year. CVD is often driven by lifestyle factors (such as smoking and drinking) or other medical conditions (such as high cholesterol or diabetes).
Scientific research suggests that a diet rich in glucoraphanin, could offer some protection against the risk of developing CVD.
What Is Cardiovascular Disease?
Heart disease is commonly caused by fatty deposits building up in your arteries. These ‘plaques’ disrupt blood flow, leading to areas of your body not receiving enough oxygen. Narrower arteries are also make it more likely that a blood clot will form, which can completely block the flow of blood to certain areas of your body.
This obstruction in blood flow can lead to serious, life-threatening conditions. For example, restricted blood flow to the heart is a common cause of heart attacks, while restricted blood flow to the brain causes stroke. Heart attacks and stroke are two of the most common causes of death and disability in the UK.
Glucoraphanin & Heart Disease
A large research study has indicated that eating more glucoraphanin in your diet can help reduce the risk of developing CVD and in particular the likelihood of strokes – as well as potentially also helping to reduce elevated cholesterol levels (particularly reducing high levels of LDL (or “bad” cholesterol) – a key risk factor for developing heart disease.
Glucoraphanin is a naturally-occurring compound found in cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli and cauliflower. Inside our bodies, glucoraphanin is converted by special enzymes into a more active form called sulforaphane.
Sulforaphane has a powerful protective effect on plant cells, helping them to survive. Research into the effects of glucoraphanin and sulforaphane suggest that they could have powerful protective effects for humans too – for example, helping to support healthy cells while acting as anti-cancer agents.
One of the things that makes SmarterNaturally Soup special is its very high glucoraphanin content. While glucoraphanin is an active ingredient naturally present in broccoli in small amounts, SmarterNaturally Soup is made using a unique broccoli called GRextra that contains roughly 5x more glucoraphanin than a regular broccoli, making it an excellent and convenient source of glucoraphanin for everyone.
The Evidence Behind Glucoraphanin & Cardiovascular Disease Risk
In addition to evidence that a diet rich in glucoraphanin may help reduce cholesterol levels, a large population study into the risk of stroke has reported that eating a diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables, and particularly a diet rich in cruciferous vegetables is associated with a lower risk of stroke in both men and women.
1. Diets Rich In Glucoraphanin Reduce Heart Disease Risk In Healthy People
In a long-term observational study involving over 110,000 people, researchers looked at whether different levels of fruit and vegetable intake affected the likelihood of people developing heart disease. They found that those regularly eating a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables (more than 5 portions per day) were significantly less likely to suffer from a stroke, when followed over a period of more than 8 years. In particular, a high consumption of glucoraphanin-rich vegetables like broccoli was shown to confer the greatest level of protection for all groups in the study, with those reporting a crucifer-rich diet showing a 32% lower risk of developing serious cardiovascular disease (ischemic strokes) than those who ate very few.
Good For More Than Just Heart Disease
Research indicates that not only could SmarterNaturally soup help reduce the risk of heart disease, may also have other potential health benefits – thanks to the unique properties of our patented GRextra broccoli.
Lower Cholesterol
Evidence indicates that glucoraphanin-rich foods like our unique GRextra broccoli may help maintain healthier cholesterol levels.
Anti-Cancer
Studies suggest GRextra broccoli and glucoraphanin may have a beneficial effect against various cancers, including breast & prostate cancer.
Lower Blood Sugar
Studies suggest GRextra broccoli and glucoraphanin may help reduce high blood sugar levels - a key biomarker for type 2 diabetes.
