Broccoli Sprouts for Healthy Eating

Overseen By Emily Ho

Age: 18 - 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Oregon State University

Must not be taking: Statins, Orlistat, Cholestyramine, others

Disqualifiers: Tobacco use, Pregnancy, Diabetes, others

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 4

Duration: 1 day

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to explore how eating broccoli sprouts affects the body on a molecular level. Researchers will examine changes in blood, urine, and the gut microbiome (the bacteria living in the intestines) after participants consume these sprouts. Participants will be divided into groups to consume different types of sprouts, including regular and specially labeled broccoli and alfalfa sprouts. This trial suits healthy individuals aged 18 to 60 who are open to making dietary changes and maintaining a food diary for the study's duration. As an unphased trial, it offers a unique opportunity to contribute to scientific understanding of dietary impacts on health.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial requires you to stop taking herbal and plant-based supplements, as well as cruciferous vegetables and probiotic supplements, one week before and during the study. If you are on medications for cholesterol or fat absorption, you cannot participate in the trial.

Is there any evidence suggesting that this trial's treatments are likely to be safe?

Research shows that eating broccoli sprouts is generally safe for most people. Studies have found no harm when they are included in a regular diet. However, a small risk of food poisoning exists if the sprouts become contaminated with bacteria like E. coli or Salmonella. This is uncommon, and proper growing and handling usually prevent it.

For deuterium oxide-labeled broccoli sprouts, specific safety information is limited. However, they are based on regular broccoli sprouts, which are considered safe. The deuterium labeling tracks nutrient absorption and does not appear to affect safety.

Overall, eating broccoli sprouts, whether labeled with deuterium or not, is likely safe when grown and prepared correctly. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial's treatments?

Researchers are excited about these treatments because broccoli sprouts and their deuterium oxide-labeled counterparts offer a fresh approach to promoting healthy eating. Unlike typical dietary supplements or medications that might target nutrition indirectly, these sprouts provide a direct, whole-food source of nutrients and bioactive compounds. The use of deuterium oxide labeling allows scientists to trace how these compounds are metabolized in the body, offering insights into their potential health benefits. This approach not only encourages healthier eating habits but also helps to understand the nutritional impact on a molecular level, making it a promising area of research for improving dietary guidelines.

What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective?

Research shows that broccoli sprouts, one of the treatments in this trial, are rich in sulforaphane, a compound with many health benefits. Studies have found that daily consumption of broccoli sprouts can reduce ulcer-causing bacteria and improve digestion. They are also high in antioxidants, which help lower inflammation. Researchers use deuterium oxide-labeled broccoli sprouts, another treatment option in this trial, to study how the body uses these nutrients, but they offer the same health benefits. Both types of broccoli sprouts are linked to better health due to their many beneficial plant chemicals. ^{2 6 7 8 9}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Emily Ho, PhD

Principal Investigator

Oregon State University

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for healthy men and women aged 18-60 who don't smoke or use tobacco, aren't pregnant, and haven't used antibiotics in the past 6 months. Participants must avoid certain foods and supplements before and during the study, have a BMI between 18.5 to 30, not exercise vigorously over 7 hours weekly, and be free of significant health issues.

Inclusion Criteria

Willing to stop cruciferous vegetable and probiotic supplement, food and beverage intake 1 week prior to and during the study

I am willing to stop taking herbal and plant-based supplements 1 week before and during the study.

Must be able to give written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria

Pregnancy, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant before completing the study

Your weight is either too low or too high based on your height.

I am taking medication to manage my cholesterol or fat absorption.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

Treatment

Participants consume a single serving of broccoli or alfalfa sprouts with a standardized breakfast

1 day

1 visit (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in metabolic and molecular markers in blood and urine, and microbiome composition

72 hours

Multiple sample collections at 3, 6, 24, 48, and 72 hours post-consumption

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Alfalfa sprouts
• Broccoli sprouts
• Deuterium oxide-labelled alfalfa sprouts
• Deuterium oxide-labelled broccoli sprouts

Trial Overview The study investigates how eating broccoli sprouts affects molecular profiles in blood, urine, and gut bacteria composition. It involves consuming either regular or specially labelled alfalfa or broccoli sprouts to track changes.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Broccoli sprouts Active Control 1 Intervention

Subjects will consume one serving (about 1 cup) of broccoli sprouts with breakfast (bagel, cream cheese, and orange juice).

Group II: Deuterium oxide-labeled broccoli sprouts Active Control 1 Intervention

Subjects will consume one serving (about 1 cup) of deuterium oxide-labeled broccoli sprouts with breakfast (bagel, cream cheese, and orange juice).

Group III: Deuterium oxide-labeled alfalfa sprouts Placebo Group 1 Intervention

Subjects will consume one serving (about 1 cup) of deuterium oxide-labeled alfalfa sprouts with breakfast (bagel, cream cheese, and orange juice).

Group IV: Alfalfa sprouts Placebo Group 1 Intervention

Subjects will consume one serving (about 1 cup) of alfalfa sprouts with breakfast (bagel, cream cheese, and orange juice).

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Oregon State University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

51

Recruited

8,300+

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Collaborator

Trials

103

Recruited

287,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

A low FODMAP diet was reported to be effective by 86% of patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with significant improvements in symptoms like bloating (82%) and abdominal pain (71%).

Patients on the low FODMAP diet experienced a notable reduction in chronic disease courses and an increase in normal stool frequency, indicating that this dietary approach can lead to better management of bowel symptoms in both IBS and IBD patients.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Follow-up of patients with functional bowel symptoms treated with a low FODMAP diet. Maagaard, L., Ankersen, DV., Végh, Z., et al.[2022]

The pilot study of a 4:1 ketogenic diet (KD) using a total meal replacement program for glioblastoma (GBM) patients showed that the diet was well tolerated, with mild and transient treatment-emergent adverse events, and 62.5% of participants completed the 6-month treatment.

Survival times were promising, with a mean of 20 months for newly diagnosed patients and 12.8 months for recurrent GBM patients after starting the KD, suggesting potential benefits, although the small sample size limits definitive conclusions.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Treatment of glioblastoma multiforme with "classic" 4:1 ketogenic diet total meal replacement. Klein, P., Tyrlikova, I., Zuccoli, G., et al.[2020]

Patients undergoing radiation therapy for cancer are at risk for nutritional issues due to both their cancer and the treatment itself, which can be acute or chronic depending on the tumor location and irradiated areas.

Despite the common use of nutritional support during radiotherapy, current randomized trials indicate that routine nutritional intervention does not significantly improve treatment response, local control, survival rates, or reduce complications.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Nutritional support as an adjunct to radiation therapy. Donaldson, SS.[2017]

Mice fed a diet containing 10% steamed broccoli sprouts showed protection against the harmful effects of colitis induced by dextran sodium sulfate, indicating a potential dietary strategy for managing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

The study highlights that colitis disrupts the normal bacterial communities in the gut, and suggests that dietary components like broccoli sprouts could help maintain a healthy gut microbiome, offering a promising approach for IBD prevention and recovery.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Steamed broccoli sprouts alleviate DSS-induced inflammation and retain gut microbial biogeography in mice. Holman, JM., Colucci, L., Baudewyns, D., et al.[2023]

Mice fed a diet containing 10% steamed broccoli sprouts showed significant improvements in managing symptoms of ulcerative colitis induced by dextran sodium sulfate, including weight gain and lower levels of inflammatory markers.

The broccoli sprout diet helped maintain a diverse gut microbiota, counteracting the dysbiosis typically caused by colitis, suggesting that dietary interventions could be a promising and accessible strategy for managing Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Steamed broccoli sprouts alleviate DSS-induced inflammation and retain gut microbial biogeography in mice. Holman, JM., Colucci, L., Baudewyns, D., et al.[2023]

The inclusion of oats in a gluten-free diet for celiac disease patients may not be as safe as previously thought, as many clinical trials may have inadvertently exposed participants to gluten contamination from oats, leading to adverse reactions.

Analysis of 12 oat feeding studies revealed that expected gluten exposure levels could trigger clinical effects in many celiac patients, suggesting the need for new trials using higher-purity gluten-free oats to accurately assess oat safety.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Oat safety for celiac disease patients: theoretical analysis correlates adverse symptoms in clinical studies to contaminated study oats. Fritz, RD., Chen, Y.[2019]

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC23369/

Broccoli sprouts: An exceptionally rich source of inducers ... Extracts of 3-day-old broccoli sprouts (containing either glucoraphanin or sulforaphane as the principal enzyme inducer) were highly effective in reducing the ...

2. webmd.com webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-broccoli-sprouts

Health Benefits of Broccoli Sprouts Test subjects who ate 2.5 ounces of broccoli sprouts every day showed lower levels of ulcer-causing bacteria than those who munched on alfalfa sprouts instead.

3. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0261561418301183

Effects of long-term consumption of broccoli sprouts on ... The hypothesis of our research is that broccoli sprouts are able to reduce the inflammatory status in overweight subjects due to their content in phytochemicals ...

4. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5773831/

Daily intake of broccoli sprouts normalizes bowel habits in ... Daily broccoli sprout intake significantly decreased the duration of defecation attempts and the total constipation score, suggesting improved bowel habits.

5. healthline.com healthline.com/nutrition/broccoli-sprouts

What Are Broccoli Sprouts? Nutrients, Benefits, and Recipes Broccoli sprouts are a good source of fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals. They're also rich in sulforaphane, the compound behind most of their health ...

6. webmd.com webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-1459/broccoli-sprout

Broccoli Sprout - Uses, Side Effects, and More These sprouts have a higher chance of being contaminated with bacteria that can cause food poisoning. Broccoli sprout extract is possibly safe ...

7. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1523358/

Pathogen detection, testing, and control in fresh broccoli sprouts Only 24 (0.75%) of the 3191 sprout samples gave an initial positive test for Escherichia coli O157:H7 or Salmonella spp., and when re-tested, 3 drums again ...

8. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0278691508000100

Food safety evaluation of broccoli and radish sprouts Broccoli and radish sprouts demonstrated no toxic effects on proliferation and viability of HL-60 cells and should be included in our diets as healthy and safe ...

9. rxlist.com rxlist.com/supplements/broccoli_sprout.htm

Broccoli Sprout: Health Benefits, Side Effects, Uses, Dose ... Side Effects. Broccoli sprout is LIKELY SAFE to eat in amounts commonly found in food, as long as the broccoli sprouts are grown according to FDA guidelines.