"Eat your brussel sprouts!"
Mom really did have a great reason for forcing us to eat those
horrible vegetables but I bet she didn't even know the full
benefits.
It turns out that cruciferous vegetables including broccoli,
cauliflower, brussel sprouts and cabbage contain Indole 3
Carbinol (I3C). I3C is the reason our moms were so strongly
encouraging us to eat up.
Since being discovered, Indole 3 Carbinol has been used in many
studies that suggest several health benefits, especially for
women. Oral ingestion of Indole 3 Carbinol has been shown to
alter the metabolism of estrogen in a beneficial manner. As we
know from hormone replacement therapy (HRT) studies, excess
estrogen in the body can be damaging. It's fairly common
knowledge that HRT can increase the risks of most gynecological
cancers including endometrial, ovarian and breast cancer as well
as increasing the risks of heart attacks and stroke. HRT can
also induce PMS type symptoms including bloating, breast
tenderness, moodiness and irritability and water retention.
So, if all these things can occur because of an increase in
estrogen, maybe we should understand a little better what it is
that is causing this to happen. Here is a little Biology 101.
Both male and female bodies have estrogen receptors. These
receptors are like electrical outlets. The purpose of estrogen
receptors is to receive estrogen and allow the body to process
the estrogen. Just like there are many different things that you
could plug into an electrical outlet, there are several
different types of estrogen that can plug into estrogen
receptors. In the case of electrical outlets, various things
will pull different amounts of power such as the difference
between a night light and a computer. Obviously, the computer
will draw much more power than the night light, but the least
amount of power will be drawn from one of those little plastic
safety plugs.
Back to the estrogen receptors. Different forms of estrogen;
phytoestrogen, estriol, estrone, estradiol and xenoestrogens,
have different effects when plugged into those estrogen
receptors. The weaker the estrogen, the less estrogenic effects
they will have on the body. The stronger the estrogen, the more
negative effects they will have on health. But just as any house
has a limited number of electrical outlets, the body has a
limited number of estrogen receptors.
Ideally we want to plug as many estrogen receptors as possible
with weak estrogens, primarily phytoestrogens which come from
plant sources. HRT and hormonal birth control methods all use
the strongest natural estrogen, estradiol. Indole 3 Carbinol
mimics the weakest forms of estrogen. Therefore, the more Indole
3 Carbinol that is absorbed by the body and used to plug the
estrogen receptors, less receptors will be available to the
stronger estrogens.
Studies indicate that Indole 3 Carbinol is more beneficial than
Tamoxifen for the prevention of breast cancer1. This may be due
to I3C's ability to mimic very weak estrogen in the body.
Studies have also indicated that Indole 3 Carbinol was
beneficial to mice suffering from Lupus and other autoimmune
disorders2.
Other studies indicate that Indole 3 Carbinol may be beneficial
for the following concerns.
* Ovarian cancer * Prostate cancer * Colon cancer * Human
Papilloma Virus (HVP) * Cervical dysplasia3
In addition, because of the ability Indole 3 Carbinol seems to
have on estrogen, case studies are now showing it may be
beneficial for: * Hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms *
Breast tenderness, cramping and other menstrual symptoms *
Helping to relieve muscle soreness do to exercise or
overexertion.
With so much contributing to the numerous benefits of Indole 3
Carbinol, it may be time to start listening to mom and eat those
veggies!
1. "Prevention and treatment of cancer with indole-3-carbinol",
Alternative Medicine Review, Dec, 2001 by Matthew S. Brignall
2. "Indole-3-carbinol in women with SLE: effect on estrogen
metabolism and disease activity", Lupus, Volume 10, Number 11,
November 2001, pp. 779-783(5)
3. "Placebo-controlled trial of indole-3-carbinol in the
treatment of CIN", Gynecol Oncol. 2000 Aug;78(2):123-9
About the author:
Nicole Bandes is a Certified Herb Specialist that has been
helping others to regain their health and vitality since 1999.
Nicole uses and recommends Nature's Sunshine Products Indole 3
Carbinol for her family and friends. Read more articles by
Nicole at
http://www.naturallyherbs.com.
