Eat your Broccoli, seriously

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D Bergy

D Bergy

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I posted this in anther thread, but thought it was important enough to give it own thread.

I love this kind of potential treatment. It costs you nothing since you have to eat anyway.

It has no possible side effects other than a food allergy.

It is cheap and has an explainable mechanism.

It involves eating Broccoli as a possible Crohn's treatment. What could be easier than this? What have you got to lose by trying it out?

It is good for you, if you do not believe me, ask your mother. The worst that can happen is that it does not work. Pretty much true of any treatment.

Luckily, I like Broccoli. One or the few vegetables I do like. You can bet, we will be buying more of it now. This is a no brainer.

http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2010/08/30/Broccoli-may-curb-Crohns-progression/UPI-75311283227159/

Dan
 
Thanks Dan!! I think this is the third article that's been posted about this. Stir fried broccoli is one of EJ's favorites:).
 
I love broccoli but I have not seen an improvement and sometimes gives me gas. I steam them very lightly or I won't digest them well. But will go back to eating them more, even if they dont help Crohns wise I still love them :)
 
If digestion is a problem, maybe it would be better in a soup, or grind it up in a food processor. I can see where the fibrous nature of it could be a problem.

Dan
 
One interesting thing that happened when I started taking my wife's digestive enzymes is my blood protein level was in the middle of the normal range for once. First time ever.

Not sure if that helps Crohn's, but it makes me feel better about the test anyway.

Dan
 
Note:

Polysorbate 80 substantially encouraged the bacterial invasion process, the study says.

Polysorbate 80 is used in vitamins, gelatin, and some other food products. It is also used in Flu vaccines

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-polysorbate-80.htm

In light of this new information, we may want to consider avoiding polysorbate 80 when possible, or at least note any negative effects from its use.

Dan
 
Mmmm. I had locally farmed broccoli in soup today. Love love love, and glad it's potentially helpful for Crohn's, too!
 
for those who say broccoli causes them gas, have you tried 2 Beano tablets before eating it and then 2 with your broccoli?? It's an all natural enzyme that helps eliminate gas with certain foods that cause bloating in your gut. I've been using it for a while now but I did check it out with my GI and primary care MD before using it and they gave me their blessing. Also, if you don't like the stalks as it's hard to chew and digest, just eat the florets or as my 1 niece calls them "tree tops".

Steaming them until they are to the point of mush is good if you are afraid of a blockage, there is also soup, salad, raw, baked, the list goes on....you just have to get creative........good luck. :thumleft:
 
I love broccoli. It is my favorite vegetable. I haven't been able to eat it without extreme pain since my symptoms showed up. Even if I steam/boil it to death.
 
Dan, plantains are like big bananas with a more savoury flavour (at least in Canada where they're probably a month old and have lost most of their taste, lol).
 
An Italian restaurant near me serves broccoli parmesan.
It's breaded and fried broccoli topped with sauce and mozzarella cheese.
Not the healthiest thing on the menu, but oh so good.
 
Oh, and also - my favorite way to make broccoli...
I call it Baked Broccoli!
Wah and cut broccoli into bite sized pieces. Put it in a bowl and lightly coat with olive oil. Sprinkle with seasoned breadcrumbs and a little parmesan cheese, stir, and spread it on a metal baking tray. Bake at 400° until it is brown and crispy, about 30 minutes depending on how packed your tray is.


If you want to skip the breadcrumbs, just use olive oil and sea salt. Once the veggies start to caramelize they are soooo yummy! You can do this with just about any vegetable too, I've done it with yellow squash, eggplant, zucchini, red peppers, asparagus, baby artichokes, cut brussels sprouts.
I'm hungry.
 
Broccoli with a hollandaise sauce is quite delicious, especially if eaten with steamed veggies. My mom used to make carrots, potatoes, onions, parsnips, broccoli, cauliflower steamed veggies with hollandaise for dinner and looking back at it, I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. Simple to prepare and the steaming probably softens the veggies up for most people enough to enjoy.
 
D Bergy said:
If digestion is a problem, maybe it would be better in a soup, or grind it up in a food processor. I can see where the fibrous nature of it could be a problem.

Dan
Click to expand...

Good idea Dan! For some reason I didn't even think to do that, I'll have to try it since broccoli normally just bloats me
 
Have you ever had Cuban food, Dan? Plantains often come on the plate as an extra side. They can be sweetened and soft or sometimes they are sliced thin and fried like chips. I like them sweet and soft! The only difficult thing about plantains is they are kind of tricky to cook. They can be super starchy and hard when they are not fully ripened, which could potentially cause some problems for people if they are too green. They could be harder to digest. Plaintains are best when their outer skin looks basically black and bad - almost like they are rotten, but no bad smell or mold! Those are the best for sauteeing and will be super sweet, soft, and delicious to eat!
 
Oh, and I will add that many recipes use sweeteners to cook plantains, but they blacker the peel is, the sweeter they will be. So, when you cook them in the pan they should caramelize mostly by themselves and maybe a tad bit of oil. When letting plantains ripen you must be patient. It can take several weeks to ripen fully. I found a website a while back explaining how to find the best plantain and when to know it's ready to be cooked. I'll have to see if I can find it again and post it :)

Here's a good website with pictures!
http://www.raw-food-health.net/RipenPlantains.html
 
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I do love broccoli. Can't really eat it anymore, though, even in soup form. But, mmmmm, so delicious. Wish I could have some right now!
 
Now I need to find some BLACK plantains and cook them myself, Marissa! Want to experience this sweetness that you say is possible. :)
 
Damn, mom WAS right about broccoli! Good thing I love it!

FYI- be careful not too eat to much if you are on a blood thinner like Coumadin and must restrict your Vitamin K.

-Amy
 
Broccoli seems to bother me as much as lettuce, but I am still trying to figure out which foods bother me. Almost everything makes my guts rumble.:frown:
 
Darn!! I went shopping yesterday and forgot the broccoli :yfaint: well I will try and remember tomorrow :lol:!
 
I just made steamed broccoli with a bit of grated cheese over the top. I'm hoping the steaming will help to make them more digestable. At the moment I'm paranoid of eating just about everything in fear that it's going to make me sick ):
 
Most poeple think the broccoli is causing the pain, but putting cheese or butter will aggrivate your gut. I use a vegan or olive oil margarine, sparingly. Not worth the pain but steaming it lightly is the best way.
 
Thanks for the hint Pen, I'm still on the fence about dairy. Sometimes I react and sometimes I'm fine, such is the way of the Crohnie lol. I think I might just remove it from my diet altogether. Bye bye cheese and ice cream ):
 
Interestingly, cheese does not bother me, but anything else with Milk does. Apparently the chemistry is somewhat different between the two.

Dan
 
Yeah, I seem to be ok with old cheddar cheese and frozen yogurt or reg yogurt, but milk or ice cream...forget it.. strange.
 
I ate the cheese last night and I'm feeling pretty good today so maybe I'll be one of the lucky ones :p
I would love to be able to eat frozen yogurt too, yum! I might give some a go :D
 
According to the SCD diet. Cheddar cheese has all the lactose removed from it. It is one cheese that doesn't bother me. I cannot tolerate any milk products, including commercially made yogurt, 2% cottage cheese, unless it is dry curd. To much lactose. Broccoli tasted good with cheddar, it just isn't as creamy as the the sauce I use to love.
 
D Bergy said:
Interestingly, cheese does not bother me, but anything else with Milk does. Apparently the chemistry is somewhat different between the two.

Dan
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link Dan....and I'm with you on the cheese....I'd have to eat it even if it made me sick....:}

I see where you folks are hangin' out now....FOOOOOD...lol

Jerry
 
When I was at my best during my time on the SCD diet I was eating tons of broccoli with shredded cheddar cheese melted over the top. My stools were more formed during this time than any other time on the diet.

FYI for those of you who don't regularly eat fibrous vegetables like broccoli and want to start consuming a lot of broccoli. You MUST DO THIS GRADUALLY. This is a common mistake people make when trying to consume vegetables.

Eat a lot of fibrous vegetables over a long period of time ~1 month and see how much improved your stools will look.
 
Pen said:
Yes for me it is, always get bloated and painful gas. Hate that. Sometimes it does and sometimes it don't. If I remember to take a digestive enzyme it helps. But my memory stinks. :smile:
Click to expand...

Hey Pen

What I've done (as I'm also forgetful) is I have done 2 charts (trust me, my house is FULL of them! I'll take a picture of them all one day and post them on here!)

One of my charts is called the 'YES YES FOOD CHART' and the other (you guessed it!) the 'NO NO FOOD CHART'

I have written everything I can and can't eat on each one. It's funny to look at the differences, like I can eat lasagna but I can't eat spaghetti bolognese (nor spell it probably haha) I can't eat dark chocolate, but I can eat white chocolate!

All the foods I MUST have daily, I have written on a piece of paper and it's stuck on the front of my fridge, so I don't forget them.

I hope that helps :)
 
I agree 100% with Poppysocks for the following reason.

I think any radical change in diet takes time for the body to adjust to. I am getting this from a farmers point of view.

When cows are kept in the barn during Winter months, they eat mainly dry hay. If you let them out into the pasture one day in the spring, for the whole day, you end up with some very sick cows.

Farmers let the cows out for a short time at first, letting them eat a little green grass. they gradually let them eat more and more as the days go by. This allows the bacteria to change in their stomachs to adjust to the new food source.

We are not cows, but we do have bacteria that has adjust to our diets. If you change that diet all of a sudden, you are bound to have some problems with it.

Farming 101

Dan
 
I dunno, Dan, more than a month on Prednisone and I'm starting to feel that "cow" might fit the description rather nicely...

tee hee
 
Kelly said:
I dunno, Dan, more than a month on Prednisone and I'm starting to feel that "cow" might fit the description rather nicely...

tee hee
Click to expand...

:lol:


Those veggies are full of insoluble fiber. It's great stuff when your gut works right because it is excess material that helps move all the waste along. I feed my Marine Fish Brine shrimp for the same reason. It is mostly insoluble and helps to keep them pooping right :crab:
 
I dunno, Dan, more than a month on Prednisone and I'm starting to feel that "cow" might fit the description rather nicely...

The way people talk about Prednisone, I don't think I could ever use it. It sounds awful. MMMooooo

Dan
 
Hey if you are thin , pred will help. I am so aware of this drug, I actually lose weight because I know I will pay for it in so many ways, and my knee reminds me of every little calorie lol. I hate pred but I am not saying the N word because as soon as I get off it and say N again...I am back on it.

:banana: but I remembered to buy broccoli but failed to remember my doctor appt was tomorrow not today! Stupid pred .... :yfaint:
 
I am nervous about trying broccoli... I haven't tried it since I've been in a flare up, and now with all of my meds, I'm feeling better - maybe it's time to mingle with the trees? FYI though, cooked spinach is so good on the tummy, mine at least! It is so full of iron as well which, if you are aenemic like a lot of Crohnies, is a major perk. Tasty, too. ;)
 
Shannon - I'm with you on being nervous about trying new things now that I'm feeling great. I've added things here and there, but not the normal amount. Just take things slow and start small. I actually had beans in my chili tonight and no pains so far! :) It will take some time for your body to adjust to any new foods anyway. So, it's better to add a little at a time.
 
Broccoli scares me also :(
I had some broccolini the other night (damn supermarket only stocking icky food!) and I paid for it.

I do find pate is good for iron and like Shannon said, spinach is FANTASTIC! and tasty also!

I wonder what kelp would be like? I don't mind a bit of seaweed!
 
I can’t really eat whole broccoli cooked or raw as it irritates my bowels, giving me wind and diarrhea. Too much roughage. But I can consume broccoli juice with no problems whatsoever.
 
You're right broccoli is great! For all of you who can't currently tolerate the roughage because of damage or noarrowing, try juicing, and eat just a little of the vegetable. Balance the nutrient (juice) and fibre (roughage) to what you can tolerate in terms of roughage, but be sure to get the nutrients! Also applies to any vegetables, even leafy greens (kale, lettuce, chard).
 
Good to know broccoli kills H pylori, my doc just found it, I'd had a false negative after a scopy. But she also said that most people have it. It was giving me horrible heartburn.
Nevertheless, I'm on a prescription diet since I was just diagnosed and have to eat purred veg soup everyday. I found this great broccoli soup recipe from Gordon Ramsey. It's actually only broccoli and water, goat cheese is good to add. It hasn't caused me any indigestion or pain.

I'm not able to post url's since i've posted fewer than 15 times, so just type gordon ramsey broccoli soup in youtube.
 
Pen said:
Yeah, I seem to be ok with old cheddar cheese and frozen yogurt or reg yogurt, but milk or ice cream...forget it.. strange.
Click to expand...

This is because the bacteria in the cheese and yogurt have broken down the proteins/sugars that you have trouble digesting. It makes perfect sense actually.

I cant handle milk either, cheese and yogurt are ok.
 
Hmmm..old post, but what the hell.

about 1/2 kilo broccoli.

Bring water to boil. Season rock salt BEFORE adding brocolli.

Add broccoli, season top of broccoli in water with rock salt.

3-4 minutes. Remove.

Keep the water. Remove broccoli. Add 1/2 litre of the water you used to boil it with broccoli to blender. Pulse blend until smooth. Taste and season if necessary.

Cracked pepper if you can handle it. Melt goats cheese into it. Even better.

I've toyed with adding other vegetables. Peas especially. half a cup of peas, with a sprig of mint. Lifts the broccoli to a whole new level.
 
I think these were the actual results that the article was referring to.....
"Translocation of E coli across M-cells is reduced by soluble plant fibres, particularly plantain and broccoli, but increased by the emulsifier Polysorbate-80. These effects occur at relevant concentrations and may contribute to the impact of dietary factors on Crohn's disease pathogenesis."
http://www.pubfacts.com/detail/2081...-M-cells-contrasting-effects-of-soluble-plant

Plant fiber good, processed food bad,
I wouldn't fixate too much on the brocolli. Find fiber that you can tolerate, avoid processed foods,and try to develop a healthy gut microbiome

If broccoli (or any other veg gives you gas then maybe check out FODMAPS[1], a diet designed to identify sugars and carbohydrates that individuals have problems digesting and which, because they are not digested, ferment in the intestine causing (painful) gas

The study focused on one small part of crohns ('sticky' e-coli penetrating intestinal wall) and how fiber and polysorbate-80 affected it.
Nothing about before or after this, nothing about causes or flow on effects.

All that they demonstrated is that people eating 'healthy fiber' were providing food for 'beneficial' bacteria that displace 'detrimental' bacteria.

One journal had a headline about broccoli[2], one had a headline about plantains[3], neither had a headline "processed food bad"

Having said that don't assume fiber is all good.[4]
If you have IBD you have a severely disrupted microbiome,
If you have a severely disrupted microbiome you have an impaired ability to digest carbs and sugars,
therefore the first step is to stop feeding the bad stuff, and slowly rebuild the good stuff.
Maybe look into paleo, SCD, perfect health diet?

[1] Fodmaps (with link to very helpful podcast)
https://www.crohnsforum.com/showpost.php?p=842163&postcount=2
[2] Broccoli may curb Crohn's progression
http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2010/08/30/Broccoli-may-curb-Crohns-progression/UPI-75311283227159/
[3] Banana plantain fibers could treat Crohn's disease, research suggests
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100825191700.htm
[4] notes on Fiber
http://www.crohnsforum.com/showpost.php?p=824833&postcount=5
 

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