I may be biased but this episode truly feels akin to attending a lecture at a world-renowned university on an incredibly important subject of human health, namely leveraging the potency of some of the most powerful plant-based compounds to prevent disease and optimize our health. You will learn about sulforaphane and a similar compound found in the moringa tree. We discuss how to ingest these plants for optimal benefits,  the mechanism of action that confers health benefits, supplements, and caveats around TREATING rather than preventing diseases like cancer with these compounds. Get your notebooks out, get comfortable and let's dive deep into the health-boosting magic of plants.

Dr Fahey is a nutritional biochemist with broad training and extensive background in plant physiology, human nutrition, phytochemistry and nutritional biochemistry. He is currently the Director of the Cullman Chemoprotection Center at Johns Hopkins Medical School, where plant-based cancer prevention agents are being developed. His research addresses the induction by phytochemicals, of cytoprotective, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant responses in mammalian systems. His work draws on elements of natural product chemistry, enzymology, nutritional epidemiology and clinical research to develop nutritional strategies for chronic disease prevention in humans. Many of these studies deal with the glucosinolates and isothiocyanates that are found primarily in cruciferous vegetables and in a nutritious tropical tree called the drumstick tree or Moringa oleifera. Other work focuses upon a variety of flavonoid and phenolic secondary metabolites from ginseng, honey, ginger, ashwagandha, black cohosh, and other plants.

Avmacol sulforaphane supplements (note the caveats discussed in the episode that supplementing with high doses may be counterproductive once full blown cancer has already developed).