What is inflammation?

Inflammation is part of our body’s defense mechanism, in which the immune system protects the body from harmful agents such as bacteria and viruses. In the short term, it can provide effective protection, but in the long term, it can lead to severe and potentially life-threatening health conditions.

Inflammation can be divided into two main categories – acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term).

Acute or short-term inflammation can be caused by various diseases or injuries. Signs of acute inflammation include pain, redness, loss of function, swelling, and heat. These signs may not always be present. Sometimes the inflammation is “silent”, without symptoms – for example, a person may just feel tired, generally unwell, or may have a fever.

What is chronic inflammation and what causes it?

Inflammation becomes chronic when the immune system’s protective response persists after an infection or injury has passed, and this can contribute to the development and progression of various health problems common today.

Chronic inflammation can be caused by a number of factors, including:

• untreated causes of acute inflammation, such as infection or injury
• an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue
• long-term exposure to irritants, such as polluted air or various industrial chemicals

In addition, alcohol, smoking, obesity and chronic stress also affect the formation of inflammation in the body.

Chronic inflammation can lead to conditions such as:

• Diabetes
• Cancer
• Cardiovascular diseases
• Arthritis
• Obesity
• Allergies
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• COPD – Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Inflammation is a natural part of the healing process, but if it becomes chronic, it is important to get it under control to reduce the risk of long-term damage and serious illness.

Anti-inflammatory effect of sulforaphane

Sulforaphane, in addition to other beneficial properties, has a strong anti-inflammatory effect.

Sulforaphane’s anti-inflammatory properties come from its ability to activate a crucial cellular defense mechanism (Nrf2) that fights inflammation and oxidative stress throughout our body. This mechanism helps reduce systemic inflammation, which means less inflammation throughout the body.

Studies have shown that Sulforaphane significantly reduces various common markers of inflammation, such as C-reactive protein, IL-6, and TNF-α.

Sulforaphane has been and continues to be extensively studied for its immediate and long-term health benefits, particularly in relation to cardiovascular disease and cancer. It is currently one of the most studied herbal compounds in the world.

Sulforaphane also has other very important health benefits, which you can read about HERE . In summary, it can be said that the usefulness of Sulforaphane for so many health conditions stems from its ability to help activate the strong defense mechanisms of our own body, which play an important role in preventing and alleviating various diseases.

Healthy solution for your mind and body
Bioactive broccoli sprouts with sulforaphane

Pure Food Norway has for a long while been trying to develop a nutritious, complete, practical and fairly priced liquid food. In a collaboration with the clinical nutritionist of Olympiatoppen along with other professionals we have developed a nutritious and balanced meal that contains all the body needs.

We have developed two variants with 6 different tastes:

• Pure Food MEAL powder

• Pure Food MEAL Ready-to-drink

Enjoy a healthy meal with all you need. Being short of time, energy or a place to eat is not an obstacle anymore. Its perfect for a hike or just a busy day when you need a snack. Works well as pre/post workout nutrition to ease weight management.

You can buy Pure Food MEAL ready-to-drink, or as a powder mixable with the liquid of your choice. Drink your next meal.

IT ALL STARTED WITH A SEED…

Did you know seeds are the start of what would turn into a vegetable? The most important nutrients of the vegetable/sprout is in the seed. Thats why the sprout has a far larger concentration of nutrients compared to a fully grown vegetable.

WE ONLY SELECT THE BEST SEEDS

Type and quality of the seed is very important for the nutritional yield. We only use organic seeds of the highest quality to ensure we get the highest and best values every time.

FROM SPROUTS TO POWDER

Sprouts has large quantities of vitamins and minerals relative to its size. As an example the concentration of Sulforaphane in a broccoli sprout is 20-50 times larger than in a fully grown broccoli. The production of broccoli sprout powder gives particularly high values of the nutrient Sulforaphane, which has turned out to be a «miracle nutrient» to lifestyle diseases and a number of other diagnoses.

UNIQUE PRODUCTION PROCESS

At Pure Food Norge (PFN) we have developed our own production process, an ingenious technology for freeze drying. The process preserves and safeguards the nutritional content and the important active substances of the sprouts. This allows us the opportunity of producing a long shelf life broccoli sprout powder, with very high values of Sulforaphane. This process can be applied on all microgreens.

SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION

The production is done indoor under controllable conditions. Sprouts and Microgreens are harvested after just a few days. Large quantities can be produced without occupying large agricultural areas. No pollution and controllable quality routines makes our production even more sustainable and competitive when the food of the future is put on the table.

PARTNER IN PRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT

Norske Spirer JSC is the largest and oldest producer of sprouts in Norway. For several years we have collaborated in developing the organic sprout mixes now available in a variety of retail stores. Innovative product development and technology allows for further collaboration on freeze drying sprouts and microgreens in a new and modern production line in Norway.

FORTIFICATION OF FOODS AND DRINKS

The sprout powder can fortify ready meals and add new nutrition, or mix into already freeze-dried foods such as fish or meat. If you add water to the powder and heat it, you transform it into a ready meal with a high nutritional content and vital active substances.

FOOD AS MEDICINE

Sulforaphane has been connected with a number of different health benefits and according to several studies the active substances in Sulforaphane helps fight cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. It has also been shown to have a positive impact on intestinal health, aging, cardiovascular health, detoxification etc. Read about Sulforaphane´s health benefits here(link)

SUPPLEMENTS

Our naturally freeze-dried products without additives serves well as an effective supplement, and are easily used in any diet to counter deficiencies in vitamins, minerals and other active substances. Either as capsules or small bags of powder blendable with food and beverages, the supplement is becoming increasingly relevant.

MICROGREENS

Microgreens also start with a seed, but they are immature plants that have developed visible and larger leafs than a sprout. A plant is usually at the microgreen stage 3-12 days, but some require a longer period of time. We can utilize our production process, experience and knowledge from sprouts to produce high-quality microgreens.

In recent years, Pure Food has been researching production processes to produce important active ingredients, such as Sulforaphane and Polyphenol, which are found naturally in cabbage products – especially broccoli germ. Now we have succeeded and we can produce high-value nutrients.

BROCCOLI – MORE THAN FOOD

Broccoli is full of the healthy properties we need to be healthy. Unfortunately, not everyone loves broccoli, and even for those who like it, it is not easy to eat large amounts of broccoli every day. That’s why Pure Food has developed a nutritionally rich powder that contains a lot of bioactive sulforaphane. Only 1 gram of our powder contains the same amount of sulforaphane as 100 grams of broccoli. This means that you can take full advantage of the healthy properties of broccoli without eating large amounts every day.

From SPRING to POWDER

Broccoli sprouts are rich in vitamins and minerals and sulforaphane is about 20-50 times higher than in adult broccoli. The production of our broccoli germ powder provides a particularly high nutritional value of sulforaphane, which proves to be a “miracle drug” for many lifestyle diseases and other diagnoses.

SULFORAPHANE – HEALTH BENEFITS – FOOD AS A MEDICINE

Sulforaphane has been extensively studied and is of medical interest because of its beneficial health effects. Sulforaphane has been shown to protect against a variety of cancers, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, have anti-inflammatory effects, and be useful in autism and osteoporosis. There is strong epidemiological evidence for the health benefits of broccoli consumption and many benefits are associated with sulforaphane. Since the compound was isolated from broccoli and found to have cancer-preventing properties in a rat study published in the 1990s, more than 3,000 publications have described similar effects in the studies.

Animal studies have shown that sulforaphane has many health benefits. Among other things, it can help reduce blood sugar levels, cholesterol levels, oxidative stress, and the development of chronic diseases. Health benefits also include a reduction in the risk of stomach inflammation and cancer, prostate cancer, and other cancers. It has also been shown to reduce the risk of aggression being detected, to have a rejuvenating effect on the immune system, and to prevent cardiovascular disease.

Pure Food has developed its own production process – a new technology for freeze-drying. This technology preserves and protects the nutrients and essential active ingredients in the germ. This allows us to produce broccoli seed powder with a very high sulforaphane content with a long shelf life.

Our doctoral student Ladia Jilek is now participating in a 4-year clinical trial funded by the European Union. Sulforaphane in food and its effects on cells are being studied, and the brain associated with autism, in particular, is being studied. Sulforaphane is today the most studied herbal substance in the world.