ExPress Essentials (30)
ExPress Essentials is a rich sourse of dietary indoles, contains standardized cruciferous vegetable blend providing 2% glucosinolates and 35mg of Indole-3-Carbinol.
The product has been manufactured using high quality pure raw materials and the technology that ensures all their beneficial properties intact, in strict compliance with GMP and TÜV regulations.
ExPress Essentials is an exclusive vegetable dietary supplement for adults and children. Cruciferous vegetables (kale, Brussels sprouts, cabbages, broccoli, mustard and horseradish) have the unique properties and should be part of a healthy diet.
Dietary indoles from cruciferous vegetables are potent antioxidants and can lower the risk of certain types of cancer. They promote the hormone balance, and normal function of endocrine system, strengthen the immune system.
It is known that in the countries with traditionally high consumption of cruciferous vegetables the risk of developing cancer is much lower than in the other places.
The consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables in the modern society is not adequate. The science comes to help us: the unique method of cruciferous vegetable active ingredient isolation has been developed.
ExPress Essentials contains standardized cruciferous vegetable blend (broccoli, kale, radish) providing 2% glucosinolates and 35mg of Indole-3-Carbinol.
There is a considerable body of evidence that shows that diets rich in fruits and vegetables, wholegrain cereals and complex carbohydrates are generally associated with lower disease risk, especially for some cancers and cardiovascular diseases. Besides antioxidant and vitamins, fruits and vegetables are rich sources of various plant or ‘phyto’ chemicals.
Recently scientists become interested specifically in one of the groups of compounds found in vegetables, glucosinolates. Glucosinolates are a large and diverse group of sulphur-containing compounds, which occur in Brassica vegetables (such as Brussels sprouts, cabbages, broccoli, mustard and horseradish). The breakdown products of glucosinolates (isothiocyanates) are responsible for the distinctive hot / bitter flavours of these foods.
Glucosinolates are powerful activators of liver detoxification enzymes. They also regulate white blood cells and cytokines. White blood cells are the scavengers of the immune system and cytokines act as "messengers," coordinating the activities of all immune cells.
Indole-3-carbinol is one of the major anticancer substances found in cruciferous vegetables. It is a member of the class of sulfur-containing chemicals called glucosinolates. (1)
Indole-3-carbinol and other are potent antioxidants and potent stimulators of natural detoxifying enzymes in the body. (2, 3)
Indole-3-carbinol can be a potent antithrombotic agent with antiplatelet activity. (17)
Indole-3-carbinol has considerable antimicrobial activity, deserving further investigation for clinical applications. (16)
In addition to glucosinolates, cruciferous vegetables contain health-promoting fiber, lutein, folic acid, vitamins C and E, and a variety of other phytochemicals.
The latest scientific research showed that the consumption of broccoli triggers cardioprotection. (14)
Glucosinolate-rich vegetables should be part of a healthy diet.
As a dietary supplement take 1 capsule daily with or before meals.
Contraindication
Individual intolerance.
During processing, cooking and digestion, glucosinolates are broken down by enzymes produced either by the plant, or by the colonic microflora, to give biologically active but often short-lived reaction products. Of these the isothiocyanates are of great importance because they have been shown to be highly effective inhibitors of chemically-induced tumours. Certain isothiocyanates have also been shown to inhibit the promotion of tumours by enhancing programmed cell death in chemically damaged tissues, and hence accelerating the deletion of initiated cells. Isothiocyanate inhibit mitosis and stimulate apoptosis in human tumor cells, in vitro and in vivo.
Women whose diets are low in dietary indoles often produce an excessive amount of estrogen in their bodies. When the liver cannot neutralize this over-abundance of estrogen, the hormone turns into a cancer-causing agent.
Men, as they grow older, face similar challenges as their estrogen levels increase and their testosterone levels decrease. This hormonal imbalance can lead to prostate problems; something that almost every man will likely face in his lifetime.
A combination of epidemiological and experimental data provides suggestive evidence that a high intake of cruciferous vegetables protects against some cancers at various
sites. (13)
The dietary intake of fruits and vegetables and the incidence of bladder cancer were monitored in 47,909 men enrolled in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study between 1986 and 1996. During this ten-year interval 252 individuals were diagnosed with bladder cancer. When the risk for bladder cancer was compared with intake of cruciferous vegetables, a significant, inverse relationship (P<0.05) was evident. Those individuals consuming the highest amounts of cruciferous vegetables exhibited 51% lower risk than those consuming the lowest amount of cruciferous vegetables. The data suggest that cruciferous vegetables reduce the risk of bladder cancer in men. (6)
The association between the intake of fruits and vegetables and non-Hodgkins lymphoma was examined in among 88,410 women, aged 34-60 years, in the Nurses’ Health Study over 14 years. During the study period, 199 cases of non-Hodgkins lymphoma were diagnosed. Total dietary intake of fruits and vegetables was associated with a significantly (P<0.02) reduced risk (38% lower risk) of the development of non-Hodgkins lymphoma. However, when dietary intake of vegetables was compared to the intake of fruits, only the intake of vegetables was associated with reduced risk of lymphoma development. Examination of individual types of vegetables consumed revealed that dietary intake of cruciferous vegetables accounted for the majority of the protective effects of the vegetables consumed. Considering the intake of ONLY cruciferous vegetables, those consuming five or more servings per week experienced a 37% lower risk than did those consuming two or fewer servings per week (P<0.03). The results indicate that the predominant protective effects of dietary vegetables with regard to non-Hodgkins lymphoma in women is due to the plant components in cruciferates. (7)
In a study involving 628 men under the age of 65 years, the association of dietary intake of fruit and vegetable intakes with prostate cancer was evaluated in men that had recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer and in an age matched case-control group consisting of 602 men from the same population. Dietary intake during the five year period preceding diagnosis and recruitment was evaluated by a questionnaire. No association was found between fruit intake and the risk of prostate cancer development. There was, however, an association between reduced risk and vegetable intake. Those consuming 28 or more servings of vegetables per week were 35% less likely to develop prostate cancer as compared to those consuming fewer than 14 servings per week (P<0.05). When the intake of specific vegetable groups was examined, those consuming three or more servings of cruciferous vegetables per week had 41% lower risk than those eating one serving per week (P<0.05). (8)
Feeding indole-3-carbinol or broccoli extracts rich in indole-3-carbinol has dramatically reduced the frequency, size, and number of tumors in laboratory rats exposed to a carcinogen. It appears to be especially protective against breast and cervical cancers because of a number of actions, including an ability to increase the breakdown of estrogen. (9,10)
A small double-blind trial, supplementation with 200 or 400 mg of indole-3-carbinol per day for 12 weeks reversed early-stage cervical cancer in 8 of 17 women. (11)
Preliminary studies have also shown indole-3-carbinol has significantly increased the conversion of estrogen from cancer-producing forms to nontoxic breakdown products. (12)
Epidemiological evidence indicates several health benefits of the consumption of broccoli, especially related to chemoprevention. Because broccoli contains high amounts of selenium and glucosinolates (particularly glucoraphanin and isothiocyanate sulforaphane), which can produce redox-regulated cardioprotective protein thioredoxin (Trx), it was reasoned that consumption of broccoli could be beneficial to the heart. To test this hypothesis, a group of rats were fed broccoli (slurry made with water) through gavaging; control animals were gavaged water only. After 30 days, the rats were sacrificed; isolated hearts perfused via working mode were made ischemic for 30 min followed by 2 h of reperfusion. The results demonstrated significant cardioprotection with broccoli as evidenced by improved postischemic ventricular function, reduced myocardial infarct size, and decreased cardiomyocyte apoptosis accompanied by reduced cytochrome c release and increased pro-caspase 3 activities. Ischemia/reperfusion reduced both RNA transcripts and protein levels of the thioredoxin superfamily including Trx1, Trx2, glutaredoxin Grx1, Grx2, and peroxiredoxin (Prdx), which were either restored or enhanced with broccoli. Broccoli enhanced the expression of Nrf2, a cytosolic suppressor of Keap1, suggesting a role of antioxidant response element (ARE) in the induction of Trx. Additionally, broccoli induced the expression of another cardioprotective protein, heme oxygenase (HO)-1, which could be transactivated during the activation of Trx. Examination of the survival signal revealed that broccoli caused the phosphorylation of Akt and the induction of Bcl2 in concert with the activation of redox-sensitive transcription factor NFkappaB and Src kinase, indicating a role of Akt, Bcl2, and cSrc in the generation of survival signal. Taken together, the results of the present study indicate that the consumption of broccoli triggers cardioprotection by generating a survival signal through the activation of several survival proteins and by redox cycling of thioredoxins. (14)
Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel.
Prostate cancer (PC) is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy for men in Western countries. Research showed that cruciferous vegetables containing indole derivatives were involved in cancer prevention. This study was designed to investigate the effect of indole-3-carbinol (I3C) in cell lines and on PC tumor growth in mice when given as a therapeutic and as a preventive treatment. The effect in vitro of 13C on the viability, proliferation and apoptosis of mouse PC cell line TRAMP-C2 and on bovine capillary endothelial (BCE) cells was examined using MTT, BrdU and FACS analyses. The effect of I3C (20mg/kg body weight) as both a therapeutic and a preventive treatment on the growth of PC cells, inoculated subcutaneously in C57BL/6 mice, was evaluated using tumor volume measurements and immunohistochemistry. I3C decreased the proliferation rate in 3-folds (staining to Ki-67), and promoted apoptosis (staining with caspase 3). I3C, injected intraperitonially (I.P.), significantly inhibited the tumor growth (a 78% decrease in tumor volume) and affected the angiogenesis process by decreasing the microvessel density (CD31 endothelial marker) and complexity. I3C has a significant inhibitory effect on PC cells in vitro and in vivo, and offers a potential usage as both preventive and therapeutic agent for humans. (15)
Department of Microbiology, College of Natural Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea.
Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) is a naturally occurring constituent of cruciferous vegetables. The aim of this study was to assess the in vitro antimicrobial activity of I3C and its mode of action. By using an NCCLS broth microdilution assay, the activity of I3C was evaluated against human pathogenic microorganisms including clinically isolated antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. The results indicated that I3C exhibited broad spectrum antimicrobial activities. To elucidate the physiological changes of the fungal cells induced by I3C, we performed a flow cytometric analysis for a cell cycle. The results showed that I3C arrested the cell cycle at the G(2)/M phase in Candida albicans. To understand the antifungal mode of action of I3C, the change in the membrane dynamics was monitored by using fluorescence changing experiments against C. albicans. The results suggest that I3C may exert antifungal activity by disrupting the structure of the cell membrane. The present study indicates that I3C has considerable antimicrobial activity, deserving further investigation for clinical applications. (16)
Department of Oncology, Graduate School of East-West Medical Science, Kyunghee University, Seoul 131-701, Republic of Korea.
Indole-3-carbinol, a natural compound found in cruciferous vegetables, is known to have anticancer activity. In the present study, the antiplatelet and antithrombotic activities of indole-3-carbinol were investigated in vitro and in vivo. Indole-3-carbinol significantly inhibited collagen-induced platelet aggregation in human platelet rich plasma (PRP) in a concentration-dependent manner. Indole-3-carbinol significantly inhibited fibrinogen binding to the platelet surface glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (GP IIb/IIIa) receptor by flow cytometric analysis. In addition, the levels of thromboxane B(2) (TXB(2)) and prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) in collagen stimulated PRP were significantly inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner by indole-3-carbinol. Furthermore, indole-3-carbinol dose-dependently suppressed the death of mice with pulmonary thrombosis induced by intravenous injection of collagen and epinephrine. These results suggest that indole-3-carbinol can be a potent antithrombotic agent with antiplatelet activity through the inhibition of GP IIb/IIIa receptor and thromboxane B(2) formation. (17)
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