The Forgotten Food Group That Could Save Your Life | Dr Jed Fahey and Doug Evans

The Proof with Simon Hill

Simon Hill

Nutrition, Health & Fitness, Self-improvement, Education

4.9 • 2.9K Ratings

🗓️ 22 September 2025

⏱️ 145 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Jed Fahey, nutritional biochemist who pioneered sulforaphane research at Johns Hopkins, and Doug Evans, author of The Sprout Book. We discuss why broccoli sprouts are one of the most powerful foods you can grow at home and how to use them safely and effectively. Jed explains the science of sulforaphane and the strongest clinical evidence so far, while Doug shares practical advice for sprouting at home, seed safety, and making sprouts part of everyday meals. What We Cover Sulforaphane and its unique effects in the body The most promising human trials How much broccoli sprout or supplement is useful Sprouts compared with supplements and mature vegetables Food safety and storage How to sprout easily at home Sprouts are simple, affordable, and surprisingly powerful, and this episode shows you how to get started. You can connect with Doug through Instagram, where he shares insights on health, wellness, and sprouting. Explore more of his work at The Sprouting Company, and follow The Sprouting Company on Instagram for practical tips and inspiration to bring sprouting into your daily life. If you want to hear more from Dr Jed Fahey, you can access his website and connect with him on Twitter. He has lots of exciting things in the works. Why Sprouts Stayed a Garnish: History, Culture & the Profit Problem (00:00:00) Are Vegetables Less Nutritious Today? (00:10:16) Can Sulforaphane and Sprouts Help Prevent Disease? (00:25:09) Broccoli vs Sprouts: How Sulforaphane Is Formed and Absorbed (00:40:26) How Does Sulforaphane Protect the Body? (00:49:01) Can Broccoli Sprouts Prevent Cancer, and How Much Do We Need? (00:57:08) Can You Trust Sprout Supplements? (01:04:14) Sulforaphane’s Role in Viruses, Pollution, Autism & Parkinson’s (01:13:30) Sprouts for Short-Term vs Long-Term Health (01:26:54) Making Sprouts Accessible For Everyone (01:37:30) How Do You Grow Sprouts Safely at Home? (01:52:58) Are Homegrown Sprouts Safe From Contamination? (01:58:47) Science Meets Mission: Sprouts, Purpose, and Prevention (02:08:51) This episode is brought to you by: 38TERA Consider 38TERA's DMN prebiotic supplement a daily multivitamin for your gut. Formulated by yours truly and gastroenterologist Dr Will Bulsiewicz. Use code THEPROOF for a discount at checkout. Function Health Take charge of your health with advanced blood testing and personalised insights. Function Health provides a practical solution to track key health markers such as cholesterol, blood sugar, and more. For the first 1,000 listeners, new members get a $100 credit when signing up. Head to functionhealth.com/simonhill to claim your credit. Only available to those living in the United States. Eight Sleep Upgrade your sleep with the Pod 5 Ultra by Eight Sleep. Clinically validated to deliver up to 1 extra hour of quality sleep per night through temperature control and biometric tracking. Use code THEPROOF for $350 off at eightsleep.com/theproof. Try it risk-free for 30 days, with worldwide shipping. LMNT Stay hydrated with LMNT. Get a free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular drink mix flavours with any purchase at DrinkLMNT.com/SIMON Find your favourite LMNT flavour, or share with a friend. And if you don’t like it? Full refund, no questions asked. Momentous My go-to supplement brand for protein and creatine is Momentous. Use code LIVINGPROOF for up to 35% off your first order at livemomentous.com Simon Hill, MSc, BSc (Hons) Creator of theproof.com Host of The Proof with Simon Hill Author of The Proof is in the Plants Subscribe & Connect: YouTube Apple Podcasts Spotify Instagram: @simonhill Twitter: @theproof Facebook: The Proof with Simon Hill

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome back my friends. Today on the proof I am joined by two incredible guests, Doug Evans,
0:06.5	entrepreneur and sprouting advocate, and Jed Fay, a nutritional biochemist whose research
0:12.2	on broccoli sprouts and sulfurophane has shaped much of what we know today. Together we explore
0:18.4	why sprouts are such a powerful yet often overlooked food, how they
0:23.0	impact human health, and how you can start incorporating them into your own routine today. From
0:29.3	the lab to the kitchen counter, this is a conversation that connects science with everyday life.
0:34.9	Please enjoy.
0:46.0	Howdy friends, I would love your help. You know this, we know this. There are ads on our podcast here at The Proof. That is what allows us to bring all of these episodes to you at
0:51.9	zero cost. We're always looking for new ways to make this experience
0:57.0	better for you. But to do that, we need to know a little bit more information about you and the
1:03.0	things that you like and perhaps don't like. To help with that, we've created a survey.
1:07.0	This survey will help us understand the type of guests and topics that you enjoy most.
1:12.2	It's quick, easy, and a really meaningful way to support the show. So if you would like to help
1:18.9	shape the show and the brands that we partner with, please head to voicingchange.media
1:24.6	forward slash the proof to fill out our audience survey. That's voicingchange.media, forward slash the proof to fill out our audience survey that's voicing
1:29.5	change dot media forward slash the proof we have the scientist and we have the
1:39.0	force of nature yeah are we recording yeah oh we're on or? Yeah, we're on. So you... Okay.
1:45.7	What do you mean you don't like logos? I love the red hot chili peppers. I'm so glad he wore that shirt today.
1:51.0	Yeah, flea is nice, but that's a subtle thing. And they need the amplification in 2025.
1:57.5	Oh, come on. You don't need to scream it when you got it going on. That's right. Can you unpack that?
2:03.1	Yeah. It basically, I'm screaming so that I can get it going on. The sprouter is already going on.
2:11.4	So we can be just subtle. But there's someone going to pick it up and say, what is this? And I want that to be revealed and a subtle, embossed.
	...

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