I have been a long acne veteran.
I hardly post anymore because I am pretty much clear and I don't worry about it anymore.

With hardwork in research and experimentation, after four years, I went from having 60 cysts on my face
to almost none.

If you are curious to know how much I've been through.
go to here:
http://www.acne.org/messageboard/forums.html...topic=87851

However, I would always have to maintain such a strict regimen with topical and oral medications, as well as a diet. It got stressful and irritating sometimes when I wanted to indulge but couldn't knowing that it would break me out.

Recently, things changed.

A few weeks ago, I went to Vitamin Shoppe and I bought Broccoli Pills . I bought it with the intention of using it as a substitute for vegetables when I forgot to prepare my vegetables. Being a working student and all, preparing food isn't always convenient, so therefore, I wanted to take the pills so at least I would be getting the nutrients.

Anywayz, that same week was one of my most stressful weeks with exams and papers, it was also one of the weeks were I indulged HEAVILY. I eat really unhealthy, oily food almost entirely that week. Pizza, chinese food. candy, chocolates, incream. everything. Having been a veteran, I knew my face would break out.

I got really lazy that I didn't take my supplements (Vitamin C, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Flax seed oil) in my cabinet. I stopped going to the gym. With heavy indulging and no supplements, I knew my face was committing suicide.

Despite my chronic laziness and indulging, I still managed to take my damn Broccoli Pills simply because they were on my dining table already.

Amazingly. I've had no breakouts. Nothing. Ever since I started taking Broccoli Pills I've had no break outs.

This week, I tried out my experiment again. Same results. No breakouts.

Does anybody have any opinions on this?

I was thinking that broccoli would be high in Vitamin A, but the nutrition facts don't say that there is Vitamin A. Instead. it is just 500mg of broccoli. I know that it is the Broccoli pills because this is the ONLY supplement I am taking.

here is the product I am taking:

http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/brow....jsp?id=VS-1514

Any opinions thoughts? i

Now I'm very curious to look up what vitamins and minerals are in broccoli. But damn!!
This warrants some looking into -- could be one of those serendipitous finds....

**********

I found this:

"Broccoli is a dark green vegetable in the cruciferous family. It is rich in fiber, provitamin A carotenoids, and vitamins C and K. Cruciferous vegetables contain phytochemicals which help create immune and antioxidant support in the body by inducing extra protection of the enzymes involved in detoxifying carcinogens and flushing them out of the body. These important enzymes include 'quinone reductase' and 'glutathione S-transferase', with Sulforaphane as a major and potent enzyme induced. Broccoli is an important source of Vitamin K, which helps prevent stomach and colon cancer. Broccoli has been grown for more than two thousand years. During the 16th century, Broccoli was grown in Italy and France. It began to be commercially grown in the United States in the 1920s. The word "Broccoli" derives from the Italian 'Brocco' meaning arm branch. Broccoli is related to cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. Broccoli is said to contain as much calcium, ounce for ounce, as milk. By supplementing regularly with Broccoli you can reduce or prevent ailments like cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis and heart disease."

Ooh I just ate steamed broccoli for dinner..and glad now that I did!

Yep. Broccoli has Vitamin C and beta carotene, which are both antioxidants involved in Phase I Liver Detoxification, as well as the sulfur chemicals that are beneficial in Phase II Liver Detox. Other then that it's got a whole host of other beneficial vitamins and minerals.

I eat broccoli raw and dip it in hummus, it's good stuff.

From what I read on another post by Leon, it has sulfur and calcium which according to him is great at fighting acne. It has the highest amout outside of raw onions, but can't handle the raw onion taste. So you may be onto something. Good luck and raw broccoli is better than steamed according to the post, but steamed is good too.

So you've been basically eating whatever you want, while taking the broccoli pills and you haven't broken out?

Broccoli pills sound like they would be full of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is recommended by some naturopaths for acne due to its liver cleansing power. I bought some good green powder mixes and was drinking it with fresh carrot juice for a time, but it didn't help my acne.

So you've been basically eating whatever you want, while taking the broccoli pills and you haven't broken out?

yes. the thing is... i've been in this game a long time. If you look at my history at the link i posted. I have pretty much everything under control. But This broccoli thing is mystifying me. I am NOT taking any other supplement right now, yet I do not understand why broccoli pills are helping me. I feel it's too good to be true.

I think there's a difference from eating it cooked and getting from pills. That's my suspicion.
My nonetheless, I'm happy I have a new weapon to add to my anti-acne arsenal.

So, I think in pill form you are just getting more concentrated amounts of all the vitamins and minerals you get eating the real thing. But if you like broccoli, there is no substitute for the real thing. Unless of course, you'd have to eat 5 lbs. of it a day, in which case it's a no-brainer, LOL.

Broccoli contains a compound called indole-3-carbinol (similar to DIM), which has an impact on the body's estrogen metabolism. It may exert an anti-acne effect because of this property, and I can imagine that a concentrated extract as found in the pills would have more of an impact than eating a typical serving of the vegetable. Still a good idea to eat the the broccoli, though...

I never thought of broccolli but I'll give it a shot.

Heres a good link about Brocco

http://www.vegparadise.com/highestperch44.html

(bottom of page has all the nutrional info..)

I got pills today. 850mg.

Let's hope it all works out.

I wonder what would happen if you started taking the other pills again in addition to the broccoli.

I have always taken a lot of vitamins, many that would supposedly be good for my skin. About a month ago I ran out of a bunch of them (evening primrose oil, flax seed, milk thistle) and my skin doesn't seem to have an opinion either way. I had acne with and without them.

Maybe your body is reacting to NOT having the vitamins you were so used to before?

I will definitely buy some broccoli pills today.....i'll try anything!

What does the label on the back of the bottle say? Does it have a list of vitamins/nutrients/ect. listed? Ya know, like a bottle of vitamins does?

lol that is interesting

I just went to Vitamin Shoppe's site online and did a search but there is no match for brocolli, brocolli pill or brocolli supplement.

What is the name of the product? (Name brand)

http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/brow....jsp?id=VS-1514

Hey frogprince, are you taking only 1 a day? Because mine suggests I should take 2 a day.

Product Information:
Supplement Facts
Serving Size 1
Servings Per Container 50 Capsules

Amount Per
Serving % Daily
Value

Broccoli Cruciferous Extract Blend 500 Mg N/A*




* Daily value not established


Directions:
As a dietary supplement for adults, one (1) to two (2) vegicaps daily, preferably, at mealtime, or as directed by a healthcare practitioner.



Other Ingredients:
Vegetable cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, vegetable magnesium stearate, silica, water.



Does Not Contain:
Sugar, salt, starch, corn, yeast, soy, wheat, dairy products, preservatives, artificial flavors or colors.



Warnings:
To assure freshness and potency, store in a cool, dry place, away from heat, light and moisture. Keep out of reach of children.



I finally found one....this is the information that was on there. As you can see, daily values of vitamins and minerals present in a single dose is not established. From some other site I quoted, it would seem that, among other things, there is a lot of vitamin A, carotenoids, vitamins C and vitamins K.

Check out this link:

http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-B00001-01c20c0.html



Nutritional Summary for Broccoli, raw
Change the serving size in the dropdown above to automatically update the Nutrition Facts label and Nutrient Tables. The remaining elements of this analysis are independent of serving size.

The Good:
This food is very low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Protein, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Pantothenic Acid, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Selenium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Folate, Potassium and Manganese.

The Bad:
A large portion of the calories in this food come from sugars.

89%
Moisture Content
71%
Carbs
9%
Fats
20%
Protein

Caloric Ratio Pyramidâ„¢
This symbol shows how the Calories in this food are distributed between the different macronutrients, and can help you identify foods that best match certain diet plans, such as low-fat, low-carb, high-protein, or balanced-ratio.

Learn more about:
ND's Caloric Ratio Pyramid

92
Completeness Score

Nutrient Balance Indicatorâ„¢
This symbol illustrates the density of essential nutrients in this food, and can help you create meals that are healthier and more nutritionally balanced.

Learn more about:
ND's Nutrient Balance Indicator

4.3
Fullness Factor
5.0
ND Rating

Nutritional Target Mapâ„¢
(Patent Pending)
This symbol maps this food in relation to common nutritional goals. Foods closer to the upper right corner are Better Choices for healthy weight loss, while foods closer to the lower right corner are Better Choices for healthy weight gain.

Learn more about:
ND's Nutritional Target Map
ND's Fullness Factor
ND's Rating
ND's Better Choices Diet


Better Choices Substitutions for Broccoli, raw
To explore a list of foods that ND rates higher than this one, select a food category and nutritional goal from the dropdowns and click the Show me! button. Substituting a food from that list for this one may improve the quality of your diet or make it easier for you to control the number of Calories that you consume. To learn more about this, see ND's Better Choices Diet. For additional ways to explore ND's database, see ND's Explorer tool.
Vegetables and Vegetable ProductsAll ready-to-eat foods and beverages Better Choices for weight lossBetter Choices for optimum healthBetter Choices for weight gain Show me!



Protein Quality for Broccoli, raw
This symbol illustrates the proportion of essential amino acids in this food, and can help you identify complete proteins. Learn more about Protein Quality.

83
Amino Acid Score


Protein Complements: Adding other foods with complementary amino acid profiles to this food may yield a more complete protein source, and improve the quality of some types of restrictive diets.
Foods with the highest ratios of Leucine to Tryptophan

Nutrients per Serving for Broccoli, raw

Food Energy
Amounts Per Selected Serving %DV
Calories
Calories from Alcohol
Calories from Carbohydrate
Calories from Fat
Calories from Protein

Carbohydrates
Amounts Per Selected Serving %DV
Total Carbohydrate g
Dietary Fiber g
Starch g
Sugars g
Sucrose mg
Glucose mg
Fructose mg
Lactose mg
Maltose mg
Galactose mg

Fats & Fatty Acids
Amounts Per Selected Serving %DV
Total Fat g
Saturated Fat g
4:0 mg
6:0 mg
8:0 mg
10:0 mg
12:0 mg
13:0
14:0 mg
15:0 mg
16:0 mg
17:0 mg
18:0 mg
19:0
20:0 mg
22:0 mg
24:0
Monounsaturated Fat g
14:1 mg
15:1 mg
16:1 undifferentiated mg
16:1 c
16:1 t
17:1 mg
18:1 undifferentiated mg
18:1 c
18:1 t
20:1 mg
22:1 undifferentiated mg
22:1 c
22:1 t
24:1 c
Polyunsaturated Fat g
16:2 undifferentiated
18:2 undifferentiated mg
18:2 n-6 c,c
18:2 c,t
18:2 t,c
18:2 t,t
18:2 i
18:2 t not further defined
18:3 mg
18:3 n-3 c,c,c
18:3 n-6 c,c,c mg
18:4 undifferentiated mg
20:2 n-6 c,c mg
20:3 undifferentiated mg
20:3 n-3
20:3 n-6
20:4 undifferentiated mg
20:4 n-3
20:4 n-6
20:5 n-3 mg
22:2
22:5 n-3 mg
22:6 n-3 mg
Total trans fats
Total trans-monoenoic fats
Total trans-polyenoic fats

Learn more about these fatty acids
and their equivalent names

Protein & Amino Acids
Amounts Per Selected Serving %DV
Protein g
Tryptophan mg
Threonine mg
Isoleucine mg
Leucine mg
Lysine mg
Methionine mg
Cystine mg
Phenylalanine mg
Tyrosine mg
Valine mg
Arginine mg
Histidine mg
Alanine mg
Aspartic acid mg
Glutamic acid mg
Glycine mg
Proline mg
Serine mg
Hydroxyproline

Vitamins
Amounts Per Selected Serving %DV
Vitamin A IU
Retinol mcg
Retinol Activity Equivalent mcg
Alpha Carotene mcg
Beta Carotene mcg
Beta Cryptoxanthin mcg
Lycopene mcg
Lutein+Zeaxanthin mcg
Vitamin C mg
Vitamin D
Vitamin E mg
Beta Tocopherol mg
Gamma Tocopherol mg
Delta Tocopherol mg
Thiamin mg
Riboflavin mg
Niacin mg
Vitamin B6 mg
Folate mcg
Food Folate mcg
Folic Acid mcg
Dietary Folate Equivalents mcg
Vitamin B12 mcg
Pantothenic Acid mg
Vitamin K mcg

Minerals
Amounts Per Selected Serving %DV
Calcium mg
Iron mg
Magnesium mg
Phosphorus mg
Potassium mg
Sodium mg
Zinc mg
Copper mg
Manganese mg
Selenium mcg

Sterols
Amounts Per Selected Serving %DV
Cholesterol mg
Phytosterols
Campesterol
Stigmasterol
Beta-sitosterol

Other
Amounts Per Selected Serving %DV
Alcohol g
Water g
Ash g
Caffeine mg
Theobromine mg




Footnotes for Broccoli, raw
Data for this listing was provided by USDA SR18. Each "~" indicates a missing or incomplete value.

Percent Daily Values (%DV) are for adults or children aged 4 or older, and are based on a 2000 Calorie reference diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower based on your individual needs.

ND's Opinion, Completeness Scoreâ„¢, Fullness Factorâ„¢, Rating, and Better Choices Substitutionsâ„¢ are editorial opinions of NutritionData.com, given without warranty, and are not intended to replace the advice of a nutritionist or healthcare professional. ND's opinions and ratings are based on weighted averages of the nutrient densities of those nutrients for which the FDA has established Daily Values, and do not consider other nutrients which may be important to your health, nor take into account your individual needs. Consequently, ND's higher-rated foods may not necessarily be better than lower-rated ones. All foods, regardless of their rating, have the potential to play an important role in your diet.

The Amino Acid Score has not been corrected for digestibility, which could reduce its value.

To learn more about this analysis, please see ND's Analysis Help page.

I only take 1 capsule a day.

At first, a started on two, but now I am back on one.

I know that the vitamin shoppe brand doesn't list vitamin a, but i do know
from research that taking too much vitamin a is not good for you.

i'm still curious to know how much vitamin a is in the brand.