Are Sulforaphane Supplements Effective

by Luxxo Wellness

What Is Sulforaphane?

Sulforaphane comes from cruciferous vegetables that are rich in sulfur compounds, for e.g., broccoli sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, Bok choy, and cabbage. It has been shown to provide powerful health benefits which will be discussed later in the article. However, sulforaphane can only be activated when myrosinase enzymes are present. To achieve that, cruciferous vegetables must be cut beforehand, to release the myrosinase enzymes that activates sulforaphane.

Raw vegetables have the highest levels of sulforaphane. One study found that raw broccoli had ten times more sulforaphane than cooked broccoli(1). Steaming vegetables for one to three minutes may be the best way to optimize sulforaphane levels when cooking(2).

Benefits Of Sulforaphane

1) Support Heart Health

Green leafy vegetable (especially cruciferous vegetables) intake showed the strongest inverse association with major chronic diseases and cardiovascular diseases. Even by adding 1 extra serving daily can noticeably reduce risk of cardiovascular diseases(3).

2) Anticancer Effect

Sulforaphane has been shown to have anticancer properties in a number of lab test and animal studies, reducing both the size and number of various types of cancer cells(4). Sulforaphane may also prevent cancer cell growth by releasing antioxidant and detoxification enzymes that protect against carcinogens-substances that cause cancer (5). Population studies have linked a higher dietary intake of cruciferous vegetables with a significantly reduced risk of cancer.


3) Protective Effect On Cells

Sulforaphane is proven to enhance cell defence via gene expression, in laymen term, they can help to induce many protective antioxidant proteins to protect our cell against oxidative stress (6). Oxidative stress causes negative effects to our body, for e.g., aging, cell malfunction, inflammation, and diseases.

4) Potent Anti-Inflammatory Effect

We all know that long term inflammation to our body is a serious issue that leads to many illnesses. By reducing the inflammation levels, we reduce the risk of long-term diseases. Studies have shown that 10 weeks of sulforaphane intake is able to reduce inflammation levels significantly(7).

 

Other Health Benefits

 
Detoxification
Removes harmful toxins from the environment, processed foods and drugs that overburdens and exert stress onto organs and the body.


Protects against liver damage
Activates key enzymes to remove cellular waste and support liver health.


Protect against brain damage
According to animal studies, sulforaphane may have the potential to improve recovery and reduce mental decline after a brain injury (8).


Improves constipation
Eating 20 grams of sulforaphane-rich broccoli sprouts improved symptoms of constipation.

 


Brocco- Boost contains sulforaphane from non-GMO Australian whole broccoli sprout powder and 9 types of mixed vegetable and fruit powder. With the addition of antioxidant SOD B Extramel® - proprietary melon variety from France, yeast selenium and prebiotic inulin to deliver a synergistic effect for your overall well-being.

Young broccoli sprout contains 20-50 times more sulforaphane than found in mature broccoli. With the use of a patented low temperature processing technology, it is able to preserved a very high amount of sulforaphane from the whole broccoli sprout, to deliver the detoxifying, antioxidant and anti inflammatory properties equivalent of 4 cups of mature broccoli. Another important formula in Brocco-Boost, SOD B Extramel® (Melon fruit concentrate), is a highly absorbable antioxidant clinically proven to help reduce stress and mental fatigue from the daily stressors in life. Study also shows it can boost concentration, memory and sleep quality for a more productive lifestyle.

 

In Conclusion

Consuming enough sulforaphane found in cruciferous vegetables have been associated with various health benefits. Sulforaphane are also available in the form of supplements to help you achieve your minimum daily intake. These supplements are typically made from broccoli or broccoli sprout extracts and generally concentrated, containing more sulforaphane than what is naturally found in food. Learn more about Brocco-Boost here

 

References:

  1. Vermeulen, M., Klöpping-Ketelaars, I.W., Van Den Berg, R., Vaes, W.H. (2008) Bioavailability and kinetics of sulforaphane in humans after consumption of cooked versus raw broccoli. J Agric Food Chem, 56(22), 10505-10509.
  2. Wang, G.C., Farnham, M., Jeffery, E.H. (2012). Impact of thermal processing on sulforaphane yield from broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. ssp. italica). J Agric Food Chem, 60(27), 6743-6748.
  3. Hung, H.C., Joshipura, K.J., Jiang, R., Hu, F.B., Hunter, D., Smith-Warner, S.A., Colditz, G.A., Rosner, B., Spiegelman, D. and Willett, W.C. (2004). Fruit and vegetable intake and risk of major chronic disease. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 96(21), 1577-1584.
  4. Ullah, M. F. (2015). Sulforaphane (SFN): An Isothiocyanate in a Cancer Chemoprevention Paradigm. Medicines (Basel, Switzerland), 2(3), 141–156.
  5. Clarke, J.D., Dashwood, R.H., Ho, E. (2008). Multi-targeted prevention of cancer by sulforaphane. Cancer Lett, 269(2), 291-304.
  6. Guerrero-Beltrán, C.E., Calderón-Oliver, M., Pedraza-Chaverri, J., Chirino, Y.I. (2012). Protective effect of sulforaphane against oxidative stress: recent advances. Experimental and Toxicologic Pathology, 64(5),503-508.
  7. López-Chillón, M.T., Carazo-Díaz, C., Prieto-Merino, D., Zafrilla, P., Moreno, D.A., Villaño, D. (2019). Effects of long-term consumption of broccoli sprouts on inflammatory markers in overweight subjects. Clin Nutr, 38(2), 745-752.
  8. Yu C, He Q, Zheng J, Li LY, Hou YH, Song FZ. (2017). Sulforaphane improves outcomes and slows cerebral ischemic/reperfusion injury via inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation in rats. Int Immunopharmacol. 45,74-78.
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