Sulforaphane: even more reasons to eat your greens.
Everybody knows you should ‘eat your greens’, right? Broccoli is one of the foods which is pretty undisputed when it comes to its health benefits. It’s high in vitamins and minerals, as well as fibre, so great food for your microbiome, but it also contains sulforaphane. And this is very exciting!
What is sulforaphane?
Sulforaphane is a natural plant compound or phyto-chemical which has powerful health benefits. Primarily this is because of it’s ability to activate the transcription factor Nrf2, a compound within our cells that switches on genes, essentially ‘coding’ for the production of a whole raft of protective proteins and enzymes.
Put simply, it initiates our natural production of powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory defences.
When Nrf2 is turned on, these things happen:
Our own potent antioxidants within the cells are activated.
Our immune system is regulated, anti-inflammatory pathways are supported and pro-inflammatory cytokines suppressed. Autoimmune/inflammatory responses are reduced.
Phase 2 detoxification enzymes are up-regulated, improving detoxification efficiency in the liver.
Vitamin D receptors become more effective, Vitamin D absorption happens more easily.
Heavy metal detoxification is improved.
Oestrogen metabolism is regulated.
Cellular defences of the gut lining are strengthened.
The liver is protected from damage by toxins.
Glucose control is improved, and insulin resistance reduced.
We slow down the ageing process
Notably, Nrf2 is often lacking in people with many chronic diseases and inflammatory conditions. And this is another reason why people with Crohn’s and colitis, and all forms of immune mediated conditions need to get their greens.
Clinical trials [1] show very promising results for sulforaphane as a therapy for many a wide range of conditions where oxidative damage and inflammation are involved, including:
Type 2 diabetes
Gut permeability and IBS
Asthma and allergies
Autoimmunity and IBD
Autism
Detoxification
Cancer.
Sulforaphane is almost exclusively found in cruciferous vegetables (see a list below). Ideally you should try and get something from this category everyday. Some people with GI issues, IBS, bloating and in particular IBD (Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis) avoid cruciferous veggies because they can be difficult to digest and cause gas, bloating and a lot of pain. BUT these vegetables are really important tools for reducing inflammation and repairing gut health. If this is you, try starting with easier to digest leaves, e.g. rocket or collards or adding them to slow cooked soups and stews (read on to understand how to maximise sulforaphane intake from cooked vegetables). Alternatively add kale or broccoli sprouts to a smoothie.
Where to get your Sulforaphane
broccoli sprouts
broccoli
cauliflower
kale, collard greens
Brussels sprouts
cabbage, both red and white varieties
bok choy
rocket, radish, kohlrabi
Eating your greens is even more important than we thought BUT, here’s the thing: cooked broccoli won’t really do the trick.
Suforaphane is produced when the enzyme myrosinase meets and transforms glucoraphanin, into sulforaphane. This happens when the plant is damaged, so through cutting, chopping or chewing. If you are going to cook your broccoli you need to cut them 40 minutes before cooking to allow these guys to meet each other and do their thing - produce the sulforaphane. Alternatively you can boost your intake by adding mustard seeds or mustard powder to your meals, or by eating cooked vegetables alongside a raw source, e.g. a rocket salad, a handful of chopped red cabbage, a sprinkling of broccoli sprouts, some freshly made coleslaw. These ingredients are rich in dietary myrosinase, which can help increase the availability of sulforaphane, in the cooked vegetables.
Broccoli sprouts!
Broccoli sprouts are the most potent food source of sulforaphane, in fact they contain about 100 times more glucoraphanin per weight than fully grown broccoli. You can add them to smoothies, soups and salads or try making a broccoli sprout stir fry. They are getting easier to source, but are also easy and cheaper to cultivate at home from broccoli seeds.
A lot of research has been carried out around broccoli sprouts but other sprouted cruciferous vegetables are also incredibly nutrient dense [2]. So experiment.
How much do you need?
Clinical trials investigating specific therapeutic doses have used between 10 and 60mg of Sulforaphane in supplemental form and 30g-100g of raw broccoli sprouts. If you are looking for a specific therapeutic response you may wish to work with a Nutritional Therapist.
For general health and disease prevention, try and get 1-2 servings (a fistful of the leaf or vegetable OR a heaped tbsp of broccoli sprouts) daily.
Cautions and contraindications
Sulforaphane is generally safe, particularly if you are getting it from foods, and why wouldn’t you, that way you’re also getting the fibre. I’d advise starting slowly and building up both because of tolerance in the gut and because it has really powerful detoxifying powers and could make you feel quite poorly if you detoxify too quickly. Also be aware that you may experience other detoxification symptoms such as skin outbreaks initially, especially if you go in too hard. Also note if you are taking medications it could detoxify them out of the body more quickly, so reduce effectiveness.
Another thing to be conscious of with raw cruciferous vegetables is that they are goitrogens which means that they can interfere with iodine uptake which can be a problem if you have issues with your thyroid. However if you have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an autoimmune condition and the most common reason for hypothyroidism these days, this is not an issue for you as the uptake of iodine is not your problem.
So eat your greens and get your sulforaphane!
If you need more guidance regarding your specific health situation please do leave a comment or contact me.
References and resources:
Mahn A, Castillo A. Potential of Sulforaphane as a Natural Immune System Enhancer: A Review. Molecules. 2021 Feb 1;26(3):752. doi: 10.3390/molecules26030752. PMID: 33535560; PMCID: PMC7867070.
69. Axelsson AS, Tubbs E, Mecham B, Chacko S, Nenonen HA, Tang Y, Fahey JW, Derry JMJ, Wollheim CB, Wierup N, Haymond MW, Friend SH, Mulder H, Rosengren AH. Sulforaphane reduces hepatic glucose production and improves glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes. Sci Transl Med 2017;9 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aah4477.
70. Bahadoran Z, Tohidi M, Nazeri P, Mehran M, Azizi F, Mirmiran P. Effect of broccoli sprouts on insulin resistance in type 2 diabetic patients: a randomized double-blind clinical trial. Int J Food Sci Nutr 2012;63:767–771
Palliyaguru DL, Yuan JM, Kensler TW, Fahey JW. Isothiocyanates: Translating the Power of Plants to People. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2018 Sep;62(18):e1700965. doi: 10.1002/mnfr.201700965. Epub 2018 Mar 26. PMID: 29468815; PMCID: PMC6226005.
Thiruvengadam M, Venkidasamy B, Subramanian U, Samynathan R, Ali Shariati M, Rebezov M, Girish S, Thangavel S, Dhanapal AR, Fedoseeva N, Lee J, Chung IM. Bioactive Compounds in Oxidative Stress-Mediated Diseases: Targeting the NRF2/ARE Signaling Pathway and Epigenetic Regulation. Antioxidants (Basel). 2021 Nov 23;10(12):1859. doi: 10.3390/antiox10121859. PMID: 34942962; PMCID: PMC8698417.
