#28 Sulforaphane and Its Effects on Cancer, Mortality, Aging, Brain and Behavior, Heart Disease, & More
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Broccoli sprouts are concentrated sources of sulforaphane, a type of isothiocyanate. Damaging broccoli sprouts – when chewing, chopping, or freezing – triggers an enzymatic reaction in the tiny plants that produces sulforaphane.
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These episodes make great companion listening for a long drive.
This podcast is about one of the most important biological pathways you could possibly take the time to learn about: the NRF2 pathway.
The most potent naturally-occurring inducer of this pathway is a plant compound known as sulforaphane, which many studies suggest may have properties that prove to be therapeutic in many different contexts. No greedy capitalists are conspiring to keep it out of your hands because it's naturally produced in large quantities by none other than the humble... broccoli sprout!
There is so much to say when we talk about the NRF2 pathway and isothiocyanates like sulforaphane that we had to pack it into 47 minutes and break it into a few key sections.
Key sections:
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Cancer and mortality
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Aging
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Brain and behavior
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Final recap
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Dose
For a more in-depth breakdown click the timeline link at the top of this page!
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Introduction of sulforaphane, a major focus of the video.
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Cruciferous vegetable consumption and reductions in all-cause mortality.
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Prostate cancer risk.
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Bladder cancer risk.
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Lung cancer in smokers risk.
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Breast cancer risk.
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Hypothetical: what if you already have cancer? (interventional)
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Plausible mechanism driving the cancer and mortality associative data.
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Sulforaphane and cancer.
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Animal evidence showing strong effect of broccoli sprout extract on bladder tumor development in rats.
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Effect of direct supplementation of sulforaphane in prostate cancer patients.
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Bioaccumulation of isothiocyanate metabolites in actual breast tissue.
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Inhibition of breast cancer stem cells.
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History lesson: brassicas were established as having health properties even in ancient Rome.
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Sulforaphane's ability to enhance carcinogen excretion (benzene, acrolein).
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NRF2 as a genetic switch via antioxidant response elements.
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How NRF2 activation enhances carcinogen excretion via glutathione-S-conjugates.
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Brussels sprouts increase glutathione-S-transferase and reduce DNA damage.
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Broccoli sprout drink increases benzene excretion by 61%.
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Broccoli sprout homogenate increases antioxidant enzymes in the upper airway.
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Cruciferous vegetable consumption and heart disease mortality.
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Broccoli sprout powder improves blood lipids and overall heart disease risk in type 2 diabetics.
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Beginning of aging section.
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Sulforaphane-enriched diet enhances lifespan of beetles from 15 to 30% (in certain conditions).
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Importance of low inflammation for longevity.
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Cruciferous vegetables and broccoli sprout powder seem to reduce a wide variety of inflammatory markers in humans.
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Mid-video recap: cancer, aging sections
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Mouse studies suggest sulforaphane might improve adaptive immune function in old age.
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Sulforaphane improved hair growth in a mouse model of balding. Picture at 00:26:10.
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Beginning of brain and behavior section.
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Effect of broccoli sprout extract on autism.
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Effect of glucoraphanin on schizophrenia.
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Start of depression discussion (plausible mechanism and studies).
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Mouse study using 10 different models of stress-induced depression show sulforaphane similarly effective as fluoxetine (prozac).
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Study shows direct ingestion of glucoraphanin in mice is similarly effective at preventing depression from social defeat stress model.
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Beginning of neurodegeneration section.
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Sulforaphane and Alzheimer's disease.
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Sulforaphane and Parkinson's disease.
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Sulforaphane and Hungtington's disease.
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Sulforaphane increases heat shock proteins.
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Beginning of traumatic brain injury section.
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Sulforaphane injected immediately after TBI improves memory (mouse study).
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Sulforaphane and neuronal plasticity.
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Sulforaphane improves learning in model of type II diabetes in mice.
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Sulforaphane and duchenne muscular dystrophy.
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Myostatin inhibition in muscle satellite cells (in vitro).
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Late-video recap: mortality and cancer, DNA damage, oxidative stress and inflammation, benzene excretion, cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, effects on the brain (depression, autism, schizophrenia, neurodegeneration), NRF2 pathway.
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Thoughts on figuring out a dose of broccoli sprouts or sulforaphane.
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Anecdotes on sprouting at home.
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On cooking temperatures and sulforaphane activity.
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Gut bacteria conversion of sulforaphane from glucoraphanin.
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Supplements work better when combined with active myrosinase from vegetables.
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Cooking techniques and cruciferous vegetables.
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Isothiocyanates as goitrogens.
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Sulforaphane News
- Sulforaphane extends lifespan and healthspan in worms via insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 signaling.
- Paul Saladino, MD explains how we may have overstated the health benefits of plants and especially sulforaphane
- NRF2 much of a good thing (December 2017)
- A pilot trial finds sulforaphane treatment increased glutathione levels in the blood & hippocampus region of the brain in healthy people.
- A new study found sulforaphane (found in broccoli sprouts) improved behavior & social responsiveness in children with autism.
As a membership site, it sure would be great if Rhonda or designated volunteer(s) responded to questions on podcasts like this one!
Would love to get your take on BrocElite
Just ordered some on Amazon. it’s the only stabilized sulforaphanes I’ve found in the US! Will follow up.
Hi Rhonda. Many thanks for such an interesting overview. Sulforaphane and subsequent activation of the NRF2 pathway sounds like a silver bullet. However, are there possible downsides with NRF2 activation? There seems to be some suggestions that if activation of NRF2 protects normal cells under stress, it could do the same for cancer cells and make cancer therapies such as chemotherapy less effective. If NRF2 is cell protective, could it slow down autophagy which I understand is also such an important component of long-term health? Love to hear your views on this too.
Why can’t I see the summary on this video? Thank you Larry