Answer: Glucosinolates and Sulforaphane

It turns out, your mother was right: eat your broccoli because it is good for you. The claimed health benefits of broccoli predate modern medicine and science, yet even a cursory study of recent scientific literature shows just how beneficial the ingredients in broccoli are toward maintaining a healthy lifestyle. In recent years many of us have heard of glucosinolates and sulforaphane as the powerful components of broccoli that yield those numerous health benefits, but few of us know exactly what those compounds are and what they do.  This blog will briefly define what those compounds are and what effects they have in human health and nutrition.

Glucosinolates are a class of organic compounds that are made from glucose, a certain type of sugar found various plants.  For plants that contain glucosinolates, these compounds serve as a natural defense mechanism against bacteria and other pathogens, in addition to being an antioxidant.  There are roughly 120 different types of glucosinolates.  In broccoli, some of the glucosinolates are further modified into glucoraphanin. When the broccoli plant is degradated, for example by chewing, a naturally occurring enzyme, myrosinase, transforms the glucoraphanin into sulforaphane. What makes broccoli unique is that it has the highest concentration of sulforaphane, which recent science has demonstrated to be the strongest and most beneficial of all the glucosinolates to our health and wellness.

In general, glucosinolates are powerful anti-cancer agents. They exhibit such defensive effects by protecting against oxidative damage, inducing cells’ protective enzymes against toxins, and inhibiting the activity of numerous genes and enzymes thought to play a substantial role in tumor progression.  Research in both animal studies and humans has demonstrated the protective role these compounds can play in helping to prevent cancers from forming as a result of toxins and the damage they cause to our bodies.*

Of all the glucosinolates, sulforaphane is probably the best studied, as it has shown the most therapeutic potential in preventing disease and sustaining a healthy living. In addition to demonstrating strong protective effects against tumor formation as other glucosinolates, sulforaphane also demonstrates other unique health benefits. First, sulforaphane is a potent inhibitor of Helicobacter pylori growth which is the bacteria involved in stomach ulcer formation and stomach cancer.* Furthermore, it is believed that by similar mechanisms, sulforaphane’s ability to induce cells’ natural response in fighting toxins and damage helps maintain a healthy gut and bowels in humans. When sulforphane is applied topically to the skin, it can help to protect against UV damage that can result in wrinkles and at worst skin cancer.* Finally, just within the last couple of years, recent scientific studies have indicated that sulforaphane can even prevent damage to arteries by preventing the inflammatory reactions that lead to plaque buildup within those walls, which otherwise could result in cardiovascular disease and/or heart attacks.*  While this is just a brief and cursory introduction to the power of broccoli compounds in preventing disease, the scientific and clinical literature is quite clear in its conclusions: that we are only beginning to realize just how powerful glucosinolates and sulforaphane can be in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

References:

Zhang Y, Talalay P, Cho CG, Posner GH (March 1992). “A major inducer of anticarcinogenic protective enzymes from broccoli: isolation and elucidation of structure”. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 89 (6): 2399–403.

Srinibas Das, Amrish Kumar Tyagi and Harjit Kaur (2000). “Cancer modulation by glucosinolates: A review”. Current Science 79 (12): 1665. http://www.ias.ac.in/currsci/dec252000/1665.pdf.

Talalay P, Fahey JW, Healy ZR, et al. (October 2007). “Sulforaphane mobilizes cellular defenses that protect skin against damage by UV radiation”. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 104 (44): 17500–5

Zakkar M, Van der Heiden K, Luong le A, Chaudhury H, Cuhlmann S, et al. (2009) Activation of Nrf2 in endothelial cells protects arteries from exhibiting a proinflammatory state. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 29: 1851–1857.

A. Yanaka, J. W. Fahey, A. Fukumoto, M. Nakayama, S. Inoue, S. Zhang, M. Tauchi, H. Suzuki, I. Hyodo, M. Yamamoto (April 2009). “Dietary Sulforaphane-Rich Broccoli Sprouts Reduce Colonization and Attenuate Gastritis in Helicobacter pylori–Infected Mice and Humans”. Cancer Prev. Res. 2 (4): 353–360

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Author’s bio:  Puya Yazdi, MD, Medical Director for Cyvex Nutrition, has nearly six years of experience in the medical and scientific fields in addition to working in the business sector as an advisor and consultant. He holds an MD degree from The University of Southern California and a BS degree from the University of California, Irvine in Biological Sciences. Puya underwent medical and scientific training at Stanford University and is currently undergoing further training at UC Irvine.

Sunscreen use increases as July and August months bring on the warmer weather for t-shirts, tank tops, shorts, skirts, and bikinis.  Unbeknownst to many of us, protection from sun exposure is important all year round and should not be limited to poolsides, beaches, hiking trails, or other outdoor wonders of warmer months.  Cloudiness and hazy days do not protect us from the UV rays, but rather reach our bodies as if it were actually a bright and sunny day.  3.5 million cases in two million people are diagnosed annually with skin cancer in the United States and the incidence is more than the combined incidences of cancers of the breast, prostate, lung and colon (American Cancer Society, 2009, Skin Cancer Foundation 2010).

The current CDC recommendations against UV sun-damage is as follows: (1) use of sunscreen of sun protective factor (SPF) 15 or higher with UVA and UVB protection, (2) wear protective clothing, (3) wear protective hat to shade face, head, ears, and neck, (4) wear sunglasses with UV block , and (5) seek shade especially during midday hours (2010).  UVA is related to skin aging and UVB is associated with skin cancer.    The reality is that the warmer months are spent underneath the sun, with minimal clothing at peak UV exposure from 10AM to 4PM, and most people actually enjoy seeking out the sun rather than shade, which emphasizes the importance of and dependency on sunscreen.  However, what if there was an additional protective factor?  What if this factor were to work on defending you against UV radiation from the inside and outside of your body?  What if this product could be applied as in topical creams/lotions and also as an option one could add as a side to a lunch or dinner plate. Among the top superfoods (for good reason), this green vegetable, resembling a tree, filled with  rich vitamins, minerals, fiber, and plentiful phytochemicals has been suggested in the protection and repair of UV sun damage to the skin.*  It is no surprise this superfood spotlight shines on broccoli (yet again).

Recent in vivo studies demonstrated 25 percent less skin tumors following chronic UV exposure for 17 weeks when  fed broccoli extract for 13 weeks than compared to standard protective agents on hairless animal model at Johns Hopkins University.  In addition, tumors that were developed were 70% smaller in diameter and depth (Dinkova-Kostova AT, et al. 2010).  Replication of this animal model to confirm such protection is in the works with subsequent anticipated clinical studies to follow. Dinkova-Kostova and team demonstrated that exposure to UV accompanied with sulforaphane glucosinolates (SGS) also provided the validity behind selection of sprouts over mature broccoli (2010).  Previous in vivo studies using both animal and human skin demonstrated immediate cellular defenses resulting from UVR-induced inflammation and edema in mice and reduction in susceptibility to erythema (redness) arising from narrow-band 311 nm UVR in humans, presenting potential in topical application of cruciferous extracts (Talalay P, et al. 2007).*  Optimizing products for broccoli sprout applications in supplements, functional foods, and/or topical products would be advantageous in providing the greatest potential of effectiveness and uniqueness to products.

What are the actives within broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts) that provide such protection?  Beyond the already known nutritious richness, these vegetables also have high levels of a group of phytochemicals called glucosinolates, which are further metabolized by the body into isothiocyanates.  Phenythyl isothiocyanates (PEITC) and sulforaphane have also been applied as adjunct therapy in chemotherapy in halting the proliferation of tumor cells.  Sulforaphane is the main metabolite and has been associated with mobilizing cellular defenses against UV damage.  Its precursor, glucoraphanin (sulforaphane glucosinolates – SGS) at optimized levels can be found in the sprouts of broccoli compared to the mature vegetable.  Eating your vegetables, yet again, holds weight in a healthier diet.  So next time someone asks if you would like a side of broccoli, remember, you are not only getting a side of vegetables with a punch of rich nutrients, but also a side of sun protection!

References:

Dinkova-Kostova AT et al., “Dietary glucoraphanin-rich broccoli sprout extracts protect against UV radiation-induced skin carcinogenesis in SKH-1 hairless mice,” Photochem Photobiol Sci, 2010; 9: 597-600

Talalay P et al., “Sulforaphane mobilizes cellular defenses that protect skin against damage by UV radiation,” PNAS, 2007; 104:17500-17505

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Author’s bio: Dr. Anh Thu V. Tran is the Medical Director & Nutrition Consultant for Cyvex Nutrition, PGY-1 Resident with  UC Davis Family Medicine Residency Network, and Founder of Strive to Live Well.  She holds a M.D. from St. George’s University, a M.S. in Nutrition from Loma Linda University, and a B.Sc. in Biology & Women’s Studies from UC Irvine.

Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable that is abundant in specific compounds that have been shown to promote excellent protective benefits in the human body.

But,those who just don’t like eating broccoli or broccoli sprouts may enjoy the benefits of supplements made with sulforaphane and glucosinolates, the active health-promoting constituents found in viable amounts in broccoli and broccoli sprouts.

Sulforaphane has been shown in several studies to be protective against the adherence of Helicobacter pylori, a pathogenic bacterium that may cause ulcers. In addition, recent research reveals it plays a role in healthy inflammatory mediation.

In a study published in Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology (Sep 2009) researchers reported that sulforaphane may have the ability to activate the protective protein Nrf2 in arteries; the researchers found that Nrf2 is inactive in arterial regions that are susceptible to disease, and that exposure to sulforaphone showed reduced inflammation by activating Nrf2.

Broccoli, though, has other compounds that are attractive for human wellness:  glucosinolates. These are metabolized by the body into isothiocyanates, shown to be potent protectors against proliferation of rogue cells.   Broccoli and broccoli sprouts (baby broccoli) are a great source of glucosinates that induce phase 2 detoxification enzymes, which either promote the scavenging of highly reactive oxygen species or decrease their formation in the first place.  And also improve antioxidant status in the body.  What all this means is that consuming regular amounts of sulforaphane and glucosinolates can help keep your body’s cells healthy and functioning normally, while ensuring that abnormalities are able to be kept in check.

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