Sulforaphane reduces DNA damage (in vivo vs. in vitro evidence) | Rhonda Patrick
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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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Whereas several interventional human trials have revealed that people who obtained sulforaphane from Brussels sprouts experienced increases in the body's antioxidant systems and reductions in oxidative DNA damage, an in vitro study showed that high concentrations of sulforaphane added to cells in a petri dish increased DNA damage. However, taken in context with the literature as a whole, the in vitro results are not physiologically relevant. In this clip, Dr. Rhonda Patrick discusses the current sulforaphane research as it pertains to DNA damage, and highlights the importance of considering the different forms of studies.
Yeah. And there's been tons of other interventions trials. For example, eating like 300 grams of Brussels sprouts a day increases glutathione levels also in the plasma and also decreases oxidative DNA damage by like 30%. So it's like literally decreasing the amount of DNA damage, which is, you know, I should probably mention that there has been like an in vitro study that I've seen where sulforaphane at a very, very high concentration was dumped on cells and it caused DNA damage. It's one of those instances again where it's like In vitro studies, when you're dumping things on cells in a petri dish, has very little relevance unless you're looking at, you know, the broader literature, right?
You've got to look at what happens at the level of the organism, something that's even physiologically relevant. And so, it's actually doing the opposite. It's not only increasing the antioxidant systems, it's decreasing DNA damage quite significantly by 30%. And this is in humans, okay? This is not animals. Certainly not in Petri cells in a dish, it's in humans. Very important. So how are they measuring that with the DNA damage? They— are they taking samples at 2 separate times or what's the deal there? Yeah, they do baseline and then after treatment. What was the duration? In this study? Oh darn, I don't know. Usually it's like a month or so. I don't know if this study was, was a week or not. I just can't remember.
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Sulforaphane News
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- A broccoli seed extract containing a sulforaphane precursor reduced the number of cold symptom days in adults susceptible to colds.
- Sulforaphane-rich broccoli sprout extract modestly lowers fasting blood sugar in some people with prediabetes, perhaps due to variations in gut microbiota and individual metabolic traits.
- Sulforaphane, derived from broccoli, activates Nrf2, mitigating age-related skin changes and boosting the antioxidant defense system in mice.
- Sulforaphane from broccoli sprouts shows promise in preventing Alzheimer's disease – boosting memory and enhancing mitochondrial function in mice.
