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Researchers Sprout Reason To Eat Broccoli

UCLA photo

The broccoli sprouts Dr. Marc Riedl is holding contain a chemical compound that could protect people from environmental irritants such as cigarette smoke and pollen that can cause chronic breathing problems. A UCLA assistant professor of clinical immunology and allergy, Riedl led a study of the compound, called sulforaphane.

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Published: March 11, 2009

They may not be much to look at, but broccoli sprouts may harbor a chemical that could help people ward off the inflammation which can underlie many chronic breathing problem.

A team of researchers say sulforaphane, a compound found in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, can help prevent the exotic free-radical form of the oxygen molecule from triggering oxidation that can trigger inflammation within the respiratory season.

Dr. Marc Riedl and his UCLA colleagues report in the March issue of the journal Clinical Immunology that sulforaphane spurs production of enzyme with known anti-oxidant properties.

"We found a two- to three-fold increase in antioxidant enzymes in the nasal airway cells of study participants who had eaten a preparation of broccoli sprouts," said Riedl, an assistant professor of clinical immunology and allergy at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. "This strategy may offer protection against inflammatory processes and could lead to potential treatments for a variety of respiratory conditions."

To reach this conclusion the UCLA team studied 65 volunteers who were given varying oral doses of either broccoli or alfalfa sprout preparations for three days. Because they do not contain sulforaphane, the alfalfa sprouts served as the placebo, or inactive, element in the research for comparison purposes.

The researchers rinsed the nasal passages of the volunteers at the beginning and end of the study and analyzed the samples for the presence of two particular anti-oxidant enzymes, called GSTP1 and NQO1.

They found that the subjects given broccoli sprouts had roughly double the amount of GSTP1 and triple the NQO1 compared to the subjects who consumed alfalfa sprouts.

They were no negative side effects seen among the people who consumed the broccoli sprouts.

More research is needed to examine what benefits sulforaphane might present to people with specific respiratory conditions such as asthma or allergic nasal inflammation, so it is too early to recommend a particular dosage, according to Riedl.

Riedl does, however, recommend eating broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, such as cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and cabbage, as part of a healthy diet.

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