Sulphoraphane research

The evidence base for sulphoraphane

Sulphoraphane is an isothiocyanate formed when the precursor glucoraphanin, concentrated in broccoli sprouts and other cruciferous vegetables, meets the enzyme myrosinase. It works primarily by activating NRF2, a transcription factor that switches on the body's antioxidant and detoxification defences. The corpus below tracks what the evidence supports and where it stops.

Evidence at a glance

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Tier 1
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Tier 2
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Tier 3
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Tier 4

Neurological

Tier 2

Broccoli for the brain: a review of the neuroprotective mechanisms of sulforaphane

Bessetti RN et al. · Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience · 2025

Comprehensive narrative review synthesising in vitro, animal, and clinical trial evidence for sulforaphane in neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders, including detailed clinical trial tables covering all six published ASD trials. Not primary data, but the most up-to-date synthesis of the CNS evidence base.

Pharmacology and safety

Tier 2

Sulforaphane — a compound with potential health benefits for disease prevention and treatment: insights from pharmacological and toxicological experimental studies

Baralić K, Živanović J et al. · Antioxidants · 2024

Comprehensive narrative review of pharmacological and toxicological evidence for sulphoraphane across cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and neurodegenerative disease indications, including catalogued animal studies and safety findings. Not primary data, but a broader multi-system reference for the compound's mechanisms and potential adverse effects than any single-disease review provides.