Of all such supplements currently available, this Japanese extract is the most highly concentrated in sulphoraphane and the most stable. You would need to consume 250 g of broccoli to obtain the 10 mg of sulforaphane provided by one tablet.
Sulforaphane is an isothiocyanate found in broccoli sprouts and other cruciferous vegetables. Both cell and animal studies have shown that it neutralises carcinogens by activating phase II detoxification enzymes, it boosts antioxidant status, protects animals from chemically-induced cancers and has an inhibitory effect on Helicobacter pylori :
- In an in vitro test on mouse liver cancer cells, sulforaphane increased levels of phase II detoxification enzymes, gluatathione-S-transferase and quinine reductase;
- In female rats, incidence of chemically-induced breast cancer clearly decreased as did the size of tumours in those animals given oral sulforaphane;
- Broccoli powder given to male rats inhibited development of chemically-induced cancerous lesions in the colon;
- Sulforaphane has a bacteriostatic and bactericidal effect on Helicobacter pylori;
- When sulforaphane was administered to Helicobacter pylori-infected mice it resulted in a decrease in the number of bacteria in the gastric mucous membrane and blocked gastric tumour formation induced by benzo-pyrene. Similar results were obtained for breast cancer;
- When mice transplanted with prostate tumours were given sulforaphane, tumour size decreased by 50-70%;
- Sulforaphane produced a significant decrease in bacteria levels in patients infected with Helicobacter pylori.
