Lampe JW, Peterson S. Brassica, biotransformation and cancer risk: genetic polymorphisms alter the preventive effects of cruciferous vegetables. J Nutr 2002;132:2991-4. View abstract.

Srivastava B, Shukla Y. Antitumour promoting activity of indole-3-carbinol in mouse skin carcinogenesis. Cancer Lett 1998;134:91-5. View abstract. Zhang J, Svehlikova V, Bao Y, et al. Synergy between sulforaphane and selenium in the induction of thioredoxin reductase 1 requires both transcriptional and translational modulation. Carcinogenesis 2003;24:497-503.. View abstract. Munday R, Mhawech-Fauceglia P, Munday CM, et al. Inhibition of urinary bladder carcinogenesis by broccoli sprouts. Cancer Res 2008;68(5):1593-1600. View abstract. Yuan GF, Sun B, Yuan J, Wang QM. Effects of different cooking methods on health-promoting compounds of broccoli. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B. 2009;10(8):580-588. doi:10.1631/jzus.B0920051

Uses of Broccoli

Kim DJ, Han BS, Ahn B, et al. Enhancement by indole-3-carbinol of liver and thyroid gland neoplastic development in a rat medium-term multiorgan carcinogenesis model. Carcinogenesis 1997;18:377-81. View abstract. Bramwell, B., Ferguson, S., Scarlett, N., and Macintosh, A. The use of ascorbigen in the treatment of fibromyalgia patients: a preliminary trial. Altern.Med Rev 2000;5(5):455-462. View abstract. Park EJ, Pezzuto JM. Botanicals in cancer chemoprevention. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2002;21:231-55. View abstract.

May protect against brain damage. According to animal studies, sulforaphane may have the potential to improve recovery and reduce mental decline after a brain injury ( 24, 25, 26).Hwang JH, Lim SB. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of broccoli florets in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Prev Nutr Food Sci. 2014;19(2):89-97. doi:10.3746/pnf.2014.19.2.089 Nakagawa K, Umeda T, Higuchi O, et al. Evaporative light-scattering analysis of sulforaphane in broccoli samples: Quality of broccoli products regarding sulforaphane contents. J Agric Food Chem 2006;54(7):2479-2483. View abstract. Chinnappan SM, George A, Evans M, Anthony J. Efficacy of Labisia pumila and Eurycoma longifolia standardised extracts on hot flushes, quality of life, hormone and lipid profile of peri-menopausal and menopausal women: a randomised, placebo-controlled study. Food Nutr Res. 2020;64. View abstract. Walters DG, Young PJ, Agus C, et al. Cruciferous vegetable consumption alters the metabolism of the dietary carcinogen 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) in humans. Carcinogenesis 2004;25:1659-69. View abstract. Research in rats also indicates that sulforaphane may reduce high blood pressure, which may prevent heart disease ( 16).

Wu L, Noyan Ashraf MH, Facci M, et al. Dietary approach to attenuate oxidative stress, hypertension, and inflammation in the cardiovascular system. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2004;101:7094-9. View abstract. Ambrosone CB, McCann SE, Freudenheim JL, et al. Breast cancer risk in premenopausal women is inversely associated with consumption of broccoli, a source of isothiocyanates, but is not modified by GST genotype. J Nutr 2004;134:1134-8. View abstract. Yuan F, Chen DZ, Liu K, et al. Anti-estrogenic activities of indole-3-carbinol in cervical cells: implication for prevention of cervical cancer. Anticancer Res 1999;19:1673-80. View abstract. Sulforaphane, the main isothiocyanate in broccoli, acts against the formation of cancer at the molecular level by reducing oxidative stress ( 31, 32).

Michnovicz JJ, Bradlow HL. Induction of estradiol metabolism by dietary indole-3-carbinol in humans. J Natl Cancer Inst 1990;82:947-9. View abstract. Those with type 2 diabetes can’t effectively transport sugar from their blood to their cells, making it difficult to maintain healthy blood sugar levels.