Broccoli or Sulforaphane: Is It the Source or Dose That Matters?
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review without systematic search or new human data
PubMed 31590459 · doi:10.3390/molecules24193593
What was done
This narrative review evaluated preclinical and clinical literature examining how various formulations (including whole plants, sprouts, beverages, and supplements), bioavailability, and dosing of glucoraphanin and sulforaphane influence efficacy and translational outcomes.
What was found
The abstract reports no quantitative results or statistical effect sizes. It notes that sulforaphane yield and bioavailability depend on formulation and myrosinase-mediated conversion from glucoraphanin, and highlights persistent translational gaps in dose selection, administration routes, and pharmacodynamic biomarkers between animal models and human studies.
Why it matters
It highlights that health effects attributed to broccoli compounds cannot be assumed equivalent across preparations, showing that formulation and dose scaling remain critical bottlenecks in translating preclinical findings to clinical practice.
Limits
As a narrative review, it lacks a systematic literature search, formal quality appraisal, and meta-analytic pooling. The abstract provides no primary data on clinical outcomes or optimal human dosing.
Cited by
- supports When cruciferous vegetables containing glucoraphanin are crushed or chewed, an enzyme converts glucoraphanin into sulforaphane.