Sulforaphane: how to supplement? Forms, dose, brands, timing

[BeatTheOdds]

I germinate a few grams of broccoli seeds in a cup-sized metal coffee filter for a few days, washing them before I go to bed and in the morning (soaking them overnight first, obviously). I then blend the seeds, which are rich in glucoraphanin, with a bit of mustard powder, which is super rich in myrosinase. The result is a foamy cup of something I hope is doing some good. It isn’t great to drink, but it’s easier on my gut and tastes nowhere near as bad as the fully grown sprouts. This is one of the few things I take that gives me a noticeable and positive effect. You have to make sure you buy the right broccoli seeds to do this. I did the research years ago, so I can’t remember all the details. I take a dose once every three days or so.

I should add that some people are concerned about erucic acid in the seeds. I concluded it was not likely to be a problem in such small amounts, and esp after the seeds are germinated.

[KarlT]

I’m not understanding why you would test a product for sulforaphane? Isn’t the sulforaphane made in your intestines by the myrosinase?

I’m going to try the New Thorne product. Of course none of us are necessarily going to know if any of these actually work.

[Pat25]

Thanks @BeatTheOdds! That sounds like a smart idea.

Some studies suggest that the sulforaphane content of the sprouts is the highest at day 3 after germination, as such I let them sit a bit longer. But you are right this is not very palatable - quite on the contrary. So I may want to give your smart suggestion a try: thanks so much for sharing.
Indeed, research indicates that the concentration of glucoraphanin can vary widely depending on the specific genotype of broccoli. I try to pay attention to the type of cultivar I buy.

[BeatTheOdds]

Good luck with it. I should add you probably need a high-powered blender to smash the seeds up well. I have a Vitamix, but this definitely would not work in my other blenders.

[Pat25]

Thanks, a Vitamix is what I use also

[Bicep]

When I did it, I went by Rhonda and she indicated freezing the sprouts was a great way to break the cells up and I just froze them in ice cube trays and added one to the smoothie every morning.

Ha ha all one sentence, sorry about that.

[Pat25]

Edit: can’t find study

[LukeMV]

Kale is also a great way to cover lutein and zeaxanthin needs. That’s why I take a handful of raw kale and stuff it in my mouth every morning with breakfast.

[mccoy]

@adssx

f there was an issue with the data:

1. Competitors would have sent a cease and desist order to BROQ asking them to take down that page.
2. At least one competitor would have released its own third-party test showing that its sulforaphane content is higher.
   …

I’m convinced, thanks for insisting. The only drawback with prostaphane for me is that shipping expenses to Italy are 1/3 of the total cost. There is a reliable, experimental brand here but it is not clear how much free sulforaphane is available post-hydrolization. Actisulf is more recent than the analyses previously listed.

Sulforafano-Actisulf - ShermanTree Nutraceuticals

Glucorafanin: 120 mg/portion
Mirosinase: >= 29 U/portion
Sulforaphane ???

[mccoy]

Actually, I’m reading just now from the previously linked webpage:

Nuova formulazione frutto dell’accordo con Brassica Inc. , che detiene lo sviluppo dei brevetti della Johns Hopkins University sul Sulforafano: maggiore titolazione (13% glucorafanina), conversione in Sulforafano nettamente superiore a qualsiasi altro estratto sul mercato (oltre il 35%), verificata in 3 studi di biodisponibilità. Oltre 30 studi clinici effettuati utilizzando questo estratto.

120 mg glucorafanine * 0.35 conversion multiplier = 42 mg sulforaphane per portion (2 capsules)

would that be realistically be possible? This woudl put Actisulf at the 2nd place in the posted list, just after BROQ, with sulforaphane = 21 mg /capsule

[belshazz]

While BROQ is a more expensive rebranded verion of Prostaphane, the latter claims to be based on the patented ingredient “Sulfodyne”, which you can also find in other, and possibly cheaper brands.

I’ve always been interested in Sulforaphane, but was skeptical of most “broccoli extracts”, so that label is maybe what one should look for.

[adssx]

@LukeMV

I used to take Avmacol and then later, BROQ, but it’s one of the most expensive supplements so I ended up discontinuing.

About 2x cheaper if you import from Europe!

@LukeMV

I have to say the hype it received 5-8 years ago really got me excited about it so I’m very disappointed in the lack of research since then. It’s something I’ve been waiting on more data from because the potential is definitely there.

The +43% lifespan in the MMC renewed my interest in sulforaphane: Million Molecule Challenge Results and Leaderboard – Ora Biomedical, Inc.

The controls were short-lived so I sponsored a new study at a higher dose:

And it’s broccoli, after all, so fairly safe. And we have an assumption as to the pathway (Nrf2 activation).

But I agree that there’s not a lot of data. There are two interesting ongoing trials:

• Treatment Strategy to Enhance Nrf2 Signaling in Older Adults at Northern Arizona University
• Effect of Topical Sulforaphane on Skin Aging and With Ultraviolet and Visible Light Exposure at Johns Hopkins University

Wait and see…

@Joseph_Lavelle

I think this fits the model of being one of many many solutions that will help the body to be healthier by a little bit but only if the diet is insufficient. And no one supplement will make a big difference (without a deficiency), and no one thing is much better than another thing (to resolve the deficiency).

I beg to differ. If the +43% lifespan increase in C. Elegans is confirmed and if it translate to other species, that would be massive.

@Pat25

There are so many issues to try to consume an ‘effective’ amount of sulforaphane. In short/very roughly: the supplements need to include myrosinase for your gut bacteria to be able to ‘produce’ sulforaphane from glucoraphanin.

Prostaphane/BROQ solves this problem, correct?

@Pat25

Then for years I resorted to Prostaphane

Why did you stop?

@KarlT

I’m not understanding why you would test a product for sulforaphane? Isn’t the sulforaphane made in your intestines by the myrosinase?

I think that they reproduce the enzymatic conversion of glucoraphanin to sulforaphane in an assay. It’s true that their assay might not fully mimic the intestinal environment. So even though their test is correct, the results might not be useful compared to intestinal production @mccoy.

@mccoy

The only drawback with prostaphane for me is that shipping expenses to Italy are 1/3 of the total cost.

Where did you try to order from? This website? https://vitality-pro.com/product/nutrinov-prostaphane-sulforaphane/

@mccoy

120 mg glucorafanine * 0.35 conversion multiplier = 42 mg sulforaphane per portion (2 capsules)

I don’t think it works like that. Brassica Inc is behind TrueBroc and they ranked like this according to BROQ:

Also, BROQ says “per serving” so that’s two capsules for BROQ (misleading!).

@belshazz

While BROQ is a more expensive rebranded verion of Prostaphane, the latter claims to be based on the patented ingredient “Sulfodyne”, which you can also find in other, and possibly cheaper brands.

Sulfodyne® is a registered trademark of Ingood by Olga. Ingood by Olga is the company behind Prostaphane. Which other supplements contain Sulfodyne?

[Pat25]

Why did you stop?

Yes Prostaphane seemed reliable. Given how many interesting studies you tend to dig up, I’m sure you have seen the studies with it.
My concern back then was the titanium dioxide in it. Albeit of course it only has a very low concentration of titanium dioxide, but I took around 4+ tabs per day, and I tend to be (perhaps overly?) cautious. (Not sure if titanium dioxide is still an ingredient.) Plus: at the time I had visible inflammation and I just didn’t notice any effects, albeit I used higher doses for years. It made me question if it was still ‘active’, and wonder about temperature fluctuations for days during shipment. All in all, I didn’t find the cost worth it anymore.

[adssx]

@Pat25

My concern back then was the titanium dioxide in it.

Good point. It was banned in Europe but:

While the new EFSA Opinion, published on 6 May 2021, does not conclude that E171 is a definite risk to health, it does not rule out that possibility either. In particular, EFSA does not rule out genotoxicity concerns, meaning that there is a possibility that the use of titanium dioxide as food additive might cause DNA or chromosomal damage. In the EU, the fact that the safety of a food additive cannot be confirmed is sufficient to warrant a ban.
Titanium dioxide will still be authorised for use in medicinal products until other safe alternatives are found. This is to avoid causing shortages of medicinal products that could negatively impact public health or animal health and welfare. This approach is supported by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) analysis on the use of titanium dioxide in medicines published on 8 October 2021. The Commission, together with EMA, will re-evaluate the situation in the future." ( https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/sante/items/732079/en )

The reseller says: “Other ingredients:
Vegetable Cellulose Capsule Shell (HPMC, colourant: copper complex of chlorophyllins), Maltodextrin, Acacia Gum, Magnesium Stearate Suitable for vegans. Contains no GMOs, common allergens, artificial colours, preservatives or flavours.”:

So I assume there’s no titanium dioxide anymore. I’ll email them, though, to confirm.

@Pat25

Plus: at the time I had visible inflammation and I just didn’t notice any effects, albeit I used higher doses for years.

How much does sulforaphane lower hsCRP? This paper found no improvement: Sulforaphane: Its “Coming of Age” as a Clinically Relevant Nutraceutical in the Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Disease 2019

[belshazz]

If you Google “Sulfodyne”, you will find several other companies, at least here in France, that have licensed Sulfodyne from Ingood by Olga. For exemple:

Dynveo
Nutrixeal
Phytobioeco
HSN

The one by Dynveo seems to be significantly cheaper (https://www.dynveo.fr/sulforaphane.html)

What I find odd, is that Prostaphane is squarely marketed towards prostate problems of older men, and not longevity or health in general. I didn’t even knwo it was efficient in regars to urinary problems and so on, I’m 57 but have no such problems.

[cl-user]

That paper is interesting. They even compare Sulfodyne to rapamycin:

It has been suggested that SARS-CoV-2 activates the mTOR (mammalian Target Of Rapamycin) pathway during infection [35]. We therefore studied if Sulfodyne® could act on the mTOR pathway to block SARS-CoV-2 replication. As a hallmark of mTOR activation, we investigated the phosphorylation of p70S6K (Thr389) and pS6 (Ser235/236), two ribosomal proteins essential for protein synthesis. Sulfodyne® treatment decreased the phosphorylation of these proteins in an NRF2-independent manner, and this decrease was identical to that obtained after the action of Rapamycin, the main inhibitor of mTOR (Figure 3F). Sulfodyne®treatment of Calu-3 or Caco2 cells after SARS-CoV-2 infection led to a decreased phosphorylation of p70S6k and pS6 similar to the one observed after treatment with Rapamycin (Figure 3G and Figure S4F), indicating that Sulfodyne® inhibits the mTOR pathway during SARS-CoV-2 infection.

From Multiple Mechanisms of Action of Sulfodyne®, a Natural Antioxidant, against Pathogenic Effects of SARS-CoV-2 Infection

[Pat25]

Indeed, but frankly I didn’t go by hsCRP, as my hsCRP levels in repeated blood tests had in fact been decent. But at the time I was still diagnosed with a serious disease, and still had visible inflammation/discomfort. There was some interesting research about sulforaphane and that particular disease. As such I used high doses of Prostaphane daily (and after ~a year I added another sulforaphane supplement). But clearly this is just a n=1/personal experience/observation.

[adssx]

@belshazz

The one by Dynveo seems to be significantly cheaper (https://www.dynveo.fr/sulforaphane.html)

Dynveo costs €22.90 for 60 pills of 100 mg, so €0.38 per 100-mg pill. Prostaphane costs €78.90 for 90 pills of 200 mg so €0.44 per 100-mg pill, 16% more expensive! I’ve just emailed Ingood by Olga to confirm that these are the same products…

@cl-user

That paper is interesting. They even compare Sulfodyne to rapamycin:

Interesting! Another paper found something similar: Sulforaphane inhibits mTOR in an NRF2-independent manner

So should you pulse it as well? @DrFraser @John_Hemming what do you think?

[Jay]

@BeatTheOdds

This is one of the few things I take that gives me a noticeable and positive effect.

I must have missed it somehow. So, what is the noticeable and positive effect?

[BeatTheOdds]

For me, I notice a mild caffeine like buzz without the jitteryness. It was much more pronounced the first few months and it’s hard for me to notice at all now.