Other ·Moderate evidence ·Reviewed May 2026
Potent Nrf2 activator from broccoli sprouts for detoxification and cellular protection.
The bottom line
Evidence rating moderate. Most-documented uses: detoxification, cancer prevention, anti-inflammatory. 21 sources indexed (2013–2026), with 5 interaction records on file.
Core mechanism
Activates Nrf2 transcription factor, which upregulates >200 cytoprotective genes including glutathione synthesis, phase II detox enzymes, and antioxidant response elements.19,16
Take with food; myrosinase source needed for glucoraphanin conversion2,3
Dosing protocol
Heat-labile; stabilized broccoli seed extracts retain more activity than steamed sprouts.
Ranked by evidence and value.
Real-world pricing across three quality tiers. Assumes Broccoli Sprout Extract with Myrosinase.
Assumes 30-60 mg/day or equivalent broccoli sprout extract. Vendor basis: Avmacol-style products, Life Extension, iHerb, and Amazon marketplace; active myrosinase formulas are premium. Updated 2026-05-28.
How much you'd eat to match a supplemental dose.
Myrosinase activity and preparation strongly affect sulforaphane formation.
Dose: 30-60 mg sulforaphane daily14
Timing: With food
Clinical dose evidence: PMID 28615356.
What to test, the optimal window inside the conventional range, and how long a response takes.
Sulforaphane (broccoli sprout extract, 10 to 40 mg per day) raises urinary mercapturic acid metabolites and modulates Nrf2-dependent phase II enzyme expression.1,2
GSTM1-null individuals (about half of populations) excrete metabolites differently. Sulforaphane is heat-labile; stabilized broccoli seed extracts retain more activity than steamed sprouts.
Where this appears in the symptom-to-supplement map, ranked by relevance.
Activates Nrf2 and may upregulate phase II detoxification enzymes that participate in estrogen conjugation and clearance.19,8
Choose products that preserve myrosinase or co-supply it to support conversion.
Nrf2 activator that supports phase II detoxification and oxidative stress resilience.2,3
Stabilized forms retain more activity than fresh sprouts.
Sulforaphane activates the Nrf2 antioxidant pathway and may reduce oxidative inflammatory load in skin, but direct rosacea evidence is essentially absent.19,1
Look for products that supply active sulforaphane, or that pair glucoraphanin with myrosinase for conversion.
Evidence-based stacks that include it, with the exact dose and timing each one uses.
Potent Nrf2 activator inducing phase II detox enzymes (GST, NQO1, HO-1); supports hepatocyte oxidative resilience.19,3
Sulforaphane activates the Nrf2 transcription factor, which upregulates phase II detoxification and antioxidant enzymes, including those involved in glutathione conjugation. Human evidence for clinical detoxification endpoints is still emerging, so it is positioned as an adjunct.19,16
GSTM1 deletion altered kidney injury biology and was linked to protective effects from cruciferous vegetables in translational human and mouse work (PMID 31727850).
Recommendation: A GSTM1-null result may change expected response, but food-based cruciferous intake remains the conservative first step.
Both compounds raise intracellular glutathione: sulforaphane induces the enzymes that synthesize glutathione while NAC supplies the rate-limiting cysteine precursor, supporting cellular antioxidant defense and detoxification.
Recommendation: Reasonable to combine for antioxidant or detoxification goals. Avoid stacking very high doses of both around acute intense exercise, since excessive antioxidant load can blunt beneficial training adaptations.
Sulforaphane and silymarin (the active fraction of milk thistle) both activate Nrf2-driven cytoprotective and antioxidant defenses in the liver, providing complementary hepatoprotective support.
Recommendation: Can be combined to support liver antioxidant capacity. No timing restriction is needed.
Both are cruciferous-derived compounds that favorably shift estrogen metabolism and induce phase I and phase II detoxification, giving complementary support to hormone metabolism pathways.
Recommendation: Reasonable to combine for estrogen metabolism or detoxification goals. No timing separation is required.
Sulforaphane and selenium act on the same antioxidant axis: sulforaphane induces the genes for selenium-dependent enzymes (thioredoxin reductase 1 and glutathione peroxidase 2), and selenium supplies the selenocysteine those enzymes need to function. In human hepatocyte cell studies the combination synergistically increased thioredoxin reductase 1 protein (about 5.5-fold), activity (about 13-fold) and mRNA (about 6.5-fold), and protected cells from oxidative damage more than either alone. Practically, taking sulforaphane against a background of sufficient (not deficient) selenium lets the upregulated selenoenzymes actually be built. A separate line of work shows sulforaphane can also bind and accelerate degradation of selenoprotein P, the body's selenium transport protein, so the relationship is mostly favorable synergy with a minor caveat to avoid frank selenium deficiency.
Recommendation: No need to dose together at the same minute; both contribute to a steady antioxidant-enzyme pool. Ensure selenium intake is adequate (roughly 55 to 100 mcg/day for adults from diet plus supplement; total long-term intake should stay under about 400 mcg/day to avoid selenosis) so sulforaphane-induced selenoenzymes can be synthesized. Do not megadose selenium expecting added benefit. If you already eat selenium-rich foods (Brazil nuts, seafood), routine extra selenium is usually unnecessary alongside sulforaphane.
When sulforaphane is taken in precursor (glucoraphanin) form, vitamin C can improve its conversion to the active molecule by supporting the myrosinase enzyme that performs the hydrolysis. The conversion step is the rate-limiting factor for precursor-based products: glucoraphanin preparations lacking active myrosinase yield only roughly 10 percent of dose as sulforaphane, whereas an active myrosinase source can raise this to around 40 percent. Ascorbate is routinely co-included with myrosinase in bioavailability formulations, and many commercial broccoli-extract products deliberately co-formulate vitamin C plus a myrosinase source. The effect is most relevant for glucoraphanin-based supplements and for sulforaphane generated from food (broccoli, sprouts); pre-formed stabilized sulforaphane depends less on this step. This is a favorable absorption and conversion synergy, not a risk.
Recommendation: If using a glucoraphanin or broccoli-extract product, take it with vitamin C (a typical 250 to 500 mg dose, or a vitamin-C-containing food or juice) at the same time, ideally alongside an active myrosinase source in the formula. Timing matters: take them together rather than hours apart so vitamin C is present during hydrolysis. No benefit is expected to be lost if you also already use a pre-converted, stabilized sulforaphane product, where the conversion step is bypassed.
Numbered references. Citations throughout the page link here.
Systematic review found high cruciferous vegetable intake (sulforaphane source) was associated with reduced risk of multiple cancer types, with interventional studies showing sulforaphane modulates carcinogen-metabolizing enzymes.
Meta-analysis of RCTs showed sulforaphane supplementation significantly increased antioxidant enzymes (GST, NQO1) and reduced markers of oxidative stress.
Meta-analysis of clinical trials found sulforaphane supplementation improved behavioral outcomes in individuals with autism spectrum disorder, supporting its role as an Nrf2 activator.
Masoom M, Khan MA. Efficacy of sulforaphane in skin cancer animal models: A systematic review. Polimery w medycynie. 2024
Monteiro EB, Ajackson M, Stockler-Pinto MB et al.. Sulforaphane exhibits potent renoprotective effects in preclinical models of kidney diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Life sciences. 2023
McGuinness G, Kim Y. Sulforaphane treatment for autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review. EXCLI journal. 2020
Cesanelli L, Thomas R, Mickevičius M et al.. Short-Term Effects of Broccoli-Derived Glucoraphanin on Recovery from Eccentric Muscle Damage: A Double-Blind Randomized Crossover Study. Nutrients. 2026
Yuan JM, Kensler TW, Dacic S et al.. Randomized Phase II Clinical Trial of Sulforaphane in Former Smokers at High Risk for Lung Cancer. Cancer prevention research (Philadelphia, Pa.). 2025
Long-term broccoli sprout consumption reduced inflammatory markers in overweight subjects.
Fasting glucose reduced by 10% in obese dysregulated patients
Standardized broccoli sprout extract suppressed nasal inflammatory response in human subjects challenged with diesel exhaust particles.
34% improvement on Aberrant Behavior Checklist; effects reversed on discontinuation
Of 84 registered clinical trials, 39 published results suggest SFN's potential in regulating redox/inflammatory pathways, improving metabolic/cardiovascular outcomes, and exerting anti-cancer and neuroprotective effects.
About half of studies reported increases in Nrf2 activation with dietary phytochemicals; evidence is still limited though sulforaphane is the most studied Nrf2 activator.
Broccoli sprout preparations enhance detoxification of aflatoxins and air-borne toxins, which may attenuate cancer risk in exposed individuals.
Sulforaphane activates Nrf2 transcription factor, upregulating over 200 cytoprotective genes including glutathione synthesis and phase II detox enzymes.
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