What is sulforaphane?

What it is

Sulforaphane is a natural compound found in cruciferous vegetables. Broccoli, radish, kale, cabbage, mustard, and their microgreen forms. It belongs to a class of chemicals called isothiocyanates.

It doesn't exist in the plant as sulforaphane. It's stored as a precursor called glucoraphanin. When you chew, cut, or chop the plant, an enzyme called myrosinase converts glucoraphanin into active sulforaphane.

What it does

Sulforaphane activates a protein called Nrf2 inside your cells. Under normal conditions, Nrf2 is held inactive by another protein (KEAP1). Sulforaphane releases Nrf2, which then enters the cell nucleus and turns on genes responsible for:

Producing antioxidant enzymes. Breaking down and exporting toxins. Reducing inflammatory signaling.

This isn't one gene or one pathway. Nrf2 regulates over 500 genes. It's the most studied dietary activator of this system.

Where it's most concentrated

Brassica microgreens and sprouts contain far more glucoraphanin than mature plants. Broccoli sprouts have roughly 10 to 100 times the concentration of adult broccoli. Microgreens fall in between but offer the advantage of growing in light, which adds beneficial compounds from photosynthesis.

The conversion to sulforaphane depends on myrosinase being active. Cooking destroys this enzyme. Eating microgreens raw, straight from a living tray, delivers both the precursor and the enzyme in their active forms.

What the research covers

Peer-reviewed studies on sulforaphane span cancer prevention, neuroprotection, metabolic health, detoxification of environmental pollutants, and immune function. The research base is large and growing. We cover specific studies in our blog.

The practical version

Sulforaphane is a plant compound that tells your cells to defend themselves. Brassica microgreens are one of the most concentrated dietary sources. Eating them raw and fresh maximizes what you get.