Is broccoli being overlooked as THE summer vegetable? Broccoli sprout extract, sulforaphane, has been researched for sun protection and skin cancer prevention.
Could broccoli extract become your next sun protection focus? Here’s more information on a study by Johns Hopkins University that has not only been researched on mice, but also human volunteers. Here’s what they discovered:
How Does Broccoli Extract Work For Sun Protection?
Broccoli sprout extract works much differently than sunscreen. Sunscreen applied to skin absorbs the UV rays, preventing their entry and creating a barrier. The broccoli sprout extract works on a cellular level, driving protective enzymes to protect the skin cells from ultraviolet radiation and damage. The proteins can protect the cell for days, even after the extract is not present on the skin.
Dr. Paul Talalay, a professor of pharmacology and molecular sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine stated in Broccoli May Help Fight Skin Cancer by the Washington Post:
Cells contain an elaborate network of protective genes that code for proteins that protect against four principal injurious processes to which all of our cells are exposed and which are the causes of cancer, degenerative disease and aging,” he explained.
Those four processes are: oxidation; DNA damage; inflammation and radiation, namely ultraviolet radiation.
The result of the cell protection is reduced erythema, skin redness. Skin redness is a measurable factor showing sun protection. Redness is a sign of inflammation and cell damage from UV radiation that causes skin cancer.
In a different mouse study, mice from a strain characterized by post-weaning hair loss were exposed to a dose of UV light comparable to what a person would get sunbathing at the beach on a clear day, twice a week for 20 weeks. After irradiation, broccoli sprout extracts containing either a low or high dose of sulforaphane were applied to the backs of the mice, five days a week for 11 weeks. Acetone (known commonly as the ingredient in nail polish remover) was used as the vehicle for delivering the sulforaphane, and it alone was applied on the control group. At the conclusion of the study period, 100 percent of the control mice had developed cancerous skin tumors.
The incidence and number of tumors was reduced by half, however, in the mice receiving the high dose of broccoli sprout extract. The rate of tumor reduction was less among the low-dose recipients, but even in their case, some benefit was observed.
“We weren’t looking for a sunscreen effect,” Dinkova-Kostova is quick to point out. “The sulforaphane-containing extract was applied after the period of regular exposure to ultra-violet light. That’s more relevant, since most people receive some sun damage to their skin in childhood, particularly adults who grew up before effective sunscreen lotions were developed.”
Previous research has shown that sulforaphane boosts protective and detoxifying reactions in cells, inactivating carcinogens and reactive oxygen intermediates that contribute to the disease by damaging DNA. As in other studies involving the anti-cancer potential of sulforaphane, Dinkova-Kostova’s group notes that broccoli sprouts contain much more of the compound than adult broccoli.
“Our findings suggest a promising strategy for skin cancer prevention after exposure to UV light,” Dinkova-Kostova said.
Broccoli Extract Study Results:
The study by Johns Hopkins showed promising data. On average, the broccoli extract reduced skin redness and inflammation by 37 percent. The extract was still effective when applied 3 days prior.
Broccoli May Help Fight Skin Cancer by the Washington Post
It’s going to take a little while to work out how this should be applied,” Talalay said. “We would need to have a preparation rich in sulforaphane that would be easily absorbed through the skin, and this is not yet a reality. But, since we’re dealing with a food, we’re not dealing with anything likely to have a toxicity.”
It will be interesting to see if this study is picked back up and how it will develop.
Read more about Broccoli extract for sun protection:
Broccoli Sprout-derived Extract Protects Against Ultraviolet Radiation from Science Daily: Research News
Broccoli May Help Fight Skin Cancer by the Washington Post
Broccoli Sprout-derived Extract Protects Against Ultraviolet Radiation Study from Johns Hopkins University
Thanks for the very helpful tips
I planted broccoli, and they grew very well. The problem is that they never grew heads. Insects got on the plants and ate the leaves, despite the fact that I used Devin dust, and sprayed the plants with liquid insecticide. The problem was squash beetles, and I could not get rid of them. What can I use to get rid of these pests?