Broccoli eases respiratory conditions
United States researchers report that a naturally occurring compound found in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables may help protect against respiratory inflammation that causes conditions like asthma, allergic rhinitis and even chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The research, published in the journal Clinical Immunology, shows that sulforaphane, a chemical in broccoli, triggers an increase of antioxidant enzymes in the human breathing airway that offers protection against the onslaught of free radicals that we breathe in every day in polluted air, pollen, diesel exhaust and tobacco smoke.
As a supercharged form of oxygen, free radicals can cause oxidative tissue damage, which leads to inflammation and respiratory conditions like asthma.
“This is one of the first studies showing that broccoli sprouts, a readily available food source, offered potent biologic effects in stimulating an antioxidant response in humans,” said Dr Marc Riedl, the study’s principal investigator and an assistant professor of clinical immunology and allergy at the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
“We found a two to three-fold increase in antioxidant enzymes in the nasal airway cells of study participants who had eaten a preparation of broccoli sprouts,” Dr Riedl said.
“This strategy may offer protection against inflammatory processes and could lead to potential treatments for a variety of respiratory conditions”.
“A major advantage of sulforaphane is that it appears to increase a broad array of antioxidant enzymes, which may help the compound’s effectiveness in blocking the harmful effects of air pollution,” Dr Riedl said.
According to the researchers, no serious side effects occurred in study participants receiving broccoli sprouts, demonstrating that this may be an effective, safe antioxidant strategy to help reduce the inflammatory impact of free radicals.
Dr Riedl acknowledges that more research needs to be done to examine the benefits of sulforaphane for specific respiratory conditions, and that it is too early to recommend a particular dosage. However, he recommends including broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables as part of a healthy diet.
