An inactive plant compound from broccoli that becomes useful only after conversion into a second compound. The firmest human findings are modest falls in artery-clogging cholesterol and in blood sugar, mostly where the numbers started poor, plus gains in thinking speed in older adults. Stomach upset is common; raw sprouts carry an infection risk that capsules do not. (Full Review)
| Marker | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| LDL cholesterol | < 100 mg/dL; < 70 with existing artery disease | Primary marker moved by high-glucoraphanin broccoli |
| Apolipoprotein B | < 80 mg/dL; < 60 for high risk | Counts plaque-forming particles; more reliable than LDL when triglycerides are high |
| HbA1c | 4.8–5.3% | Three-month blood sugar average; the endpoint that moved in the diabetes trial |
| Fasting glucose | 75–86 mg/dL (4.2–4.8 mmol/L) | The prediabetes trial's primary endpoint |
| Fasting insulin with HOMA-IR | Insulin 2–5 µIU/mL; HOMA-IR < 1.5 | Identifies the low-insulin-resistance profile that predicted response |
| Alanine aminotransferase | 10–26 U/L (men); 8–22 U/L (women) | The liver enzyme that fell in the positive fatty-liver trial |
| Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) | < 20 U/L (men); < 15 U/L (women) | Second liver marker that moved; also a glutathione-turnover indicator |
| Thyroid-stimulating hormone with free thyroxine | TSH 0.5–2.0 mIU/L; free thyroxine mid-reference | Directly tests the historical goitrogen concern |
| Urinary sulforaphane metabolites | No established target; track change from a pre-dose baseline | Only direct check of whether a dose is being converted and absorbed at all |
Cadence: Baseline before starting; lipid, glucose and liver panels repeated at 12 weeks; thyroid function rechecked at 3 months only where thyroid disease or low iodine intake is present, then annually; the full set retested every 6 to 12 months thereafter.