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Sulforaphane for Health & Longevity

Created on 11/01/2026 – Quick Reference based on Evidence Review created using AI4L / Opus 5.5 – Audit

Sulforaphane, a broccoli-derived supplement marketed for longevity, activates the body's defense genes. Its most consistent result, small autism-related behavioral gains, does not bear on healthy aging. Adult findings are modest and less certain: better processing speed and mood in single trials, possible cholesterol lowering mainly with antipsychotic drugs, and at most a slight blood sugar effect in some people with early diabetes. Low-risk and inexpensive, it remains unproven for longevity. (Full Review)

Protocol

Extract approach (trial doses)
50–150 µmol/day
By body weight in autism; 150 µmol/day in prediabetes; most trials dosed once daily
Stabilized sulforaphane approach
30–60 mg/day
60 mg/day for six months in recurrent prostate cancer; 1 mg is about 5.6 µmol
Whole-sprout approach
70 g/day fresh broccoli sprouts
Provides 420 µmol glucoraphanin
Time to effect
Behavioral and depression effects
6–18 weeks
Autism-related behavior and depressive symptoms
PSA effects
After three months
Slower prostate cancer marker rise after surgery
Detoxification markers
Within days
Higher urinary excretion of pollutant breakdown products

Benefits

Contraindications
  • Pregnancy and breastfeeding
  • Known allergy to sulforaphane, glucoraphanin or product ingredients
  • Active cancer during chemotherapy or radiotherapy, outside a trial
  • Untreated hypothyroidism with iodine deficiency
  • Poorly controlled asthma
  • Raw sprouts for people with weakened immune systems
    •
Key Interactions
  • Proton pump inhibitors (omeprazole, esomeprazole): raise sulforaphane yield from myrosinase-containing extracts
  • Glucose-lowering drugs (metformin, insulin): possible low blood sugar
  • Myrosinase sources (mustard seed powder, myrosinase-containing supplements): stronger effects, including gastrointestinal ones, are expected
  • Vitamin K antagonists (warfarin): sprouts add vitamin K
    •
Theoretical (inferred from mechanism)
  • CYP1A2 substrates (caffeine, theophylline, clozapine): drug levels could fall
  • Glucuronidated drugs (acetaminophen, oxazepam): drug effect could weaken
  • UGT1A1 substrates (irinotecan): exposure could fall
  • Chemotherapy and radiotherapy (doxorubicin, cisplatin): treatment effect could be reduced
  • Other Nrf2 activators (curcumin, dimethyl fumarate): wanted and unwanted effects could be amplified
  • Broad-spectrum antibiotics (amoxicillin-clavulanate, ciprofloxacin): lower sulforaphane yield from glucoraphanin-only products
    •

Risk & Side Effects

  • High: Gastrointestinal adverse events
    •
  • Medium:
  • Low: Thyroid function disruption; sleep disturbance, irritability and taste intolerance; worsened airway responsiveness in some people with asthma; foodborne infection from raw sprouts
    •
  • Speculative: Possible promotion of existing tumors; allergic reactions
    •

Monitoring

Marker Target Why
Fasting glucose 70–99 mg/dL May fall slightly; safety check with glucose-lowering drugs
LDL cholesterol Below 100 mg/dL May fall modestly
Triglycerides Below 150 mg/dL May fall modestly
ALT 7–56 U/L May fall in fatty liver; also a safety check
γ-GTP Not specified in the ER May fall in fatty liver; paired with ALT
TSH 0.4–4.0 mIU/L Safety check; only for thyroid disease or low iodine intake
PSA (men under prostate cancer surveillance) No established target; track PSA slope and doubling time Rise may slow
Clozapine or theophylline level No established target for this use; track change from own pre-supplement level Safety check: a fall prompts a dose review
Peak flow (people with asthma) Not specified in the ER Safety check; airway responsiveness may worsen

Cadence: Baseline, at 12 weeks, then every 6–12 months; fasting glucose several times a week for the first 4 weeks on glucose-lowering drugs; asthma symptoms and peak flow during the first 2 weeks; drug levels rechecked 1–2 weeks after starting

Qualitative Assessment

  • Digestive tolerance: nausea, bloating or loose stools after doses
  • Sleep quality: sleep onset and night waking, especially with evening doses
  • Mood: day-to-day mood and motivation
  • Mental clarity: processing speed and working memory in daily tasks
  • Breathing (people with asthma): symptoms and rescue-inhaler use
Not medical advice. Educational distillation of a single evidence review. Confirm any decision with a qualified clinician, especially in the presence of prescription drugs or chronic conditions.