Broccoli May Reduce Risk of High Blood Pressure, Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke

Glucoraphanin, also known as sulforaphane glucosinolate (SGS), a naturally occurring compound found in broccoli sprouts and broccoli, may reduce the risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and stroke, according to researchers from the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada. The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, is the first to show that broccoli has an effect on the cardiovascular system.

The researchers used spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone rats. For 5 days a week for 14 weeks the rats were fed 200 mg/day of dried broccoli sprouts that contained glucoraphanin, which is metabolised to sulforaphane (Group A), sprouts in which most of the glucoraphanin was destroyed (Group B), or no sprouts (Group C).

After 14 weeks of treatment, no significant differences were seen between rats in Groups B and C. Rats in Group A had significantly decreased oxidative stress in cardiovascular and kidney tissues, as shown by increased glutathione (GSH) content and decreased oxidised GSH, decreased protein nitrosylation, as well as increased GSH reductase and GSH peroxidase activities. Decreased oxidative stress correlated with better endothelial-dependent relaxation of the aorta and significantly lower (20 mm Hg) blood pressure. Tissues from Groups B and C had considerable numbers of infiltrating activated macrophages, indicative of inflammation, whereas animals in Group A had few detectable infiltrating macrophages.

"Nearly all the studies to date on sulforaphane, glucoraphanin and broccoli sprouts have focused on the protective effects of these substances against cancer. This study is the first to show that broccoli sprouts rich in these compounds, through raising the antioxidant and thereby the anti-inflammatory capacities of cells, profoundly affect the cardiovascular system and can correct major dysfunctions such as hypertension and stroke," said Bernhard Juurlink, one of the researchers.

The paper, 'Dietary approach to attenuate oxidative stress, hypertension, and inflammation in the cardiovascular system,' by L. Wu, M. H. N. Ashraf, M. Facci, R. Wang, P. G. Paterson, A. Ferrie and B. H. J. Juurlink was published online before print on the 21st of April in PNAS, and also published in print on the 6th of May 2004.
The abstract can be read here.

Contact: Bernhard H. J. Juurlink, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 107 Wiggins Road, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7N 5E5.
Email: [email protected]