Press Release:
Sulforaphane's Protective Properties Beneficial Against Prostate Cancer, Cardiovascular Disease And Retinal Damage
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, January 7, 2002
Contact: Peter Webb Public Relations, Inc.
6025 S. Quebec Street, Suite 360
Centennial, CO 80111
Contact: Kris Staaf or Heather Halpape (303) 796-8888
New Studies Present Potential Health Benefits
Of Antioxidant Found In Broccoli And Broccoli Sprouts
Baltimore, MD - Three recently published scientific
studies reinforce the protective power of sulforaphane, the
naturally-occurring antioxidant in broccoli and broccoli sprouts by
demonstrating three new aspects of disease prevention by sulforaphane.
Studies on sulforaphane (SGS) in human cell lines and laboratory animals
show its potential effect on hypertension, prostate cancer and macular
degeneration.
The studies, reported in late 2001 by scientists from
Johns Hopkins,
Stanford University
and the University of Saskatchewan, give new
significance to the potential health benefits of sulforaphane, the
antioxidant phytochemical originally isolated from broccoli, and now
available to consumers in highly concentrated amounts in young broccoli
sprouts, as BroccoSprouts®.
In a series of experiments, rats with high blood pressure
(hypertension) that were treated with sulforaphane showed a significant
reduction in the tendency to develop artery-narrowing plaques. Working
with rats that develop high blood pressure, Dr. Bernard Juurlink at the
University of Saskatchewan, in Saskatoon, Canada, demonstrated that
sulforaphane retards oxidative damage leading to arterial occlusion, a
potentially significant breakthrough in proactive therapies against
blocking of arteries. Sulforaphane may, therefore, interrupt the
progression of plaque development to strokes.
Dr. Paul Talalay and his
colleagues at Johns Hopkins (Dr. Talalay first demonstrated the efficacy
of sulforaphane as an antioxidant in protecting against cancers)
describe new studies showing that treatment
with low concentrations of sulforaphane protects human retinal (eye)
cells against a variety of severe oxidative challenges. As humans age,
the defenses of their cells are known to decline. In the retina, this
can lead to macular degeneration, the principal cause of deterioration
of vision among the aged.
Dr. Talalay's latest studies confirm that the protective effects of
sulforaphane are large, long-lasting and effective against various types
of oxidative stress. These protective effects persist for several days,
continuing to reinforce the body's natural defense mechanisms.
Human prostate cancer cells responded well to treatment with
sulforaphane in the form of broccoli sprout extracts by showing dramatic
increases in their protective Phase 2 enzymes. In his article, Dr.
James D. Brooks of the Urology Department at Stanford suggests,
"Intervention trials may be warranted [in humans], and broccoli sprouts,
a rich natural source of sulforaphane, may be appropriate for use in
such a trial."
Dr. Talalay commented that continuing research on sulforaphane opens
new vistas on the impact of naturally-occurring antioxidants. "We know
sulforaphane raises the activities of Phase 2 enzymes that inactivate
carcinogens. That's one of its strongest attributes. If we can
translate those attributes to prevent other chronic degenerative
conditions, that will be a highly significant advance."
The Stanford studies actually used broccoli sprouts to elicit the
protective effects in the scientific experiments involving prostate
cancer intervention.
It is important to point out that these studies involved animals and
human cells in the laboratory, but the stage is now set for human trials
to assess the further protective qualities of sulforaphane against a
variety of life-challenging medical conditions.
The studies are as follows:
"Powerful and prolonged protection of human retinal
pigment epithelial cells, keratinocytes, and mouse leukemia cells
against oxidative damage: the indirect antioxidant effects of
sulforaphane." Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA, Vol.
98, pp. 15221-15226, 2001.
http://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.261572998
"The impaired glutathione system and its up-regulation by
sulforaphane in vascular smooth muscle cells from spontaneously
hypertensive rats." Hypertension, Vol. 19, pp. 1819-1825, 2001.
http://www.jhypertension.com/pt/re/jhypertension/abstract.00004872-200110000-00016.htm
"Potent induction of Phase 2 enzymes in human prostate
cells by sulforaphane." Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention,
Vol. 10, pp. 949-954. Sept. 2001.
http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/10/9/949
