Sulforaphane

Sulforaphane

Synonyms: Broccoli extract, Glucosinolate de Sulforaphane, SFN, Sulforafane, Sulforaphane Glucosinolate, Sulforofano, Sulphoraphane, 1-isothiocayanate-4-methyl-sulfonyl butane

Cas:4478-93-7

Molecular formula: C6H11NOS2

Molecular weight: 177.29

What is Sulforaphane?

Sulforaphane, according to wikipedia, is an organosulfur compound belonging to the family of isothiocyanates, which exhibits anticancer, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial properties.

Where does sulforaphane come from?

Sulforaphane exists in food in its foodbound form known as Glucoraphanin, a glycoside (bound to a sugar) or sulforaphane that is commonly seen as a prodrug or storage form of Sulforaphane. Glucoraphanin is one of a few molecules known as isothiocyanates, existing mostly in cruciferous vegetables alongside Sinigrin (metabolized into Allyl Isothiocyanate), Glucotropaeolin (metabolized into Benzyl Isothiocyanate), Gluconasturtiin (metabolized into Phenethylisothiocyanate) and Glucobrassicin. Sulforaphane is a rather simple organic compound that is found in the largest concentrations in the cruciferous or mustard family of plants, including broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. It is a phytochemical, which means it is biologically-activated when the human body breaks its chemical components free of the sugar molecule glucosinolate that it is bound to in plants.

Health benefits of taking sulforaphane supplements:

There are a range of health benefits that the compound brings to the human diet, but chief among them is its ability to act as an antioxidant and bind to free radical oxygen molecules that can cause cellular damage. Because of this activity, it is a natural cancer preventative and has been indicated specifically as being capable of reducing the risk of breast cancer and prostate cancer. These common functions are not what I am going to talk about. Sulforaphane is very popular among the bodybuilding fans and bodybuilders as a sports nutrition supplement, it can mainly be used to

1.Anti-cancer. As mentioned above, sulforaphane can reduce the risk of breast cancer, prostate cancer, and other kinds of cancers.

2.Lose weight

Sulforaphane appears to be able to increase the rate of glycerol release into medium (lipolysis) in a concentration-dependent manner up to 10uM concentration, coupled with an increase in Hormone Sensitive Lipase (HSL) mRNA and CPT1A mRNA (approximately 1.6-fold control) and no effect on Perilipin or ATGL mRNA

3.Build up more muscles

 Italian researchers had discovered that sulforaphane improved the survival chances of one type of stem cell that is capable of developing into muscle cells. 

Sulforaphane dramatically reduced the production of myostatin [MSTN] in the satellite cells

The best natural sources of sulforaphane are fresh broccoli and Brussels sprouts. Tinned cabbage and prepared cabbage in plastic packaging do not contain much sulforaphane. Bodybuilders who want to start experimenting with sulforaphane right away can of course use natural supplements.

Strictly speaking cabbage-type vegetables don't contain sulforaphane, but do contain glucoraphanin. Cutting up, chewing and digesting cabbage-type vegetables converts glucoraphanin into sulforaphane.