Asthma patients may get significant relief from a broccoli compound

Catch Your Breath

Have you ever laughed so hard you could hardly catch your breath?

I had a moment like that some years ago on a freezing night in New York when I found my way to a little off-off-Broadway theater to see a performance of a comedy monologue by writer/television producer Scott Carter.

The autobiographical monologue featured two story lines: Scott’s experience with asthma, and his experience as a novice writer, getting his start with a magazine that exclusively featured…we’ll call it "blue" material. Very blue.

"Heavy Breathing" was the clever double entendre title of Scott’s monologue. And while the story of his first writing job had me in stitches, the details of his asthma attacks brought me up short.

This was before I started health care research, so while I was aware that asthma was a serious condition, until that evening, hearing Scott’s harrowing tale of nearly suffocating while waiting for delivery of his medication, I had no idea that asthma could be life threatening.

For Scott (are you out there, Scott?) and others who cope with chronic asthma, I have one word of encouraging news: sulforaphane.

Get those enzymes moving

According to new UCLA research, the inflammatory effects of airborne pollutants on asthma patients are triggered by cellular oxidative stress. But studies have shown that this stress may be alleviated when certain enzymes are activated by sulforaphane, a compound that’s highly concentrated in broccoli.

The January 2009 issue of the HSI Members Alert features a revealing article about the beneficial effects of sulforaphane on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a condition that includes asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, or any combination of the three.

Managing Editor Melissa Hickle notes that a gene called NRF2 controls a group of key components in the lungs’ defense system against inflammatory injury, such as COPD. Studies suggest that sulforaphane prevents the degradation of NRF2.

Melissa writes: "Sulforaphane actually kicks phase II enzymes into action, unleashing their power on the oxidative stress of COPD. Recent research shows that sulforaphane increased the production of phase II enzymes 15-fold. It was noted that it’s actually the most potent known naturally occurring inducer of phase II enzyme genes."

In the upper airway

A new study that appears in the March 2009 issue of Clinical Immunology confirms the research Melissa wrote about in January.

A UCLA team conducted an intervention study in which 65 subjects received either broccoli sprouts (rich in sulforaphane), or alfalfa sprouts (which contain no sulforaphane).

Before and after the broccoli/alfalfa intervention, the UCLA team measured gene expression of phase II enzymes in each subject’s nasal passages. Analysis showed that 200 grams of broccoli sprouts prompted a high level of enzyme induction, compared to zero enzyme induction in the alfalfa group.

The authors wrote: "Oral sulforaphane safely and effectively induces mucosal Phase II enzyme expression in the upper airway of human subjects. This study demonstrates the potential of antioxidant Phase II enzymes induction in the human airway as a strategy to reduce the inflammatory effects of oxidative stress."

More research is needed, as always, but patients with dangerously chronic conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema need relief today.

In her Member’s Alert article, Melissa includes information about a high potency sulforaphane supplement called BroccoMax – made by the same company that developed the sulforaphane used in numerous studies conducted at Johns Hopkins University, where broccoli compounds have been most extensively researched.

Talk to your doctor before addressing COPD or any other health condition with sulforaphane.

HSI members can use their monthly password to access Melissa’s entire article: "Reverse the effects of COPD with a miracle food you’re already eating for dinner tonight!"

The HSI Members Alert provides a convenient way to stay informed about all of the most groundbreaking advances in nutrition and alternative medicine. Find out how you can be among the very first to learn about cutting edge cures you’ll rarely hear about in the mainstream media .

Sources:
"Reverse the effects of COPD with a miracle food you’re already eating for dinner tonight!" Melissa Hickle, HSI Members Alert, January 2009, hsionline.com
"Oral Sulforaphane Increases Phase II Antioxidant enzymes in the Human Upper Airway" Clinical Immunology, Vol. 130, No. 3, March 2009, sciencedirect.com