Men’s Health Blog

Jing Zhao, Anthony N. Moore, John B. Redell, and Pramod K. Dash

As if there weren't enough reasons to eat your vegetables, this week Zhao et al. report that a substance in broccoli helps to preserve the integrity of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) following a cortical contusion injury. Systemic administration of sulforaphane, contained in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, increased activity of NF-E2-related factor-2 (Nrf2). Nrf2 binds to the antioxidant response element (ARE), influencing expression of so-called cytoprotective proteins. Sulforaphane treatment of uninjured and brain-injured rats increased cortical expression of Nrf2-driven genes. Infusion of NR decoy oligonucleotides containing the ARE binding site for Nrf2 prevented sulforaphane-induced, Nrf2-driven gene expression. Tight junction proteins are key to maintaining BBB integrity, and they decline after brain injury. Sulforaphane attenuated the loss of these proteins as well as the loss of endothelial cells and also reduced the injury-related increase in BBB permeability and brain edema. OK, OK, pass the broccoli.

Broccoli has been linked to a series of health boosting areas including a July study suggesting eating two or more servings of broccoli and cauliflower a week may reduce the risk of prostate cancer by up to 45 per cent. This follows other epidemiological and animal studies showing diets high in cruciferous vegetables result in less instances of lung, colon, breast and ovarian cancer.

The Journal of the National Cancer Institute, "High intake of cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli and cauliflower, may be associated with reduced risk of aggressive prostate cancer," wrote lead author Victoria Kirsh from Cancer Care Ontario.

Adapted from press release

Contact: Sara Harris
Society for Neuroscience