Glucosinolates
Research reviewed: Up until 03/2026
Glucosinolates (Glucosinolates (glucoraphanin, sinigrin, glucobrassicin et al.)) is a dietary supplement with 9 published peer-reviewed studies involving 514,106 participants, researched for Cancer Prevention, Detoxification & Phase II Enzymes, Anti-inflammatory & Cardiovascular Effects and 1 more areas.
Evidence at a Glance
Strength is scored by study design, sample size, study type, and outcomes
Cancer Prevention
ModerateDetoxification & Phase II Enzymes
ModerateAnti-inflammatory & Cardiovascular Effects
ModerateBioavailability & Systematic Reviews
ModerateResearch Visualised
Visual breakdown of the clinical data.
Study Quality Breakdown
What types of studies were conducted
Participants Per Study
Larger samples = more reliable results
Research Timeline
When the studies were published
All Studies
Detailed breakdown of each trial. Click to expand.
Cancer Prevention
To investigate dietary glucosinolate intake and cancer risk across multiple cancer sites.
Study Type
Prospective cohort
Purpose
To investigate dietary glucosinolate intake and cancer risk across multiple cancer sites.
Dose
Dietary intake (observational)
Participants
11,000 adults in European prospective cohort
Duration
8 years follow-up
Results
High total glucosinolate intake associated with significant reductions in lung, colorectal, and bladder cancer risk (HR 0.72-0.85).
How They Measured It
Dietary intake estimated from crucifer FFQ; cancer registry linkage
To pool epidemiological evidence on cruciferous vegetable (glucosinolate) intake and cancer risk.
Study Type
Meta-analysis
Purpose
To pool epidemiological evidence on cruciferous vegetable (glucosinolate) intake and cancer risk.
Dose
Dietary glucosinolate exposure
Participants
Multiple studies pooled (>500,000 subjects)
Duration
Review
Results
Cruciferous vegetable intake in highest category associated with 20-30% reduced risk for lung, stomach, colorectal, and prostate cancer vs lowest intake.
How They Measured It
Meta-analysis of prospective cohorts and case-control studies
To characterise how different glucosinolate hydrolysis products activate cancer cell death pathways.
Study Type
In vitro mechanistic study
Purpose
To characterise how different glucosinolate hydrolysis products activate cancer cell death pathways.
Dose
Glucoraphanin, sinigrin, glucobrassicin at 10-100 µM
Participants
Multiple human cancer cell lines
Duration
48 hours
Results
Glucosinolate hydrolysis products differentially activated Nrf2, induced apoptosis, and inhibited cancer cell proliferation; glucoraphanin-derived sulforaphane most potent.
How They Measured It
Cell viability, apoptosis assay, Nrf2 target gene expression
Detoxification & Phase II Enzymes
To evaluate a broccoli sprout-based glucosinolate supplement on phase II enzyme induction in healthy volunteers.
Study Type
RCT
Purpose
To evaluate a broccoli sprout-based glucosinolate supplement on phase II enzyme induction in healthy volunteers.
Dose
200 µmol glucoraphanin daily from BSE supplement
Participants
40 healthy adults
Duration
2 weeks
Results
Significant induction of GST and NQO1 in blood cells and increased urinary mercapturic acids, confirming hepatic phase II enzyme upregulation.
How They Measured It
Urinary mercapturic acid excretion; blood GST and NQO1 enzyme activity
To investigate glucosinolate administration on carcinogen detoxification enzyme induction in rodents.
Study Type
Animal study
Purpose
To investigate glucosinolate administration on carcinogen detoxification enzyme induction in rodents.
Dose
Dietary glucosinolate at 250-1000 ppm
Participants
Sprague-Dawley rats
Duration
4 weeks
Results
Dose-dependent induction of hepatic phase I/II detoxification enzymes; significant increase in carcinogen clearance vs control diet.
How They Measured It
Hepatic microsomal enzyme assays; urine thioether excretion
Anti-inflammatory & Cardiovascular Effects
To assess dietary glucosinolate intake on inflammatory biomarkers in healthy adults.
Study Type
RCT
Purpose
To assess dietary glucosinolate intake on inflammatory biomarkers in healthy adults.
Dose
High crucifer diet (~150 µmol glucosinolates/day)
Participants
46 healthy adults (crossover)
Duration
2 weeks
Results
High glucosinolate diet significantly reduced serum IL-6 and TNF-alpha compared to low crucifer control diet.
How They Measured It
Serum CRP, IL-6, TNF-alpha before and after crucifer-rich diet
To investigate cruciferous vegetable glucosinolate intake and cardiovascular disease risk.
Study Type
Observational study
Purpose
To investigate cruciferous vegetable glucosinolate intake and cardiovascular disease risk.
Dose
Dietary intake (observational)
Participants
3000 adults in case-control study
Duration
Case-control
Results
Highest tertile of glucosinolate intake associated with 21% reduced CVD risk and significantly lower total cholesterol.
How They Measured It
FFQ dietary assessment; CVD incidence from national registry
Bioavailability & Systematic Reviews
To characterise the absorption and metabolism of glucosinolates from crucifer food sources.
Study Type
Bioavailability study
Purpose
To characterise the absorption and metabolism of glucosinolates from crucifer food sources.
Dose
80 g broccoli (raw vs cooked)
Participants
20 healthy adults
Duration
Single dose crossover
Results
Raw broccoli produced significantly higher urinary ITC metabolites than cooked (5.5x higher); myrosinase activity critical for bioavailability.
How They Measured It
Urinary glucosinolate and ITC metabolite excretion; serum glucosinolate by HPLC
To review the state of evidence on glucosinolates from cruciferous vegetables for human health.
Study Type
Systematic review
Purpose
To review the state of evidence on glucosinolates from cruciferous vegetables for human health.
Dose
Various
Participants
Multiple studies reviewed
Duration
Review
Results
Strong epidemiological evidence links glucosinolate intake to cancer risk reduction; clinical mechanistic evidence supports phase II enzyme induction as primary mechanism.
How They Measured It
Comprehensive literature synthesis
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Glucosinolates research
There are currently 9 peer-reviewed studies on Glucosinolates (Glucosinolates (glucoraphanin, sinigrin, glucobrassicin et al.)), involving 514,106 total participants. Research covers Cancer prevention, Detoxification, Anti-inflammatory and 1 more areas. The overall evidence strength is rated as Moderate.
The evidence is currently rated as "Moderate Evidence". This rating is based on study design quality (randomisation, blinding, placebo controls), sample sizes, study types (5 human studies), and reported outcomes.
Glucosinolates has been researched for: Cancer prevention, Detoxification, Anti-inflammatory, Cardiovascular health. Each area has its own body of evidence which you can explore in the study breakdowns above.
Yes, 5 out of 9 studies are human trials. Human trials carry more weight in our evidence scoring system.
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