Blog Sample - Sulforaphane and Sensory Issues: Is Broccoli Beneficial?

The challenges associated with ASD, SPD, and ADHD are as unique as the children affected.

Some kids experience hypersensitivity to textures, noises, smells, tastes, or lights. Others

demonstrate repetitive behaviors, problems with coordination or impulse control, extreme food

preferences, and social deficits. Some experience severe symptoms, while others experience

signs that are more muted.

Regardless of the presentation, broccoli may provide a boost. But it’s not the crunchy green

vegetable itself that’s beneficial; it’s the sulforaphane it contains.

What is Sulforaphane?

On the surface, sulforaphane sounds like something you might use to wrap up your dinner

leftovers. Technically speaking, it’s a sulfur-rich compound that’s found in several types of

cruciferous vegetables,

Sulforaphane has a strong reputation for its potential ability to prevent cancer, but it goes

beyond its antitumor talents and reduces inflammation, protects the heart, and decreases the

risk of diabetes as well. Doctors have even begun to look at it as an ally for those with sensory

processing disorders. That’s right, sulforaphane may be a key to SPD!

How Does Sulforaphane Help Kids with Sensory Processing Disorders?

It’s believed that sulforaphane helps kids with SPD because it mimics the fever effect. The

science behind this phenomenon lies in a fever’s ability to trigger heat shock proteins and

cellular responses. This has a domino effect inside the body and, notably, inside the nervous

system. The body revs up, leading to improved synaptic function and longer-reaching

connectivity among neurons. The result is a better-regulated kiddo.

In essence, a fever encourages the body to heal itself, a process that, at other times, lies

dormant.

Since sulforaphane can produce the fever effect even when a fever is not present, it's a unique compound. Studies suggest that it triggers heat shock proteins and cellular responses, providing kids with the benefits of a fever without the drawbacks (e.g., cough, runny nose, or muscle aches). In other words, keep the value, lose the virus!

Sulforaphane may reduce symptoms and their severity by doing the following:

Helping kids be more social: Children with SPD tend to have trouble with social function,

failing to read social cues or behave appropriately in social situations. Sulforaphane may help

kids be more social and express themselves more fully.

Helping kids stay focused: Children with SPD are often unfocused because of their

hypersensitivity to the world around them. Sulforaphane may help children concentrate and

home in on the tasks at hand. This can lead to better grades and improved academic

achievement. It might also increase the odds of them cleaning their rooms!

Improving a child’s mood: Sulforaphane may help foster an overall improved mood, leaving

kids happier and calmer. As moms and dads know, a happier kid directly translates to a happier parent.

Making transitions easier: While many people don’t like it when plans change, kids with SPD

tend to really, really, really dislike it! Sulforaphane may help mitigate the transitional edge by

decreasing the risk of dysregulation when the unexpected arises.

What Foods Contain Sulforaphane?

As noted earlier, sulforaphane is found in cruciferous vegetables, including cabbage, bok choy,

brussels sprouts, turnip, kale, and cauliflower. Of course, broccoli has it, too. In fact, broccoli has

a big head for a reason: It has some of the highest levels of sulforaphane, especially when it’s

diced up into sprouts.

Raw vegetables are the best sources of sulforaphane, as cooking reduces levels. But some of this reduction may be avoided by adding mustard, which can help with bioavailability and enhance the compound’s natural benefits. For kids who don’t enjoy eating vegetables (i.e., most kids), sulforaphane can be consumed through supplements.

What are the Side Effects of Sulforaphane?

Sulforaphane, like so much else in life, is not without some side effects. Fortunately, these

appear to be mild, with gas, diarrhea, constipation, and GI upset most often experienced.

When it comes to drug interactions, sulforaphane has the potential to change the way the liver

processes certain medications. This doesn’t necessarily result in a contraindication, but it

underlines the importance of speaking to your doctor before introducing any type of supplement

into a daily routine.

In kids with SPD and seizure disorder, further caution may be advised. There are reports of two

kids experiencing seizures after consuming sulforaphane during a study, though the

sulforaphane couldn’t be ruled in or out as the cause. What’s more, sulforaphane is believed to

be an anticonvulsant and a possible treatment for epilepsy. So, the jury’s still out a bit in some

regard.

Even in the absence of side effects, extremely high doses of sulforaphane should be avoided.

What’s the Future for Sulforaphane?

Sulforaphane hopes to be the next big thing in the fight against SPD. Doctors are hard at

work to uncover its true potential, but the research is hopeful thus far. That means all the

parents who have wanted an SPD cure to come in the form of a simple pill may get their wish.

Because it’s possible that it already does.