Broccoli May Hold the Key to Treat Schizophrenia, Find Researchers

A compound in broccoli might be useful in restoring the chemical balances in patients suffering from schizophrenia.

(Photo: iStockphoto)

With the numerous health benefits that it has to its credit, broccoli is, without a doubt, a wonder-food.

And now, more is added to the list with the results of a recent research, which has found that a compound in broccoli might be useful in restoring the chemical balances in patients suffering from schizophrenia.

The study discusses the the potential medical utility of a natural phytochemical compund called sulforaphane in treating conditions such as asthma, air pollution injury, diabetes, human brain disorders such as autism, and maybe even the prevention of certain types of cancer. The compound can be found in the seeds and sprouts of cruciferous plants such as broccoli.

Published in the journal Molecular Neuropsychiatry, researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine found that:

Taking two capsules of sulforaphane (obtained from the sprout) daily for a week increased the average glutathione levels in shizophrenia patients by almost 30 percent. 

Brain regions of 81 people suffering from schizophrenia were compared with 91 healthy participants.

A report in the New York Post quotes Akira Sawa, director of the Johns Hopkins Schizophrenia Center, as saying,

It’s possible that future studies could show sulforaphane to be a safe supplement to give people at risk of developing schizophrenia as a way to prevent, delay or blunt the onset of symptoms.