Drug & supplement interaction

Broccoli Sprout + Theophylline

Theophylline brand names: T-Phyl, Duraphyl, Aerolate JR, Aerolate SR, Theo-Dur, and others.

Minor Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Minor

Broccoli Sprout has a minor interaction with Theophylline. Theoretically, broccoli sprout might reduce levels and effects of drugs metabolized by CYP1A2.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityMinor
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Broccoli Sprout and Theophylline

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Theophylline

Theophylline falls under CYTOCHROME P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) SUBSTRATES — the group Broccoli Sprout interacts with.

Theoretically, broccoli sprout might reduce levels and effects of drugs metabolized by CYP1A2.
Animal research shows that broccoli sprout extract can increase CYP1A2 gene expression. Also, pharmacokinetic research in humans shows that eating 500 grams of fresh broccoli daily for 6-12 days can increase CYP1A2 activity by 10% to 200%. Induction of CYP1A2 activity by broccoli is attributed to glucosinolate constituents, which are also found in broccoli sprout.
Severity Minor Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the gist for theophylline: your liver clears it largely through an enzyme called CYP1A2. Broccoli sprouts contain natural compounds (glucosinolates) that can nudge that enzyme to work a little faster. If the enzyme speeds up, theophylline may get cleared more quickly, which could leave you with lower levels and less benefit, meaning more wheezing or shortness of breath could sneak back in.

Two things to keep in mind. First, this is mostly theoretical and based on lab and food studies, so I wouldn't lose sleep over it. Second, theophylline is a touchy drug where even small shifts in blood level matter. Eating sprouts as a normal food is unlikely to cause trouble, but before using concentrated broccoli sprout supplements, check with your pharmacist or doctor.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Hakooz, N. and Hamdan, I. Effects of dietary broccoli on human in vivo caffeine metabolism: a pilot study on a group of Jordanian volunteers. Curr Drug Metab 2007;8(1):9-15. PubMed
  2. Yoshida K, Ushida Y, Ishijima T, et al. Broccoli sprout extract induces detoxification-related gene expression and attenuates acute liver injury. World J Gastroenterol. 2015;21(35):10091-103. PubMed
  3. Kall MA, Vang O, Clausen J. Effects of dietary broccoli on human drug metabolising activity. Cancer Lett. 1997;114(1-2):169-70. PubMed

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Broccoli Sprout Also Interacts With Other Medications

Broccoli Sprout has 186 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Theophylline one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Minor 186 No known interaction 2,644 (incl. Theophylline)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Broccoli Sprout

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Broccoli Sprout. Pick one to open its full report.

From our Q&A

Questions About Broccoli Sprout or Theophylline

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Broccoli Sprout or Theophylline, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Theophylline

This page covers Broccoli Sprout only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Theophylline page lists 126 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Ephedra (major), Sida Cordifolia (major), Adrafinil (moderate) and African Wild Potato (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 89 moderate · 34 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Theophylline page

“Stop ephedra before anything else if you take theophylline (Theo-Dur, Slo-Bid, and others) for asthma or COPD. Both are stimulants, and together they raise the risk of serious heart and nervous system effects; Sida cordifolia, an herb that contains ephedrine, carries the same major rating.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Theophylline interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Broccoli Sprout as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 184 real supplement products containing Broccoli Sprout, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Broccoli Sprout. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Theophylline too, on top of Broccoli Sprout — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Broccoli Sprout and Theophylline Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Broccoli Sprout
Top half

#553 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Theophylline
Top half

#719 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Broccoli Sprout

What is Broccoli Sprout?

  • Antioxidant support
  • Detoxification support
  • General heart health
  • Anti-inflammatory support
  • Digestive and gut health

Broccoli sprouts are young broccoli seedlings rich in a compound called sulforaphane, which is being studied for antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification effects. Early research is promising for some uses, but high-quality human evidence is still limited, so they should be viewed as a healthy food rather than a proven treatment. As food they are generally safe, but talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated supplements, especially during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Read the full Broccoli Sprout monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Theophylline

What Is Theophylline Used For?

Brand names: T-Phyl, Duraphyl, Aerolate JR, Aerolate SR, Theo-Dur, Slo-Bid, Theo-24, Uniphyl, Slo-phyllin Gyrocaps, Theolair, Theolair SR, Quibron-T/SR, Quibron-T, Aerolate III, Theo-X, Bronkodyl, Theoclear LA-130, Constant-T, Theoclear LA-260, Elixophyllin, Theovent, Theobid Jr Duracap, Respbid, Theobid Duracap

Theophylline — available as extended-release capsules (Theo-24), extended-release tablets, and oral solution (Elixophyllin) — is used to treat symptoms and reversible airflow obstruction caused by chronic asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis.

All supported formulations share these indications. Theophylline is intended for patients with ongoing or recurring symptoms, not for sudden (acute) breathing attacks, which need faster-acting treatments.

See full Theophylline drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Broccoli Sprout

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Broccoli Sprout — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
0Moderate
186Minor
2,643No known interaction
186 Minor 2,643 No interaction
Minor

186 interactions

Showing 60 of 186 minor interactions — see all 186 on the Broccoli Sprout page.

No interaction 2,643 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Broccoli Sprout against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,643 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Broccoli Sprout list.

See the full Broccoli Sprout interactions page
See every supplement checked against Theophylline, ranked by severity
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

Keep exploring
Broccoli Sprout monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Theophylline supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Theophylline, ranked by severity Theophylline drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Broccoli Sprout and Theophylline Together: Common Questions

Can you take Broccoli Sprout with Theophylline?
There is only a minor interaction, which is usually not serious. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Broccoli Sprout and Theophylline interaction?
We rate it Minor. This interaction is generally not clinically significant, but it remains worth noting and discussing with your pharmacist.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Theophylline and Broccoli Sprout?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.