Drug & supplement interaction

Broccoli Sprout + Vortioxetine

Vortioxetine brand names: Trintellix, Brintellix, Sehippy.

Minor Interaction
The bottom line Minor

Broccoli Sprout has a minor interaction with Vortioxetine. Theoretically, broccoli sprout might reduce levels and effects of drugs metabolized by CYP2A6.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityMinor
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
Know someone taking this? Share
Interaction report

Broccoli Sprout and Vortioxetine

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

Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 2A6 (CYP2A6) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Vortioxetine

Vortioxetine falls under CYTOCHROME P450 2A6 (CYP2A6) SUBSTRATES — the group Broccoli Sprout interacts with.

Theoretically, broccoli sprout might reduce levels and effects of drugs metabolized by CYP2A6.
Pharmacokinetic research in humans shows that eating broccoli 500 grams daily for 6 days increases CYP2A6 activity by 135% to 550%. Induction of CYP2A6 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 Trintellix (vortioxetine) and broccoli sprouts. Vortioxetine is an active drug on its own (not a prodrug), and the body clears it mainly through liver enzymes. The concern on file is that the glucosinolate compounds in broccoli and broccoli sprouts may speed up one of those enzymes (CYP2A6), which could in theory clear vortioxetine a little faster and make it slightly less effective. If that happened, you might notice your depression symptoms not being controlled quite as well.

That said, this one is very theoretical and ranked as minor. CYP2A6 is only a small player in how vortioxetine is broken down, and normal food amounts of broccoli sprouts are unlikely to matter. Concentrated sulforaphane supplements are a bigger unknown, so check with your pharmacist before starting one.

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

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 Vortioxetine one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

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 Vortioxetine

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 Vortioxetine, 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 Vortioxetine

This page covers Broccoli Sprout only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Vortioxetine page lists 100 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Lithium (major), 1,3-dmaa (moderate), 5-htp (moderate) and Acacia Rigidula (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 73 moderate · 25 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Vortioxetine page

“Vortioxetine (Trintellix) is an antidepressant that works through serotonin, which makes this a list to treat with real care. Two of the 100 ingredients on file rate major: lithium, which can add to the serotonin effect and raise the risk of serotonin syndrome (a dangerous excess of serotonin), and activated charcoal, which can soak up…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Vortioxetine 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 Vortioxetine 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 Vortioxetine 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

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

29 days ago today
Medication Vortioxetine
Top half

#1,150 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 Vortioxetine

What Is Vortioxetine Used For?

Brand names: Trintellix, Brintellix, Sehippy

Vortioxetine treats major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults. This is the only use listed for the Trintellix tablet.

It is not approved for children or teens.

See full Vortioxetine 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
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
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
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Broccoli Sprout and Vortioxetine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Broccoli Sprout with Vortioxetine?
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 Vortioxetine 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 Vortioxetine and Broccoli Sprout?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

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.