Herb & supplement monograph

Broccoli Sprout Drug Interactions, Uses, Effectiveness, Safety & More

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS ·Updated July 2026

What is this page for?

First and foremost: how Broccoli Sprout interacts with medications. The heart of this page is the interaction list — every drug Broccoli Sprout is known to interact with, and how serious each one is.

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Broccoli Sprout is, what people use it for and how strong the evidence is, its safety and side effects, and answers to the questions we’re asked most — written and reviewed by the clinical staff at HelloPharmacist. It’s educational information from our licensed clinical databases, not medical advice, and we don’t sell or endorse products. Our editorial policy

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On this page

Broccoli Sprout Drug Interactions: The Bottom Line

From the HelloPharmacist Editorial Team · Updated July 2026

Based on the available evidence, the overall risk of a clinically significant Broccoli Sprout drug interaction appears low for most people. Every interaction on record for broccoli sprout is rated minor, with none rated moderate or major.

Interactions deserving the most attention

The main theme is that broccoli sprout may speed up two enzymes the body uses to clear certain medications, which could modestly lower those drugs' levels. This applies to CYP1A2 substrates and CYP2A6 substrates, meaning medications processed by those enzyme pathways. Human research with large daily servings of fresh broccoli showed increased activity of both enzymes, and this effect is attributed to compounds also found in the sprouts. Even so, no drug has been shown to lose its effect in people because of broccoli sprout.

What the rest of the list means

A long list of interacting medications can look worrying, but here it mostly reflects one shared, theoretical mechanism rather than many separate proven problems. Most entries are predictions based on how these enzymes might handle other drugs, extrapolated from studies of regular broccoli, and none has been documented to cause a meaningful change in how a medication works.

Check your medications against Broccoli Sprout

Based on HelloPharmacist’s Broccoli Sprout interaction data and reviewed under our editorial standards.

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Broccoli Sprout

187 medications have a known interaction with Broccoli Sprout, graded by severity. Select any drug for the full evidence-based detail.

Don’t want to scroll the list? Just ask.

Tell us the medications you take and we’ll check each one against Broccoli Sprout using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our Broccoli Sprout interaction data for education only — always confirm with your pharmacist. How we use AI

2,830 drugs

Read The List Like a Pharmacist

What Severity, Likelihood & Evidence Mean

Severity — How Serious It Can Be

Major. Clinically significant; generally best avoided, or used only under direct professional supervision.
Moderate. May need monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one.
Minor. Generally not clinically significant, but still worth noting and mentioning to your pharmacist.
No known interaction. Checked against our sources with nothing documented — not the same as proven safety.

Likelihood — How Well It’s Documented

Likely. Well-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction
Probable. Interaction 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.
Possible. 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
Unlikely. Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.

Where This Data Comes From

Interaction records are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database (TRC Healthcare), the same reference used by pharmacists and hospitals.
Each drug listed above links to the full report for that exact Broccoli Sprout combination — clinical detail, likelihood, evidence level, and citations.
Content is reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

The big picture

The kinds of drugs Broccoli Sprout affects

Every type of medication (drug category) Broccoli Sprout is known to interact with. Open any category for the detail — or search your exact drug in the checker above.

All 2 drug categories Broccoli Sprout interacts with

Cytochrome P450 1a2 (cyp1a2) SubstratesCytochrome P450 2a6 (cyp2a6) Substrates

Cytochrome P450 1A2 (Cyp1A2) Substrates

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.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Cytochrome P450 2A6 (Cyp2A6) Substrates

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.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Monograph

Broccoli Sprout: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Reviewed July 2026 ·

The bottom line

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.

Scientific name: Brassica oleracea var. italica
Family: Brassicaceae
Part used: Young sprouts (seedlings) of the broccoli plant
Common forms: Fresh sprouts, powders, capsules, tablets, and standardized extracts (often labeled as containing sulforaphane or glucoraphanin)

People commonly use it for

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

Popular and traditional uses — not proof it works. See “Uses & effectiveness” below for the evidence.

Safety at a glance

OverallUse caution

Generally safe as a food, but concentrated supplements are less studied and quality varies.

PregnancyLikely Safe

When COOKED broccoli sprouts are consumed in amounts commonly found in foods. Broccoli sprout is considered safe for dietary consumption provided the...

Read the full pregnancy detail

BreastfeedingLikely Safe

When COOKED broccoli sprouts are consumed in amounts commonly found in foods. Broccoli sprout is considered safe for dietary consumption provided the...

Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center). Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

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Overview

Broccoli sprouts are the young seedlings of the broccoli plant (Brassica oleracea), the same family as cabbage, kale, and Brussels sprouts. They are harvested just a few days after the seeds sprout, when they look like thin white stems with small green leaves.

These tiny sprouts are popular because they contain much higher amounts of certain plant compounds than mature broccoli. People eat them raw in salads and sandwiches, blend them into smoothies, or take them as powders and capsules. They are grown indoors year-round and are widely available in grocery stores and as supplements.

How it works

Broccoli sprouts contain a compound called glucoraphanin. When the sprouts are chopped or chewed, an enzyme called myrosinase turns glucoraphanin into sulforaphane, the active compound researchers focus on.

In laboratory and animal studies, sulforaphane appears to switch on the body's own protective pathways (such as the Nrf2 pathway), which help make antioxidant and detoxifying enzymes. It may also help reduce inflammation. These mechanisms are interesting, but most of this work was done in cells and animals, so it is not proof of benefit in humans.

Effectiveness

Does Broccoli Sprout work?

Here’s what the research actually shows for each use — graded by Natural Medicines and reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD.

Evidence overview · 8 uses evaluated

8 Insufficient evidence

How to read these evidence grades

Natural Medicines’ 7-point scale. We show each rating’s label word-for-word.

1EffectiveStrong, consistent evidence it works.

2Likely EffectiveGood evidence, though not yet conclusive.

3Possibly EffectiveSome evidence suggests a benefit.

4Possibly IneffectiveSome evidence it may not help.

5Likely IneffectiveFairly strong evidence it doesn’t help.

6IneffectiveStrong evidence it doesn’t work.

7Insufficient Reliable Evidence to RateToo little research to say either way.

For Broccoli Sprout, current evidence isn’t strong enough to rate any specific use. The conditions it has been studied for are listed below.

Also studied for 8 conditions — evidence insufficient to rate

Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Allergic rhinitis (hay fever)