Eating Lots of Broccoli Can Quiet or Wake Up Your Body's Alarm System
Cruciferous vegetables have variable effects on biomarkers of systemic inflammation in a randomized controlled trial in healthy young adults.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Cruciferous + apiaceous vegetables increased IL-8 by 16%, even while lowering IL-6.
Most people assume all inflammation markers move together. This shows vegetables can selectively trigger one pathway while calming another—like turning down the volume but turning up the bass.
Practical Takeaways
Eat a variety of vegetables daily, but don’t stress if you don’t love broccoli—your genes might not need it.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Cruciferous + apiaceous vegetables increased IL-8 by 16%, even while lowering IL-6.
Most people assume all inflammation markers move together. This shows vegetables can selectively trigger one pathway while calming another—like turning down the volume but turning up the bass.
Practical Takeaways
Eat a variety of vegetables daily, but don’t stress if you don’t love broccoli—your genes might not need it.
Publication
Journal
The Journal of nutrition
Year
2014
Authors
Sandi L Navarro, Y. Schwarz, Xiaoling Song, Ching-Yun Wang, Chu Chen, Sabrina P Trudo, A. Kristal, M. Kratz, D. Eaton, J. Lampe
Related Content
Claims (10)
People with a certain gene variation who eat a lot of broccoli for two weeks see lower levels of two inflammation markers in their blood.
Eating a lot of broccoli, cabbage, and similar veggies every day for two weeks can lower a key inflammation marker in the blood of healthy young people.
Eating a mix of broccoli and carrots every day for two weeks lowers a blood inflammation marker just as much as eating a lot of broccoli alone.
Eating a mix of broccoli and carrots every day for two weeks slightly increases another inflammation marker in the blood of healthy young people.
Eating broccoli every day for two weeks doesn't change several common blood markers of inflammation in healthy young people.