Sulforaphane in Broccolli Protects Against Inflammation in Sunburn!

In a 2011 study, researchers studied the impact of sulphoraphane from broccolli, a Nrf2 activator, on sunburned skin exposed to UVB-sunlight. The researchers found that a single dose of sunlight resulted in skin inflammation in both wild-type and Nrf2-knockout mice at 8 hours and 8 days after exposure. During the study, Nrf2 wild-type mice returned to a more basal level of inflammation compared to the knockout mice at 8 days. With the application of sulphoraphane, the inflammation in wild-type mice returned to basal levels at 8 days while there was no return to basal levels in the knockout mice. In addition, short-term inflammatory biomarkers of Il-1B and Il-6 were elevated in the knockout mice and the number of cells going through the process of cell death from exposure was significantly higher. Taken together, the results of this study shows that sulphoraphane, and Nrf2 activator, protects against inflammation from UVB-sunlight, sunburn, and generally, is photoprotective in skin cells.

Note:
*Green tea, another Nrf2 activator, also protect against inflammation with sunburn. (Jin)
*Just another reason why food is better than supplements.  
*Sulphoraphane is in a variety of cruciferous vegetables including cabbage, cauliflower and kale.


For further reading: Immunogenetics in Autism, MCS and Cancer --- What Has Food Got To Do With It!

Impact of Nrf2 on UVB-induced skin inflammation/photoprotection and photoprotective effect of sulforaphane. Molecular carcinogenesis, Vol. 50, No. 6. (June 2011), pp. 479-486 by Constance L. Saw, Mou-Tuan T. Huang, Yue Liu, et al. http://www.citeulike.org/user/kimberlykramer2015/article/13577789
Protective effect of epigallocatechin gallate on the immune function of dendritic cells after ultraviolet B irradiation Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, Vol. 8, No. 3. (2009), pp. 174-180,doi:10.1111/j.1473-2165.2009.00443.x by Song L. Jin, Bing R. Zhou, Dan Luo. http://www.citeulike.org/user/HEIRS/article/5700567