Can Broccoli Extract Enhance the Effects of Berberine? Exploring Potential Synergies
Investigate if broccoli extract can boost the effects of berberine. Learn about their overlapping biochemical pathways, including mTOR and Nrf2, which reduce insulin resistance, inflammation, and oxidative stress.
Does broccoli extract enhance the impact of berberine ?
There is some evidence suggesting that broccoli extract might enhance the effects of berberine. Both broccoli extract, which is rich in sulforaphane, and berberine act on several common biochemical pathways, such as mTOR, PPARγ, NFκB, ERK, and eIF2α1. These pathways are involved in reducing insulin resistance, mitigating inflammation, and promoting anticancer activities12.
Moreover, sulforaphane (from broccoli extract) and berberine can both activate the Nrf2 pathway1. The Nrf2 pathway regulates antioxidant responses and could help reduce oxidative stress, which might further potentiate the effects of berberine.
Thus, while direct synergies between broccoli extract and berberine have not been extensively documented, their overlapping biological pathways suggest potential complementary interactions that could enhance their benefits, especially regarding oxidative stress and inflammation.
Footnotes
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Jean Bousquet, "Efficacy of broccoli and glucoraphanin in COVID-19: From hypothesis to proof-of-concept with three experimental clinical cases," PubMed Central, 2020. ↩ ↩2 ↩3
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Francisco Alejandro Lagunas-Rangel, "Natural Compounds That Target DNA Repair Pathways and Their Therapeutic Potential to Counteract Cancer Cells," PubMed Central, 2020. ↩
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