Sulforaphane glucosinolate (SGS) is a natural substance extracted from the seeds and sprouts of select broccoli varietals. It is an indirect antioxidant that provides long-lasting cell protection from free radical damage. Typical antioxidants, such as vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta carotene, work “directly” to neutralize free radicals and are usually effective for only approximately three hours after ingestion. When Thorne’s Crucera-SGS is ingested and begins to break down in the gut, it releases sulforaphane, thereby activating the body’s natural detoxification and antioxidant enzymes and providing protection to cells from free radical damage for several days. Each capsule of Thorne’s Crucera-SGS is equivalent to eating two pounds of cooked broccoli.

Sulforaphane was first identified in 1992 by researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and is now believed to be the key component of many of the health benefits attributed to cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and kale. Research on sulforaphane has produced more than 500 journal articles over the past two decades.