A study by UK researchers from the University of East Anglia (UEA) has identitifed a compound in broccoli that may help prevent or slow the progress of osteoarthritis.
Funded by mutiple parties including the Arthitis Research UK, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Dunhill Medical Trust, the study looked at the effects of the compound sulforaphane in mice.
Sulforaphane was shown to slow the destruction of cartilage in joints associated with arthritis, as the mice that were fed a diet rich in sulforaphane showed significantly less joint damage than the control group.
Also found in lower amounts in cruciferous vegetables such as Brussels sprouts and cabbage, sulforaphane was found to block enzymes that cause joint destruction by stopping a key molecule known to cause inflammation.
A UEA press release also stated that the study examined cartilage cells and tissue from humans and cows.
This is the first study of the comound's effect on joint health, according to the release.
The results were published in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism.
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