Nine patients with gastritis and Helicobacter pylori infection were randomly assigned to receive 7, 14, or 28 g of broccoli sprouts on an empty stomach twice a day for 7 days. Stool antigen testing for H. pylori was done at the end of the treatment period (day 8) and at day 35. Urea breath testing (another test for the presence of H. pylori) was performed on patients who had a negative stool antigen test at day 35. Seven of nine patients (78%) were stool antigen negative at the end of the treatment period and 6 remained negative at day 35. H. pylori eradication was confirmed by the urea breath test in one patient from each of the three dosage groups. Of the four patients who had symptoms at baseline, two improved, one had no change, and one reported worsening. Six patients rated the taste of broccoli sprouts from acceptable to very good; one patient stated they were "not good."

Comment: H. pylori infection of the stomach is associated with peptic ulcer and gastritis, and appears to increase the risk of developing gastric cancer. Conventional treatment to eradicate H. pylori usually consists of two antibiotics and a proton-pump inhibitor. While this "triple therapy" is usually successful, it can cause significant side effects and may also promote the development of resistant strains of the organism. A number of natural alternatives to triple therapy have been tried, but none have a high success rate (see Gaby AR. Altern Med Rev 2001;6:355-366).

Broccoli sprouts contain sulforaphane, an isothiocyanate that has been found to inhibit H. pylori in vitro. Broccoli sprouts contain 20-50 times more sulforaphane and related compounds than does mature broccoli. The results of the present study suggest that eating broccoli sprouts for one week can successfully eradicate H. pylori in at least one-third of cases.

Galan MV, et al. Oral broccoli sprouts for the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection: a preliminary report. Dig Dis Sci 2004;49:1088-1090.