Sulforaphane for Liver Health
Sulforaphane (from broccoli sprout extract) has a plausible liver-protective mechanism and one small trial showing lower liver enzymes, but there is no evidence it improves actual liver disease, so the case for using it as a liver supplement is weak.
Why this grade7-layer evidence engine
This earns a C (Weak Evidence) grade because the supportive human data is thin and limited to surrogate markers. The mechanism is well established: sulforaphane activates the NRF2-KEAP1 pathway, boosting glutathione and phase II detoxification enzymes that reduce hepatic oxidative stress (PMID 29242678). But mechanism alone does not prove clinical benefit.
The most direct human evidence is a single small trial in 52 Japanese men with mildly elevated liver enzymes (PMID 26604653), where 8 weeks of broccoli sprout extract significantly lowered ALT and gamma-GTP versus placebo. It was short, single-population, partly industry-funded, and measured only blood markers, not liver health itself. A Qidong trial in aflatoxin-exposed adults (PMID 16284385) found no overall difference in a liver-carcinogen DNA marker, and a 2025 prediabetes trial (PMID 39929977) missed its primary glucose endpoint and reported no liver outcomes at all.
Crucially, no study tests hard endpoints like NAFLD/NASH histology, fibrosis, or liver-cancer and mortality rates. Regulators and clinics reinforce caution: the FDA has not approved or evaluated it for any disease, EFSA leaves such botanical claims unauthorized, and Mayo, Cleveland Clinic, and Harvard emphasize weight loss, alcohol reduction, and treating root causes over supplements, noting some supplements can themselves harm the liver. Falling liver enzymes are not proof of a healthier liver.
Scoring transparency
All scores computed by a 7-layer evidence engine — fully auditable▸View the full decision path (audit trail)
- compute_raw_score — 加權公式: L2×0.30 + L3×0.25 + L5×0.25 + L11×0.10 + L1×0.10 = 0.445
- tier_from_score — 依分數區間映射至 tier letter
- apply_hec_rules — 無高階證據可裁決
- tier_strict_requirement_check — Tier 條件達標，未降階
- detect_disputes — 偵測到 0 個 hard + 0 個 soft dispute
- decide_status — 依 tier + dispute 結果決定 status