Sulforaphane & Your Microbiome's Circadian Rhythm

What is your Circadian Rhythm?

All living beings have evolved in sync with light and dark cycles. In other words, when the sun is out (and offering different wavelengths to us, depending on the time of day) our body is focused on certain processes, while when there is an absence of light (after sundown), our body is in gear to carry out other vital, bodily processes.

We are accustomed to a 24-hr cycle in which our biology carries out these different duties, depending on the time of day. Our system is essentially photo entrained (controlled by light). This is one big reason why getting morning sunlight is proven to be beneficial for both systemic health, and circadian rhythm. You can learn more about this in our blog post about sunlight & getting a healthy tan.

You may have heard about circadian rhythm in regards to sleep importance, however it’s important to understand that optimizing your circadian rhythm far surpasses the discussion of sleep. These rhythms regulate behavior, organs, and functions of cells.

Additionally, our gut microbiota fluctuate in response to circadian rhythm and feeding-fasting schedules. Scientists are now showing that gut microbiota are the common link between sleep, circadian rhythm and health. (3)

What is the microbiome?

According to the National Library of Medicine, the microbiome “comprises bacteria, archaea, viruses, and eukaryotes which reside within and outside our bodies.” This population that makes up your microbiome is diverse, takes on different forms in different areas of the body, and also has many implications of your state of health (or lack thereof). (2)

Disrupting Your Circadian Rhythm

When we think of foundational health, many of us think of exercise habits, nutrition, and perhaps mental wellness. However, so many are completely overlooking a fundamental aspect of our vitality as living beings: circadian rhythm. When we have a chronically disrupted circadian rhythm, our health is significantly impacted.

Disrupting these innate, biological rhythms can result in symptoms such as fatigue, trouble sleeping, and impaired cognitive function. Too, cardiovascular health and hormonal state are also impacted.

Shift workers, especially, are shown in studies to exhibit many of these symptoms and health issues. (4) Having a chronically dysregulated circadian rhythm also increases your risk of many different health ailments.

“Oxidative stress is closely related to the circadian rhythm. The disruption of the circadian rhythm can lead to the overproduction of free radicals, resulting in oxidative damage to cellular components.” (14)

The Connection Between Your Microbiome & Circadian Rhythm

From the literature, we know that circadian disruption, which increases pro-inflammatory alterations in your microbial communities, can disturb host metabolism, energy homeostasis, and inflammatory pathways. (5)

Scientists are suggesting that it’s crucial that we understand which functions of the microbiome are rhythmic, how these rhythms interact with the host, and which are subject to manipulation, so that we can develop robust intervention strategies for those whose occupations require atypical sleep schedules.” (4)

Too, it is now becoming clear that the intestinal microbiome is also regulated by circadian rhythms via intrinsic circadian clocks as well as via the host organism. (1)

New research connects the microbiome in the gut to circadian rhythms, suggesting the microbiome plays a role as an internal regulator: another clock that works in tandem with the central clock in your head. (6) Additionally, the gut microbiota is shown to be a strong candidate for the initiating link between suboptimal sleep, disrupted body rhythms, and poor health. (7)

In case the connection between circadian rhythm and the microbiome is not apparent enough yet, a 2020 study review shows us that the gut influences central and hepatic clock gene expression and sleep duration. This is connected to gut dysbiosis, body composition, and fatigue. (8)

It’s also worth nothing that there are many things at play here that contribute to this complex two-way system, and diet plays a fundamental role in this interplay. Meal timing, diet quality, and circadian rhythm all impact this systemic relationship. (9)

The Beneficial Actions of Sulforaphane

As we just got into, diet has a role in this relationship. Within that diet umbrella, needless to say, is the quality and composition of what you are ingesting. Specific plant compounds have been shown to improve the dietary aspect of honoring your body’s rhythms.

Sulforaphane (present in a stabilized, bioavailable form in our product, BrocElite), is a powerful NRF2 activator. NRF2 regulates core and stabilizing circadian clock loops, timekeeping, and coupling redox. (10)

Research from 2022 titled “Rewiring of Circadian Clock by Sulforaphane” explores the therapeutic potential of sulforaphane in treating sleep deprivation-induced cognitive impairments, improving long-term memory, and restoring cognitive function. (11)

Further, sulforaphane has been shown to potentially improve quality of sleep, increase melatonin utilization & production, decrease prostaglandin levels (which cause inflammation). (12)

Also, sulforaphane consumption is linked to a positive increase in “good” bacteria in the gut. Additionally, the downstream expression of metabolic pathways is markedly improved as a result of sulforaphane metabolites. (13)

Lastly, studies suggest that “combining agents that regulate the circadian cycle with Nrf2 activators may have a synergistic impact on improving symptoms and slowing disease progression.” In this instance, sulforaphane has a sensible application. (14)

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