Comparison
Melatonin vs Sulforaphane (Broccoli Sprout)
Melatonin
Pineal hormone regulating circadian rhythm. Low doses (0.3-1mg) often outperform higher doses for sleep.
Sulforaphane (Broccoli Sprout)
Isothiocyanate from cruciferous vegetables. Activates Nrf2 antioxidant signaling. Studied for cancer prevention, autism, and metabolic health.
| Field | Melatonin | Sulforaphane (Broccoli Sprout) |
|---|---|---|
| Category | neuroprotective | neuroprotective |
| Dose range | 0.3–3mg | 10–40mg |
| Half-life | 1h | — |
| Onset | 30min | — |
| Evidence | EVIDENCEA | EVIDENCEB |
| Safety | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Legal (US) | USOTC | USOTC |
| PubMed refs | 28000 | 4200 |
The comparison in plain English
Auto-generated from dataMelatonin and Sulforaphane (Broccoli Sprout) are both in the neuroprotective category respectively. Melatonin Pineal hormone regulating circadian rhythm. Sulforaphane (Broccoli Sprout) Isothiocyanate from cruciferous vegetables.
Bottom line
Melatonin (evidence A, safety 5/5) has a weaker evidence base than Sulforaphane (Broccoli Sprout) (evidence B, safety 5/5). Melatonin has the slightly cleaner safety profile. For users new to either, the higher-evidence option is the safer first try.
Choose Melatonin if
Melatonin is the better fit when your goal aligns with its mechanism (Endogenous hormone produced by the pineal gland in response to darkness, signalling the circadian sleep window) and the dose range (0.3–3mg) suits your protocol. Half-life is 1h.
Choose Sulforaphane (Broccoli Sprout) if
Sulforaphane (Broccoli Sprout) is the better fit when your goal aligns with its mechanism (Most potent natural activator of Nrf2 (nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2), the master regulator of the cellular antioxidant response) and the dose range (10–40mg) suits your protocol. Half-life is —h.