The broccoli chemical sulforaphane is known to block the inflammation and damage to cartilage associated with arthritis ( file picture ) An artificial version of a compound in broccoli could hold the key to treating arthritis , say researchers . The broccoli chemical sulforaphane is known to block the inflammation and damage to cartilage associated with the condition . But patients would have to eat several pounds of the vegetable every day to derive any significant benefit . Sulforaphane in its natural form is also too unstable to turn into a medicine . But UK drug company Evgen Pharma has developed a stable synthetic version of the chemical that offers the potential of a pill treatment . A single dose of the drug , known as Sulforadex or SFX-01 , is the equivalent of eating 5.5lb of broccoli in one day . In tests on mice affected by osteoarthritis , Sulforadex significantly improved bone architecture , gait balance and movement . Professor Andrew Pitsillides , who co-led the research at the Royal Veterinary College in London , said : ‘ These initial results are very positive for such an experiment and we have convinced ourselves that sulforaphane is a promising agent for the treatment of osteoarthritis . ‘ The clinical development of sulforaphane has been held back by the fact that it is inherently unstable – SFX-01 is a major advance in this area. ’ Professor Pitsillides added : ‘ Nearly nine million people in the UK have osteoarthritis and it costs the NHS more than £5 billion every year . But UK drug company Evgen Pharma has developed a stable synthetic version of the chemical that offers the potential of a pill treatment ( file picture ) 'There is no cure or effective treatment for the disease other than pain relief or joint replacement , so the potential for SFX-01 is massive. ’ Broccoli is also believed to reduce the risk of some cancers and cardiovascular disease , and improve symptoms of autism . A University of Pittsburgh study found it could be used to prevent throat cancer . In laboratory tests , extracts from broccoli were shown to give mice protection against oral cancer .
Sulforaphane known to block inflammation and irritation to the skin . People would have to consume several meals daily to derive significant benefit . Drug manufacturer bio Pharma has a synthetic version of chemical .