Diabetes patients may have a possible solution that helps control blood sugar levels. Health experts often advise people to eat their greens and eating broccoli could potentially hold the key to countering type 2 diabetes.
Researchers at the Lund University Diabetes Centre in Sweden conducted a new study, which reveals that the chemical sulforaphane – which is found naturally in broccoli and some other veggies – may help type 2 diabetes patients control their blood sugar levels effectively.
Sulforaphane Works Effectively As Blood Sugar Monitor
To ascertain if sulforaphane was indeed effective in monitoring the blood sugar levels of type 2 diabetics, the researchers developed a genetic model for type 2 diabetes patients. This profile was centered on 50 key genes, whose alterations are linked with type 2 diabetes.
Can The Broccoli Compound Help Treat Type 2 Diabetes?
For the study, the researchers – led by Annika Axelsson – observed 97 individuals who were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The subjects were given a broccoli sprout extract in powdered form, which was concentrated and contained sulforaphane. This sulforaphane dosage was 100 times more powerful than what is usually found in broccoli naturally