Broccoli and other cruciferous veggies contain – sulforaphane -- a chemical which aids in depleting blood sugar levels and aid type-2 diabetics.
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This chemical was detected by scientists from Sweden, the US and Switzerland. The researchers found that the blood sugar levels had dropped when rat liver cells were treated with this compound, Medical Xpress reported.
This research involved 97 type-2 diabetics who were given placebo or a concentrated dose of sulforaphane every day for three months. The dose of the compound given to the participants was 100 times, which is found naturally in eating five kg of broccoli every day.
"It was the same as eating around five kg of broccoli daily," said Anders Rosengren, one of the researchers from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.
Three of the partakers continued consuming the oral blood sugar lowering drug called metformin, whereas others who did not have the medicine could still handle their condition.
The study concluded that type-2 diabetics who were given the broccoli extract had a drop of blood glucose levels by 10 percent in comparison to those who were on placebo.
The researchers were very excited about seeing the impact of the broccoli extract on the patients, Rosengren revealed.
As per Rosengren, the depletion of blood glucose by 10 percent is enough to reduce the complication aroused by diabetes in the organs like kidneys, eyes and blood.
The research also pointed out that the extract had benefited obese participants diagnosed with dysregulated diabetes. The broccoli extract could act as a substitute got metformin, as most diabetics can't have the drug due to kidney complications, Rosengren elucidated, as per a New Scientist report.
The researchers are yet to carry out further research on the chemical as this was a small scale study. They note also that their technique for discovering the compound's usefulness in treating the disease could very well be applied to other diseases, Medical Xpress revealed.
