A chemical found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli known as sulforaphane might actually be able to lower glucose levels. That meaning broccoli in itself could help people suffering from type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar levels.
It seems sulforaphane may have been responsible for lowering glucose levels in lab experiments that were done on diabetic rats. This was found when researchers used computer models to identify gene expression changes that were linked to type 2 diabetes, they then sifted through thousands of chemicals that were thought to possibly reverse these changes. They saw a reduction of about ten percent.
That ten percent average reduction was seen across a sample of ninety-seven Human volunteers who took part in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. It was noted that the participants who were obese and had higher baseline glucose levels to begin with actually benefitted the most. The dose being used in this was the equivalent of eating about eleven pounds of broccoli a day. This being something researchers say could be adapted into powder form and sprinkled on just about anything you eat throughout your day.
Researchers have also speculated that after awhile sulforaphane could become a replacement for metformin, a drug used to improve blood sugar regulation in people with diabetes. This is amazing because up to about fifteen percent of people who suffer from diabetes cannot take metformin because of the associated kidney damage. Sulforaphane is quite different than metformin when it comes to how it works because Sulforaphane suppresses the enzymes in the liver that stimulate glucose production while metformin makes cells more sensitive to insulin taking more glucose out of the bloodstream in that manner.
Sulforaphane showed to be promising long before human trials when it was tested on liver cells being grown in a lab. Of course, larger more detailed studies will be needed before the drug can be approved for treatments but this is a definite sign you should make sure to get your veggies every day. If upping your broccoli intake could really help you out why not give it a go?