Broccoli is a good food source of chromium, as one cup cooked broccoli contains 22 micrograms of chromium, 10 times that other food contains. Chromium plays an important role in stabilizing blood glucose levels and helping with fat and cholesterol control. Above all, only a smidgen of chromium can make a big difference. The close attachment of the bio-active chromium to insulin enhances the conversion of glucose into carbon dioxide up to 100 times, effective at lowering blood sugar, especially for type 2 diabetes. A concentrated powder extracted from broccoli has been proved effective in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, for this extract can reduce blood sugar levels by 10%. From this aspect, it appears reasonable that doctors often suggest our eating green vegetables. Besides broccoli, high-chromium is found in nuts, oysters, mushrooms, whole grains, beer, wine, rhubarb, beer yeast. For instance, barley, which is found rich in chromium by contemporary science, has been used by Iraqis to treat diabetes for a long time.
According to a study report published in the international journal Science Translational Medicine, scientists from Sweden, the United States and Switzerland found that sulforaphane contained in cruciferous vegetables could reduce glucose levels. In addition, this article highlighted how to separate sulforaphane and how to make use of sulforaphane to examine its influence on rats’ live cells and human bodies.
For many years, we have constantly heard of “type 2 diabetes”, which is closely related to the increase of obesity population in many countries, especially in America. In previous studies, researchers found when the body cannot effectively use glucose, cells are unable to use insulin properly, which can further cause health problems. Currently, treatments of type 1 diabetes include eating healthy food and taking drugs such as metformin. However, 15% of people cannot be treated with these existing drugs, because they pose a risk for liver injury.
Type 2 diabetes usually develops among people in their middle ages, especially among overweight population. At that point, their body will stop responding to insulin, a substance which can control glucose levels. High level of blood sugar resulted by abnormal insulin regulation will increase the risks of sudden heart disease, blindness, nephropathy, and so on.
A chemical called sulforaphane found in Broccoli Sprouts has previously been shown to have the effect of lowering diabetic rats’ blood glucose levels. Anders Rosengren and his colleagues at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, want to find out if this also works in humans. To test this theory, they had 97 patients with type 2 diabetes treated with concentrated doses of sulforaphane or placebo for three consecutive months. Only three of them continued to take metformin. Subjects who did not take metformin could also relatively keep their glucose levels well.
Sulforaphane in concentrated dose is about 100 times that in broccoli in nature. Taking the concentration is the same as having 5 kilograms of broccoli a day, Rosengren said.
On average, compared to subjects who were given placebo, the glucose levels of those who took sulforaphane reduced by 10%. The effect of these extracts was most effective among obese subjects who had “dysregulated” diabetes. At the beginning, these people’s basal blood glucose levels were comparably high.
“We are extremely excited about the effect of our new findings, and we are eager to bring these extracts to our patients,” Rosengren said, “as we can see, their average glucose level has lowered by around 10%, which is enough to relieve symptoms in their eyes, kidneys and blood. ”
Further research showed that both metformin and sulforaphane can reduce blood sugar, but their mechanism is different. Metformin makes cells more sensitive to insulin so that they can sponge more sugar in the blood. As for sulforaphane, it lowers glucose levels through inhibiting liver enzymes, a substance which can stimulate glucose production.
Therefore, Rosengren believes that broccoli extract is a useful complementary to metformin, rather than a competitor. He pointed out that many patients with diabetes cannot take metformin because of kidney syndrome, so in this case, broccoli can be a potential alternative.