EATING THIS NEW BROCCOLI COMPOUND ELIMINATES PREDIABETES

The chemical compound sulforaphane found in broccoli sprouts can be linked to improved blood sugar levels in prediabetes, a precursor to type 2 diabetes. This has been shown in a study conducted at the University of Gothenburg.

THE STUDY

A recent University of Gothenburg study builds on previous research identifying sulforaphane, a compound found in broccoli sprouts, as potentially beneficial for blood sugar control. While earlier work in 2017 showed sulforaphane extract significantly lowered blood sugar in type 2 diabetes patients, this new research published in Nature Microbiology focuses specifically on prediabetes.
The study involved 89 participants with prediabetes indicators, particularly elevated fasting blood sugar levels. All participants were between 35-75 years old and had overweight or obesity. Using a randomized, double-blind design, participants received either sulforaphane or placebo for twelve weeks, with 74 participants completing the full study protocol.

RESULTS

Fasting blood sugar fell

The study revealed that participants receiving sulforaphane experienced greater reductions in fasting blood sugar compared to the placebo group, with a substantial difference between the two.

This effect was even more pronounced in specific subgroups. The most significant improvements occurred in participants who displayed early signs of mild age-related diabetes, had relatively lower BMI within the study population, showed low insulin resistance, minimal fatty liver disease, and reduced insulin secretion.

Further research conducted with Professor Fredrik Bäckhed at the University of Gothenburg examined gut microbiota, identifying a specific bacterium that interacts with sulforaphane and appears to enhance the compound’s effectiveness.

Quantitatively, the differences in fasting blood sugar levels were 0.2 millimoles per liter between all sulforaphane users versus placebo recipients. This increased to 0.4 millimoles per liter in the identified clinical subgroup, and reached 0.7 millimoles per liter in participants who both belonged to the clinical subgroup and possessed the specific gut bacterium.

POSSIBLE PRECISION TREATMENT

In Sweden, prediabetes affects approximately ten percent of the population but currently lacks a structured treatment protocol. Though often undiagnosed, early identification significantly improves chances of preventing progression to type 2 diabetes. Professor Anders Rosengren highlights the critical importance of early, individualized interventions.

“Prediabetes treatment is currently inadequate in many ways, but our findings suggest potential for precision medicine using broccoli-derived sulforaphane as a functional food supplement,” Rosengren notes. “However, fundamental lifestyle modifications—including exercise, nutritious diet, and weight management—remain the cornerstone of prediabetes treatment.”

He further explains that their research provides a broader framework demonstrating how disease mechanisms and gut microbiome work together to influence treatment effectiveness—a model with potentially wide-ranging applications beyond diabetes prevention.

TO READ MORE, OPEN THE LINK BELOW:

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1073687