Can Broccoli Extract Help Type 2 Diabetes?
By Lana Bandoim
Broccoli gets a lot of hate from picky eaters who avoid it, and kids who are forced to eat it at dinner. However, this vegetable may be getting new fans. A new study shows that a broccoli extract may help people with type 2 diabetes. Before you clear the shelves at the grocery store and buy all the broccoli that can fit in the fridge, consider the study’s details.
How Broccoli Helps Type 2 Diabetes
A study that examined the impact of broccoli on type 2 diabetes found that it may help control blood sugar levels. The extract sulforaphane from broccoli had the positive impact on blood sugar. During the study, a concentrated form of the extract helped participants who were obese.
Problems With the Study
Unfortunately, you may want to wait before stocking up on broccoli. The researchers noticed several problems during the study. First, the extract only helped people who were obese and had problems controlling their blood sugar levels. It did not help other type 2 diabetes patients. This means that its impact was limited to a small group of people.
Second, the study included a small sample of type 2 diabetes patients, and they were all Scandinavian. This severely limited the sample size and may have affected the results.
Third, the researchers used a highly concentrated form of the extract from broccoli that is not available for people to purchase. The extract they used was also tested for purity. Unfortunately, diabetes patients cannot buy it at a store or other location at this time.
Looking Ahead
Although the study was limited, researchers point out that it may help in the development of new medications for type 2 diabetes. They want to see more studies on sulforaphane and its ability to help diabetes patients.
Broccoli is a healthy vegetable and should be part of the diet. However, you would have to eat an enormous plate of broccoli every day to get the same amount of extract that the study participants received. This may not be realistic for most people. In addition, variety is important, so concentrating on one vegetable can get boring.
Consider adding more vegetables to your diet and paying attention to studies about broccoli. Try to add broccoli to different recipes such as soups, casseroles or pasta. Focus on increasing the intake of other healthy vegetables that have sulforaphane such as cauliflower, cabbage, kale, turnips and bok choy.
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Pooler, Ga.