Broccoli Extract Lowers Blood Sugar in Diabetics

Concentrated sulforaphane, a chemical found in broccoli, reduced blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetes patients by 10 percent in a small trial.

Written byDiana Kwon
| 1 min read

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PIXABAY, CONGERDESIGNA powder containing a highly concentrated dose of sulforaphane, a chemical found in broccoli sprouts, was able to lower blood sugar levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes, according to a study published Wednesday (June 14) in Science Translational Medicine.

“We’re very excited about the effects we’ve seen and are eager to bring the extract to patients,” study coauthor Anders Rosengren of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden tells New Scientist. “We saw a reduction of glucose of about 10 percent, which is sufficient to reduce complications in the eyes, kidneys, and blood.”

Rosengren and colleagues conducted a 12-week placebo-controlled trial in which 97 people with type 2 diabetes took either a highly concentrated sulforaphane powder (with a dose 100 times that found naturally in broccoli) or a placebo. Most participants continued to take metformin, a drug commonly used to lower blood sugar levels in diabetics.

The team discovered that their compound was able to reduce participant’s fasting blood glucose by 10 percent compared with ...

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Meet the Author

  • Diana is a freelance science journalist who covers the life sciences, health, and academic life. She’s a regular contributor to The Scientist and her work has appeared in several other publications, including Scientific American, Knowable, and Quanta. Diana was a former intern at The Scientist and she holds a master’s degree in neuroscience from McGill University. She’s currently based in Berlin, Germany.

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