Do not remove it from the table! Broccoli a weapon against this very prevalent disease

Broccoli can help diabetic patients keep glucose under control: a group of researchers have identified an ingredient present in broccoli that appears to be helpful in fighting the disease, writes focus.it.

Interesting for pharmacological research is the approach by which scientists at Lund University in Sweden have managed to select the molecule present in broccoli as a possible treatment.

First, a "signature" of type 2 diabetes was built, based on about fifty genes expressed in "diseased" versus healthy liver tissue.

The researchers then tested thousands of compounds, 3852 to be exact, that had genes as potential targets. Among them, they have identified sulforaphane, present in many vegetables, but in larger quantities in broccoli, as the one that can best affect the typical "firm" of the disease.

The compound reduced glucose production in cultured liver cells. In mice, it has been shown to shift the expression of liver genes to a less disease-like condition. Finally, the composition was tested in about 100 patients with type 2 diabetes.

Sulforaphane has been the subject of many previous studies, particularly for its protective action against cancer, possibly due to its antioxidant abilities.

According to a recent study, the composition may also be helpful in controlling obesity. Its use as a therapy for diabetes is seen with particular interest, as the disorder affects about 300 million people worldwide and that a percentage of patients, approximately 15 percent, cannot receive the standard treatment, metformin, for the risks of kidney damage. .