Study: Broccoli Sprouts Alleviate Oxidative Stress in Diabetics

Research published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that broccoli sprout powder may reduce oxidative stress in people with type 2 diabetes.

According to recent science, oxidative stress appears to play a major role in the development of type 2 diabetes. Broccoli sprouts may protect the body from that damage, thanks to sulforaphane, a compound found in cruciferous vegetables.

Researchers at the Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (Tehran, Iran) assigned 63 type 2 diabetes patients to placebo or broccoli sprout powder (10 g or 5 g) daily for four weeks. Cyvex Nutrition Inc. (Irvine, CA) provided sulforaphane-standardized broccoli sprout powder (BroccoPhane) for the study.

After four weeks of supplementation, broccoli sprout supplementation was associated with a 9% decrease in serum malondialdehyde (a product of lipid peroxidation) and a 5% decrease in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol for the highest intake group. Total antioxidant capacity was increased by 16% and 10% in the high and low intake groups respectively.

The results of this study support previous work on humans and animals, according to the researchers.