Eating broccoli lowers blood sugar.

Original title: Eating broccoli lowers blood sugar
Doctors often tell people to eat more green vegetables, and soon they may prescribe broccoli. A concentrated powder extracted from broccoli has been shown to be very effective in people with type 2 diabetes. This extract can reduce blood sugar levels in diabetics by 10%.
type II diabetes usually occurs in middle age, especially in overweight people. Their bodies stop responding to insulin, a substance that controls glucose levels in the blood. Abnormal insulin regulation leads to elevated blood sugar levels, which increases the risk of sudden heart disease, blindness or kidney disease.
with the disease usually take metformin, which lowers blood sugar levels. However, 15 per cent of people do not use this treatment because of the potential risk of kidney damage.
a chemical called radish thiocin found in broccoli buds has previously been shown to have the effect of lowering blood sugar levels in diabetic rats. Anders Rosengren of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden and colleagues wanted to know if this principle applied to the human body. To test this theory, the team gave 97 patients with type 2 diabetes a concentrated dose of radish thiol or a controlled placebo for three consecutive months. Only three of them continued to take metformin. Patients who did not take metformin were also able to control blood sugar levels relatively without medication.
radish thiocin is about 100 times higher than in natural broccoli. "It's the equivalent of eating 5 kilos of broccoli a day." Rosengren said.
on average, blood sugar levels in patients taking radish thiocin were 10 percent lower than in those taking controls. The effects of these extracts were most pronounced in obese participants with "regulatory abnormalities" diabetes, where underlying blood sugar levels were higher from the start.
are excited about these new discoveries and are eager to bring these extracts to patients," he said. "We've seen blood sugar levels drop by about 10 percent, which is enough to reduce symptoms in the eyes, kidneys, and blood. "
further studies have shown that metformin and radish thiocin can lower blood sugar, but they work differently. Metformin makes cells more sensitive to insulin, so they can absorb more blood sugar like sponges. Radish thiocin, on the other hand, lowers blood sugar by inhibiting liver enzymes that stimulate blood sugar production.
, Rosengren believes that broccoli extract is a beneficial complement to metformin, not a competitive one. He points out that many people with diabetes are unable to take metformin because of kidney syndrome, in which case broccoli extract is a potential substitute.
Rosengren and colleagues have been working with the Swedish Farmers' Association to apply to regulators for approval for the drug, which could take up to two years. (Feng Weiwei )