Munch your broccoli for help with diabetes
Let's take a little quiz on the little edible bush and stalk we call broccoli. This vegetable:
a) is hard to spell;
b) was famously dissed by President George H.W. Bush;
c) can reverse the damage to heart blood vessels in diabetes patients.
With a new study out of the University of Warwick, England, it appears the answer is (d) all of the above.
The Brit researchers looked at a compound called sulforaphane, broccoli's engine in repairing blood vessels. This compound is found in other vegetables, including bok choy, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and kale. These are known as brassica vegetables. Other research has demonstrated sulforaphane reduces risk of heart attacks, stroke and cancer through the production of enzymes that help blood vessels.
The Warwick team found that sulforaphane triggers a protein that protects cells from damage by mobilizing protective antioxidants and enzymes. Researchers recorded a 73 percent reduction of Reactive Oxygen Species molecules, which can damage human cells and can cause particular havoc in diabetes patients.
It has long been known that broccoli is a nutritional powerhouse. It's an excellent source of folic acid, which helps with cell growth —especially good for the fetus in a pregnant woman.
Some of the British doctors said the research regarding the chemical effects on cell structure was a far cry from the real-life ringside watching what would happen if you had diabetes patients eat more Brassica vegetables. That's true. It's not proof. Then again, there's nothing wrong with moving broccoli up a few notches in your rotation of side dishes.
