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Aug 6, 2008 6:58 pm US/Eastern
HealthWatch: Broccoli May Reverse Diabetes Effects
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Broccoli is often touted as a super food: it's full of antioxidants and its disease-fighting abilities have been well-documented.
Now, a compound found in high levels in the vegetable may reverse the effects of diabetes on the veins.
"Broccoli is not my favorite vegetable, by any means," says Gigi Grobstein, a recently-diagnosed gestational diabetes patient, "but if I could alleviate the stress of me worrying about the gestational diabetes, I think that I would actually eat broccoli."
"The concentration that we've tested is very similar to what can be achieved in the blood by eating just regular portions of broccoli," says Dr. Leonid Poretsky from the Friedman Diabetes Institute at the Beth Israel Medical Center.
Diabetes damages blood vessels which is why people with the illness are five times more likely to develop heart attacks and strokes.
But a compound in broccoli called "sulphorophane" helps the body protect the vessels, thereby reversing the effects of diabetes.
"This compound can protect the cells from the effects of high blood sugar," says Dr. Poretsky.
"Sulphorophane" is a phytochemical and its benefits extend beyond diabetes.
Studies suggest it may lower levels of breast and colon cancer, protect against macular degeneration, and keep heart disease at bay.
"Broccoli is a very low-calorie, high fiber product, which is perfect for people with diabetes," adds Dr. Poretsky.
Researchers have even made advancements toward developing a "super-broccoli" mutant to fight disease. It has 100 times more "sulphoraphane" than the ordinary version of the vegetable.
"I think that my husband would be very happy because he loves broccoli and he tries to get me to eat it all the time," says Grobstein.
Doctors may still be years away from handing out prescriptions for broccoli, but the recent findings add more scientific weight to the benefits of putting the green vegetable on your plate.
The high fiber content of broccoli may have an additional benefit for diabetics.
Eating a diet rich in fiber improves the control of blood sugar by slowing down the body's absorption of glucose. This keeps sugar levels more even all day.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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