A new study led by the University of Gothenburg reveals that sulforaphane, a compound in broccoli sprouts, effectively reduces fasting blood sugar levels in people with prediabetes. This finding could pave the way for precision treatments for prediabetes and beyond.
A new study led by researchers at the University of Gothenburg has revealed that sulforaphane, a chemical compound found in broccoli sprouts, can significantly lower fasting blood sugar levels in individuals with prediabetes — a condition that often precedes type 2 diabetes.
Conducted by Anders Rosengren, a professor in the Department of Physiology at the University of Gothenburg, and his team, this study builds on their previous research, which identified sulforaphane as a potential antidiabetic agent. A 2017 study had already shown how large doses of sulforaphane could reduce blood sugar levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes.
The latest research, published in the journal Nature Microbiology, shifts the focus to prediabetes, a stage marked by slowly rising blood sugar levels and impaired insulin production.
The study included 89 participants who exhibited elevated fasting blood sugar — one of the main indicators of prediabetes. These participants were randomly assigned either sulforaphane or a placebo for 12 weeks, with neither the participants nor the researchers knowing who received which treatment. A total of 74 participants completed all stages of the study.
The results were promising: those who took sulforaphane showed a more significant reduction in fasting blood sugar levels compared to those who took the placebo.
The study found notable differences when examining clinical subgroups more closely. The subgroup showing the most substantial improvement had characteristics such as mild age-related diabetes, relatively low BMI, low insulin resistance, low incidence of fatty liver disease and low insulin secretion.
In a further phase of the study, Rosengren’s team collaborated with Fredrik Bäckhed, a professor of molecular medicine at the University of Gothenburg, to investigate the role of gut bacteria. They discovered a specific gut bacterium that interacts with sulforaphane, enhancing its efficacy in reducing blood sugar levels.
Quantitatively, the fasting blood sugar levels decreased by 0.2 millimoles per liter in all participants taking sulforaphane, compared to the placebo group. This reduction climbed to 0.4 millimoles per liter in the clinical subgroup and reached a remarkable 0.7 millimoles per liter in those who had the beneficial gut bacterium.
Rosengren emphasized that lifestyle modifications remain fundamental in treating prediabetes, despite these promising findings.
“The treatment of prediabetes is currently lacking in many respects, but these new findings open the way for possible precision treatment using sulforaphane extracted from broccoli as a functional food,” Rosengren said in a news release. “However, lifestyle factors remain the foundation of any treatment for prediabetes, including exercise, healthy eating and weight loss.”
Prediabetes affects up to 10% of individuals in Sweden, often without detection. Early identification and individualized treatment can significantly increase the chances of preventing the progression to type 2 diabetes.
Rosengren believes this study’s results provide a broad model for understanding how pathophysiology and gut flora can influence treatment responses, with potential applications beyond prediabetes.
“The results of the study also offer a general model of how pathophysiology and gut flora interact with and influence treatment responses. A model that could have broader implications,” Rosengren concluded.