People with diabetes are at increased risk of hyperglycemia, a condition marked by high levels of glucose in the bloodstream.  Hyperglycemia can damage the walls of blood vessels to the heart, increasing a diabetic’s risk of having a stroke or developing heart and kidney disease.  Certain molecules, Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), are produced in excess, as much as three times the desired amount, when hyperglycemia is present and its these ROS molecules that damage the cells of the blood vessels.

Professor Paul Thomalley and colleagues from the University of Warwick Medical School have just reported they’ve used Sulforaphane, a naturally occurring chemical compound derived from broccoli, to ward off, and even reverse, the damaging effects to the blood vessels of hyperglycemia.  Previous studies have shown that a vegetable-rich diet is instrumental in decreasing the risk of stroke and heart disease but Thomalley’s study is the first to identify the heart-healthy workings of Sulforaphane.

Hyperglycemia leads to increased production of ROS, which damages the cells of the blood vessels.  Sulforaphane stopped the increase in ROS production by as much as 73%, thereby reducing the damage it can cause.

Working in yet another beneficial way, Sulforaphane was found to activate nrf2, a protein that protects cells and tissues from the stress of oxidation.  By activating nrf2, protective antioxidants and enzymes used for detoxification were produced.  In the presence of Sulforaphane, activation of nrf2 doubled in the cells of the vascular system.

Broccoli, a vegetable from the Brassica genus, is the vegetable under investigation for the Thomalley study but further studies may reveal that other vegetables in this genus, including cabbages, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and other members of the mustard family, may contain a beneficial amount of Sulforaphane, too.

The Thomalley study was funded by the Biotechnological and Biological Sciences Research Council, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International, and the Wellcome Trust.

Source: University of Warwick