FRIDAY, August 8, (News Locale) - Broccoli has long been touted as a perfect vegetable laden with power-packed nutrients. Now researchers are indicating eating the vegetable may protect the blood vessels and the heart from damage in diabetes. 

Lead researcher Professor Paul Thornalley and colleagues at the University of Warwick analyzed the effects of a compound called sulforaphane found in broccoli on blood vessels in the laboratory. They found sulforaphane activated a protein called nrf2, which in turn triggers release of genes that increase antioxidants.

Furthermore this protein also increases the number of protective and metabolic enzymes in the body.

For this study, the researchers cultures human microvascular HMEC-1 endothelial cells in low and high glucose concentrations (3 and 30 mMole) in their laboratory. After this they analyzed the effect of sulforaphane on the blood vessels.

They found a considerable reduction in Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) molecules. These molecules are present in three times the normal level in diabetes patients and are believed to increase the risk of heart disease and stroke by five times in these patients.

Reporting in the onmline issue of the journal Diabetes, the researchers revealed sulforaphane reversed the increase in ROS caused by hyperglycemia by 73 percent. The the activation of nrf2 was also doubled by sulforaphane.

The researchers said more studies were needed to assess if eating a diet rich in brassica vegetables like broccoli  has health benefits for diabetic patients