Broccoli Sprout Shows Cholesterol Management Potential

Broccoli sprout powder appears to be a useful food ingredient for improving cholesterol levels in type 2 diabetes patients, according to a recent human clinical trial.

Researchers from Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, Iran assigned 72 men and women with type 2 diabetes to consume 10 g of broccoli powder, 5 g of broccoli powder, or placebo daily for four weeks.

After the full round of supplementation, the high dose of broccoli sprout powder was associated with significantly increased HDL cholesterol, significantly decreased serum triglycerides, and a healthier ratio of oxidized LDL cholesterol-to-LDL cholesterol, compared to a lesser dose of powder or placebo. Oxidized LDL cholesterol is understood for its potential to accelerate heart disease.

HDL cholesterol and a common predictor of atherosclerosis (Atherogenic Index of Plasma) also saw improvements with the high dose of broccoli sprout powder.

The Iranian study on broccoli sprout powder is now published in the journal Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice.

In another study on type 2 diabetes patients, the same researchers linked consumption of broccoli sprout powder with decreased oxidized LDL cholesterol, decreased malondialdehyde (a biomarker of oxidative stress), and increased total antioxidant levels.