An effective new treatment for type 2 diabetes could be sitting in your fridge, according to the results of a new study.

Share on Pinterest Researchers say that sulforaphane, which is found in broccoli sprouts and other cruciferous vegetables, could help to treat type 2 diabetes.

Researchers found that a compound found in broccoli sprouts and other cruciferous vegetables led to a significant improvement in fasting blood glucose levels among obese adults with type 2 diabetes.

Furthermore, the compound, which is called sulforaphane, was found to reduce the amount of glucose produced by cultured liver cells, and it also appeared to reverse abnormal gene expression in the livers of rats.

The study – conducted by Annika Axelsson, of the Lund University Diabetes Center in Sweden, and colleagues – was recently published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, accounting for around 90 to 95 percent of all diagnosed cases.

The condition arises when the body is unable to use the hormone insulin effectively, causing blood glucose levels to become too high. Unless blood glucose levels are controlled, type 2 diabetes can cause a number of severe complications, including heart attack, stroke, nerve damage, and kidney failure.

While there are medications, such as metformin, that can help people with type 2 diabetes to manage their blood glucose levels, Axelsson and team note that some patients are unable to use them due to their severe side effects, which include kidney damage.

As such, there is a need for safer alternatives. Could sulforaphane meet this need?