Close X
Friday, November 1, 2024
ADVT 
Health & Fitness

Did You Know? Broccoli may curb autism

Darpan News Desk IANS, 14 Oct, 2014 10:44 AM
  • Did You Know? Broccoli may curb autism
A study led by an Indian-origin researcher has found evidence that daily treatment with sulphoraphane - a molecule found in foods such as broccoli - may improve some symptoms of autism spectrum disorders.
 
Participants receiving a daily dose of sulforaphane showed improvement in both behavioural and communication assessments in as little as four weeks.
 
Two thirds of the participants were less irritable, lethargic, better motivated, able to communicate and had less repetitive movements.
 
"The average scores for each of the assessments were significantly better for the 26 participants receiving sulforaphane than for the 14 who received a placebo," said lead author, Kanwaljit Singh from the MassGeneral Hospital.
 
The study enrolled young men, aged 13 to 27, who had been diagnosed with moderate to severe autism spectrum disorder.
 
Participants were randomly assigned to a daily dose of either sulforaphane - extracted from broccoli sprouts - or a placebo, with neither investigators, participants nor their care givers knowing who was receiving the study drug.
 
Overall, 17 of the 26 participants, who received sulforaphane were judged by their care givers to have improvements in behaviour, social interaction and calmness while on active treatment.
 
After 18 weeks of treatment, the average scores on two assessments - the Aberrant Behaviour Checklist and Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) - of those who received sulforaphane had decreased 34 and 17 percent respectively.
 
"The improvements seen on the SRS were particularly remarkable" said co-corresponding author Andrew Zimmerman, a professor at the University of Massachusetts in the US.
 
"I have been told this is the first time that any statistically significant improvement on the SRS has been seen for a drug study in autism spectrum disorder," Zimmerman noted.
 
The findings appeared online in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition.

MORE Health & Fitness ARTICLES

Fitness app games no substitute for actual exercise

Fitness app games no substitute for actual exercise
There are nearly 31,000 health and fitness apps in the market and most of them use games to increase physical activity. Are they a real substitute...

Fitness app games no substitute for actual exercise

Mobile phones cause changes in metabolism

Mobile phones cause changes in metabolism
Mobile phones are certainly causing some changes in the human body's metabolism unlike claims made by cellular operators, medical experts have said...

Mobile phones cause changes in metabolism

Teenage sleeplessness may lead to obesity

Researchers at Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University and University of North Carolina's Gillings School of Public Health...

Teenage sleeplessness may lead to obesity

Cold water, nuts: Secret to healthy life

Cold water, nuts: Secret to healthy life
Start your day with cold water, nuts and stretching exercises to stay in the pink of health, says an expert....

Cold water, nuts: Secret to healthy life

Take a Metro ride to lose extra kilos

Take a Metro ride to lose extra kilos
Commuting to work by active (walking or cycling) and public modes of transport is linked to lower body weight and body fat composition compared with...

Take a Metro ride to lose extra kilos

Bond with neighbours to reduce heart attack risk

Bond with neighbours to reduce heart attack risk
Friendly neighbours may be good for your heart. Researchers have found that bonding well with your neighbours might extend social support network...

Bond with neighbours to reduce heart attack risk