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

Focus on Eye Care

Focus on Eye Care
I had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Amit Mathur and discuss eye care issues and why he is so dedicated in raising awareness of eye care in the South Asian population

Focus on Eye Care

Unique Cardiovascular Disease Risks for South Asians

Unique Cardiovascular Disease Risks for South Asians
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) includes diseases of the heart and all blood vessels in the body, but most importantly those blood vessels leading to the brain and the heart itself

Unique Cardiovascular Disease Risks for South Asians

A Winter Harvest at the Abbotsford Farm & Country Market

A Winter Harvest at the Abbotsford Farm & Country Market
Finding fresh food that is locally grown, organic and in season can be difficult, especially during the winter months. During a recent trip to the Abbotsford Farm and Country Market, we came across a great variety of fresh and flavourful local treats

A Winter Harvest at the Abbotsford Farm & Country Market

Overcoming Stigma: Ranjit Kaur shares her story..

Overcoming Stigma: Ranjit Kaur shares her story..
From a very young age, Ranjit Kaur knew what was expected of her. “You need to keep a good image, so people don’t point fingers.” Ranjit recalled words her mother often spoke

Overcoming Stigma: Ranjit Kaur shares her story..

Darpan Health: Canadian Eye Health Month

Darpan Health: Canadian Eye Health Month
As part of October being Canadian Eye Health Month, the Canadian Association of Optometrists is calling on Canadians of all ages to make eye examinations a part of their regular overall healthcare

Darpan Health: Canadian Eye Health Month

Get Physical with CrossFit

Get Physical with CrossFit
For people like me who are looking for fast and optimal results in every aspect of their body, CrossFit offers fast and positive benefits. CrossFit workouts mostly incorporate free weight equipment combined with constantly varied functional real-life movements using your body weight

Get Physical with CrossFit