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

Autumn Wellness Tune-Up

Autumn Wellness Tune-Up
Notice the leaves changing? A chill in the air? Autumn has arrived. It is the time of maturity and harvest. The air becomes a bit crisper, and the leaves change. Everything slows down, and the days shorten.

Autumn Wellness Tune-Up

Getting Fit the Bootcamp Way

Getting Fit the Bootcamp Way
Summer is here and if you peruse your local activity guide or gym schedule, you will see boot camps cropping up everywhere. If you are looking to get in shape fast, but don’t have a lot of time, you might want to think about bootcamp workouts for your exercise routine. 

Getting Fit the Bootcamp Way

Facts About Cancer

Facts About Cancer
Believe it or not, cancer has afflicted people for several centuries. It is not a new disease. In fact, it is because of early research that we hold a greater knowledge of cancer today.

Facts About Cancer

Cancer – A Call to Action

Cancer – A Call to Action
Just imagine for a second that you are sitting next to a woman who has just found out that she has been diagnosed with stage four-breast cancer. You are at a loss for words because ultimately there is nothing you can say that will ease her fear or burden

Cancer – A Call to Action

5 Biggest Mistakes that may kill your internal organs & how to avoid them

5 Biggest Mistakes that may kill your internal organs & how to avoid them
More than 9 million Canadians are living with diabetes or prediabetes; if left untreated, diabetes will result in following complications: heart disease, kidney disease, eye disease, problems with erection (impotence), nerve damage

5 Biggest Mistakes that may kill your internal organs & how to avoid them

Kettlebell Fitness

Kettlebell Fitness
What is it exactly – well the kettlebell is an old time strength-training tool a lot like a dumbbell, only shaped differently. Kettlebells are a lot like a cannonball with a handle, usually made out of cast iron.

Kettlebell Fitness